Current mood:	thankful
Current music:	Before The Lobotomy<3

MSG1<3
400 miles, 5 days, 20 hours of sleep, loads of new (and old!) friends and 4 Green Day shows. Although I am exhausted and it is time that it's over, this week was the most amazing one of my life. So many things that I thought would never ever happened did, so let me review it all.

Out of all of the shows on the tour my favorite one that was the most amazing and special in everyway was the first night at Madison Square Garden. Actually, everything about this day was perfect and in all honesty, it was better than Bowery.



Kayla and Nicole had driven into the city extremely early and got there I think at 4am. I left around 7 and was worried that there would be a load of people behind them and they wouldnt let me cut in line with them, but boy was I all wrong. I get there at 8am and the only people I see are the two of them, Jimmy from Bowery, and some other guy. I was seriously expecting people to be lined up overnight for MSG, but the line didn't even reach fifteen people until noon. At about 11 we see a few people and a big camera filming on the corner at Penn Station. We didnt know what it was for, but it was obviously something professional. So they eventually come over to us and tell us that they are filming for VH1 and want a few of us to be briefly interviewed and filmed. I didnt know what it was for but I right away was like UH YES HI I WILL DO IT. I WANT TO BE ON TV. So me, Jimmy, and two other girls sign a release form, they ask us "You're all 18, right?" we say yes. "You're not underage?", and I'm so excited I just keep saying "YES", which leads to "...okay want to see my ID?". Anyway, what it was for was little snippets between videos on VH1's Top 20 Countdown. The guy starts off by saying where we are and asks me why be here hours before the show to which I (over)excitedly responded "Gotta be front row, right in the front to see your favorite band!". Then he asked the other girl to see her tattoo on her wrist of Billie's signature, following taunting Jimmy at the fact that he was wearing a Foo Fighters shirt to a Green Day show. The show aired Saturday morning and of course I DVRed it. Turns out they also interviewed Green Day themselves later on that day and put it at the end of the show, so I was on the same show as Green Day technically!



Around 1 or 2 Caitlin, who I've known for three years on lj arrives with her friend and we finally meet in person. I go back and forth between hanging with her about 20 people back in line and the front of the line. By 4 I've snuck them into the front of the line with me and the lady from Verizon comes out for soundcheck. As usual she starts in the front and says "Who has a Verizon Blackberry and wants to go to soundcheck?" In all honesty, they don't care if its a blackberry or not, hell they dont usually even care if it's verizon, it's just whoever shows up first. I wasnt originally going to go again since I went the night before in Albany but I really wanted Caitlin and her friend to go so I show my phone and grab Caitlin and say "SHE DOES TOO". Then fucking Howie, has to go and yell "The girl in the pink headband already went in Albany!" The lady asks me if I would let somebody else go, and I stand there giving him a dirty look, about to take the soundcheck pass off when she says "Fuck him, keep it". I walk by him with a smirk and later see him over in the line to get in but it turns out he used his AFTERPARTY pass from Albany that was DATED and got REJECTED. It took us a while to get through security so as we are lead through the hall of the arena we already hear King For A Day playing. As we walk down the steps to the first row seating Billie is standing on the side of the stage clapping, waiting for us to come as I dance down in the front of the line clapping too. They finish up King For A Day and he asks what we want to hear. I dont know what they said but at one point Billie goes "What, porn?" Haha I dunno what that was about. So I decide that this is my moment to get them to play Redundant. I didn't have my sign that night, but two nights before in Albany I had one that said "Redundant would still make my life" to which Mike responded "Again!?". So here we are two days later at soundcheck and I scream "REDUNDANT!". Mike is off to the side texting and looks up at me and says "You said that already!". Billie goes "What?" "What?" about five times. After taking off his earplugs I know he finally hears me but doesn't say anything. Then they go into One Of My Lies, which was awesome to hear, and I figure they arent going to play it. But then they start the next song, I hear those opening chords, my hands clap over my mouth, and I realize that after two months of trying to get them to play this song, they finally are doing it. I'm not gonna lie, I cried, because I mean standing in Madison Square Garden with only about 25 other people in the arena with me, no cameras, no recordings whatsoever, my favorite band is playing my favorite song for me. Yeah, thats right, Green Day played Redundant at my request; for me. As much as I would love to see it again on video, I think the fact that nobody except for the people there will ever hear it makes it even more special. Before this tour and after Bowery I told everybody that I would do it- that I would hold that sign up and keep asking until they played it. I bet nobody believed that it would ever happen, but the thing about me is that when I really want something with all my heart, I will do what it takes to get it. Part of me is in shock, but the other part knew that I could make it happen.



Officially crossed off the Green Day Songs I'd Kill to Hear Live list :)


The rest of soundcheck is kind of a blur to me as I stood there not believing what just happened. They played 21st Century Breakdown, Drama Queen, and some other stuff. Then we went back to the soundcheck lounge which was SO MUCH NICER than the one at Albany. There was real food like dumplings, and mini taco type things, and brownies and cookies, they gave us free shirts, and took lots of pictures of us to go on the Verizon site. Me, Caitlin, her friend met some pretty awesome people and we all sat together eating, talking, taking pictures. I was so ridiculously excited, happy, and hyper and was just bouncing around that place. Here's some pictures!



My OMFG GREEN DAY JUST PLAYED REDUNDANT FOR ME face.



After soundcheck lounge!



Me and Chris, one of the guys in charge of getting us into soundcheck




Mmm yummy food!



LOL @ the frame



Still super excited. Our free shirts!



Thanx Verizon! :P


I was getting paranoid and confused about where to go once doors opened since we would be let out of the lounge at the same time as everybody downstairs. Caitlin cant run, which is what I knew we had to do, so I tried to get us a head start but it was impossible. Everything was pretty unclear, but in the end we got to the floor all of us, meeting Kayla and Nicole right on the barricade at our usual spot in front of Mike. I had known that the standing GA area of MSG was tiny, but I was so surprised as to how long it took for it to fill up. There were literally two rows of people behind us pretty much until the Kaiser Chiefs were done. We started making friends with the people around us and it was so chill that I just slipped right out to go to the bathroom, get a drink, and buy some cotton candy (for $7 lolll, thanks kayla). We were going to keep it and be freaks and try and offer Mike some in the middle of the show, but it disappeared by the time they went on. I had made a sign for Castaway and everybody else agreed that was a good one, and that they would help me by chanting it. I had an extra piece of paper and sharpies in my pocket so I was just like "Guys, SOMEBODY needs to make another request sign". Nobody volenteered so I say to Damian behind me who came all the way from Argentina to see Green Day "YOU CAME ALL THE WAY HERE FROM FUCKING ARGENTINA, YOU NEED TO HAVE A SONG PLAYED AT YOUR REQUEST, WHAT SONG?" He said When I Come Around, which I too was thinking about so I made him a sign that said "When I Come Around... I came all the way from Argentina" and gave it to him. More on that later. Before the show even started our buddy, Emmanuel the security guy gave me a setlist. After Jaded it said "audibles", so I said that during that time I would signal everybody to start the chant.. as I'm sure everybody knows, that worked out very well :) So not only did we make friends with other fans in the crowd, but Emmanuel the security guard as I mentioned. I told him how we had already gone to two shows and would be back tomorrow, asked him who he's done security for, asked which fans were the worst (SLIPKNOT), and told him that yeah, I get that this is your job and you're not here to see the band, but I bet you that you'll still have fun with Green Day's live show. And in fact, the next day when we saw him again and I asked "So did you have fun at all?" he said that after it was over, he went home and thought about it and realized that he really did. Green Day is just bringing people together since 1988 ;)

So before I begin to talk about the show itself, theres one more thing I must mentioned that happened while we were waiting. Just standing around we look back on the ridiculously empty space on the floor and we see Adie. Lots of people were talking to her and asking for pictures, but I just felt to awkward and weird to do that. Another girl in the crowd with us, Sam wanted to, but didnt wanna be weird either, so we go and stand next to her the opposite way pretending we're all interested in reading the texts up on the jumbotron. Then Sam makes a smooth move and turns around and casually asks her "So where are you going to stay during the show?". She laughed and said that they actually wouldnt let her stay on the floor and were kicking her out in ten minutes, to which she'd probably just go to the back where the soundboard is. Then she asked us if we signed a petition to stop Global Warming. I lied and said yes. Sorry Adie, but I'm not into the whole Save the Planet thing. So Sam asks for a picture and I wasn't even going to get in it, I was actually going to take it, but then they kinda just grabbed me and I was like OKAY! :) Whoever was taking the photo was obviously technologically challenged and had a lot of trouble pressing the damn shutter button. Awkward "I'm waiting for you to take this damn photo with a smile here" moments are the best, arent they? Since we were already talking to her I just felt the need to express the fact that I really find it to be an inspiration that her and Billie have been together for so long. She was flattered and I was really proud of myself for saying it without sounding weird, because I honestly do find it remarkable that they're still together after all these years considering well... Billie's fame and status? I also told her that I had been to the last two shows and was going tomorrow, she sounded impressed, told us to have a good time and we went right back to our spot in the front. Rock star wives love me, it's true ;)

Now onto the show! I actually really like the Kaiser Chiefs and was excited to see them. I knew almost all of their songs and was singing the words. Kayla looked surprised that I actually knew the words. Not only did they sound really good but they've got great stage presentation too. The lead singer at one point ran into the seats and was just sitting there babbling on about some random shit in the seats with the spotlight on him, but it was really cute. Then he ran through the photo pit, security area, whatever its called and I think he went into the crowd by the catwalk a bit. When he came back onstage he looked like he was in pain and lifted up his shirt to show a nasty cut (which I actually couldnt see from where we were) and said "Shit, I think I just broke my rib". Despite, they put on a great opening set and apparently even Billie was sitting on the side of the stage in a dark hoodie all in disguise rockin out. I didnt see him that night (Kayla did though), but I deff saw him the second night. At the end of the set I screamed "YOU'RE A LOT BETTER THAN THE BRAVERY!" True facts. So the drunk bunny comes out and does his usual shit, YMCA, stumbling around, ya know and as he leaves we finally hear Rock N Roll Radio, which is now known as THE song that is played right before Green Day is on. Good times with that song, I remember back at Bowery this was before we knew that and after every song played after waiting three hours we were like AFTER THIS SONG THEY'RE COMING. Rock N Roll Radio will always be that song- the last song I heard before I saw Green Day for the first time. Anyway, let me stop being all sentimental and get on with it! I know that they come out of the right side of the stage and even though I was always on that side somehow I swear, once the lights go out they always seem to sneak onto the stage before I can spot them back there. That feeling you get when Rock N Roll Radio is ending, the lights going off, the recording of Song Of The Century playing in this giant arena, 20,000 people BEHIND you, and knowing that the show is about to begin is seriously the greatest feeling ever... even if its not the first time and you've just seen them two nights in a row. Just thinking back to it makes me excited and smile. And when Mike Dirnt looks down at you, recognizing you from being there the past two shows and smiling right back at you makes it all the more better. And by this point its not even just about the band to me, but the people that I'm with in the crowd and sharing the love. For instance, to me that line "Video games to the towers fall" or whatever is still "From Mexico to the Berlin wall" from the demo. Me and my friends definitely screamed that version of it to each other at all four shows. Now by this time I know all the pyro cues (okay, so maybe I knew them even before the shows via youtube videos), and during the time I was in the photo pit in Hartford I was dying to get a shot of the fire right after "1969" in 21st century Breakdown... I got a tiny bit of the smoke but that was it. So even though I didnt have my camera tonight, I decided I was going to go for it on my phone. I held it up and got ready and BOOM. No fire, but I got a pretty damn good picture (for a camera phone) of Mike and the balls of smoke behind him. I then made it a clear point that I was turning off my phone and putting it away for the rest of the show and I'm pretty sure Mike saw that. I'm proud of myself for that, considering how hard it is for me to NOT take pictures. But seeing them it was honestly not that hard because I was so into it and I'm actually glad I didn't take pictures except for in Hartford.



Emmanuel, yo head is in the way! But thats okay cause we heart you :P


Next is Know Your Enemy where Billie goes into the crowd, to which I notice that Mike keeps his eyes on him looking concerned that he doesnt get mobbed. I love that they not only look out for fans but each other too. Then East Jesus Nowhere where Billie gets a little kid from the audience to go onstage and "be saved". Where he thinks of these things, god knows. But out of all the kids I have seen, this one was the best. He gets this kid named Elijah with crazy curly hair, an oversized Green Day shirt, and he looks waaay older than most of the kids he usually takes. I think he was about 10, and usually they're about 6, 7 or 8. But this kid was a fucking beast. He runs up stage with his hands up already rockin out actually going in front of Billie. After he falls on the ground instead of just lying there he looks up and keeps throwing his hands and the rock on sign up in the air... and to make it all the better after Billie helps him up and starts chanting his name he RUNS DOWN THE CATWALK totally upstaging Billie. As usual he tells him to beat it and get off his fucking stage, but this time I think he really meant it haha. That kid is seriously going to be a legend. Totally my new hero ;)



Psst, if you look on Mike's side you can see me in my bright pink headband and my free shirt hanging over the railing.

Next is Holiday which always has been one of my favorite songs. Call me cliche, I dont care. This song goes back to Summer 2005, dancing on tables, my fucking screen name being my favorite line, "bombs away is your punishment", and screaming THE REPRESENTATIVE OF NEW YORK NOW HAS THE FLOOR! (which is actually still written on a piece of paper on my wall somewhere). So this song was really special and fucking fun to see. One of my favorite parts of the night was also during the middle during the whole lights out part. Watching Mike right above us standing on that box with first the spotlight coming down behind him, hearing just the bassline, he looks so fucking epic. And then when the lights go out and you see almost nothing, but he's still close enough that we can see him. Good thing he probably couldnt see us since I was just staring in amazement right at him the whole time :P But seriously, that was the most epic thing I've ever seen.


Now on this tour the band has been doing mad requests and songs they havent played in years, but the thing is that you have to find the right moment to hold up your song, and after Welcome To Paradise I saw that moment. So I look back at everybody behind me and nod to them, signaling to the Castaway sign and hold it up. Right away we all start chanting CASTAWAY, CASTAWAY, and Billie hears and sees it. Honestly what happened next is a bit of a blur to me and I really might not remember it very well if it wasnt for the video, but suddenly he's standing there trying to figure out the chords, singing the opening to Castaway... at my request, for the second time that night. I think Mike and Tre were totally lost because in the video all I hear is Billie. But being one of my favorite songs, I was fucking screaming them along with the rest of the crew in the front. He stopped after about 30 seconds saying "I fucked up the words", then points and looks at me saying "But got your back there! Hold up your sign and we'll fucking play it!" Yeah, Billie Joe Armstrong's got my back ;) I screamed "I WILL SING IT FOR YOU!" and pointed at myself but I dont think he heard. Even though they didnt play that much of it I am just beyond satisfied at this point that I've seen my two favorite Green Day songs in one night. I'm not gonna lie I love watching the video of Billie talking to me and seeing Mike point at me too... with the whole arena watching them :) So after that, I realize that its a perfect time for When I Come Around so I turn around and tell Damian PUT UP THE FUCKING SIGN. NOW. HE WILL DO IT. Billie had turned around and it sounded like they were going to start another song but didn't know what so finally he turns around and sees it. He says "When I Come Around? FUCK IT", and they played it. I was kind of sad he didnt read the part that said "I came from Argentina" for Damian's sake, but I dont think he cared. That song is really special to him for one reason or another, just like Redundant is to me so I was not only happy to hear it myself but happy for him too. After the show he thanked me and said "I owe you", to which I replied, "No you really dont. We're all Green Day fans here, I know how that feels, plus I wanted to hear it too!". And it really made me feel good to see somebody else hear "their" song too. This is just one reason why Green Day fans are the best. We help each other out :)



I think that this song now holds a special place in my heart too <3


Okay so now I must talk about one of my favorite moments of the night: Longview. In the beginning when Billie asked "Who knows the words?" I looked up at Mike, and even though she wasnt there, the past 2 nights we'd been trying to get Melissa to go up, so I scream "MELISSA DOES!" and do a little devil horns hand motion and he looks at me and goes "Awwww". 14 seconds in :) Not even there, and they remember us! Anyway, it gets better. The first girl who goes up is whatever- not the worst, not very good. But the second guy... oh god. We see his crazy hair and construction hat he's wearing and me, Kayla and Jimmy all recognize him right away as the crazy guy from Bowery who crowd surfed, almost kicking us, danced onstage with Billie practically strangling him, and ASKED US FOR OUR WENDYS CUPS TO PUT LIQUOR IN EARLIER THAT DAY. So right away we start fucking SCREAMING "NO NO NO WHYYYYYY"... I think when Billie got a look of his face when he came up and said "Oh boy", he recognized him too. He gets up and starts fucking growling the words, like its a heavy metal song. The three of us obviously knew he'd do something stupid and we are laughing so fucking hard that me and Kayla are literally doubled over the barricade. I honestly dont think I've laughed that much in months (not including the Bravery's last set in Albany). It was terrible and wonderful at the same time, because when me and Kayla catch our breath enough to get our fucking heads up, we look up and Mike is pointing and laughing at us laughing. It was a wonderful moment, no lie. I'm sure by now that he remembers all of us from not just the other shows but Bowery too.

There's so much to say about this night, and the moments just keep rushing back to me randomly. I loved every little thing about this whole day. Everything went my way- I was on tv, my favorite band played my favorite song for me (which I think really did make my life), I finally knew for sure that one of the people I admire the most in life remembered me and I know for a fact that he appreciated me and my friends being there... again. The crowd was so chill that night but everybody was totally into it, especially all the people around me. It was a mix of friends I've known for a while, people I had just met, and may never see again but that night- those few hours I felt so close to them all. There were certain points where I'd just look back at all the people behind us and was amazed at how many more of them there were. When the confetti went off I'd just literally throw my hands in the air, look up, and let it fall all over me. At one point I think I actually caught some in my mouth... accidentally. It was kind of funny too.

It was exactly two weeks ago around this very time that I was standing there in soundcheck watching them play Redundant for me, and that song, those lines, that whole entire fucking night just defines how I feel about this band, how much they mean to me and how much I love them. I don't know what I would do without them in my life, and I love that they finally know that. Now I'm off to go and possibly get my first tattoo tonight. I think you can guess what it will be of.