† Man the jokes
get worse and worse around here. But let's move on,
shall we?
† Houston, TX /
Verizon Wireless Theatre / 5.31.06
Like
Shane said, I guess life's not all about rock stars
and road trips. Now, the last time I went to Houston
to check out a HIM show, I nearly got my ass kicked
by the lovely venue security. I hoped that our 2nd excursion
would be more pleasant. I was right.
It was raining, and rain doesn't go good with waiting
in line outside or mascara. Apparently a lot of people
agree with me because we arrived about 5:45 with the
doors opening in less than an hour, and there was maybe
50 people in line. I check in with the box office staff
to see if there's anything interesting awaiting me.
Unfortunately, there isn't...yet. We decided to go grab
dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. Bad idea.
It was a bad idea because I see that a line forms from
nowhere and remember that the burgers at Hard Rock are
$12. I've paid $30 for a meal before, but it was steak,
and there was also a girl swinging above the bar in
an attempt to kick a bell that was hanging 30 feet in
the air. I know, I know, you pay for the atmosphere.
So after dinner, it's time to check the box office once
again. The lovely lady working the booth informs me
that I have to show my ID and sign for my wares. My
packet includes 2 tickets, a photo pass, and 2 aftershow
passes. We are doing just fine.
I head for the merch booth and purchase a shirt to
commemorate this day. I hesitantly walk to the stage
to do the "hurry up & wait" thing that
rock shows are good for. I've never heard Aiden before,
so I wasn't sure what to expect. I expected Aiden to
come out and do the "RARRWWFRRFAWWAAARRRR!!!!!!!"
thing that Finch did last tour.
† Aiden
Aiden was surprisingly good. There was a good number
of fans in the crowd, judging by the mosh pit. Also,
there should be a limit of three crowd surfs before
you're ejected to teen hell. I kept seeing the same
people, over and over again. Even some that busted their
asses would get back up and ask to be thrown again.
Ah, right, we're talking about the band...
As I said before, I had never heard them before tonight.
They made a new fan out of me with their show, which
included several mic swings, guitar spins and at one
point during the show, some fan told the band that they
sucked. Wil, the singer, told him if he thinks he could
do it better, come up and show him how it's done. Apparently,
the guy who said that, didn't take his offer, but his
buddy did. It was pretty entertaining to see, and apparently
the guy, Matt, is a singer in a band in the Houston
area. Check them out here.
Credit to helsinkivampire for that, and the set
list up top.
Aiden rocked. I've been into that style lately, so
I dug it. They were a much better opener than Finch.
The only strange parts were when Wil asked everyone
to put their arms around each other and become a family.
That, and the "it's in our hearts, it's in our
heads, the world by storm" chant. The standing
in the crowd thing was pretty damn awesome, though.
† HIM
The band came out with a new arrangement to "Soul
on Fire" that was pretty fucking sweet. The band
was playing the best I have heard. They were full of
energy and just on top of their game. I loved that they
played "Poison Heart" and "Behind the
Crimson Door" once again. Ville talked about the
meaning behind "Killing Loneliness" and stated
that he'd rather smoke crack cocaine instead of cigarettes.
He mentioned of how somebody threw a cigarette on stage
once and he smoked it, only to realize that it wasn't
a regular cigarette. He said Mige smoked it and passed
out.
The Sacrament was dedicated to Aiden this night, and
the band seems to be having fun with that "the
sacrament is...." thing. In San Antonio, it was
dedicated to the parents "ma & pa," but
that's a story for next time. The crowd was into the
show and pleased Ville enough while singing the break
in "Right Here In My Arms" that he decided
to do a little jig that resembled a rapper. There was
a pretty amusing part in "It's All Tears"
that had Burton flipping off Mige, and then Burton flipped
off Linde. This was the absolute best HIM has ever played.
The rising Heartagram background and chandeliers was
a nice touch.
The aftershow was pretty sweet. Burton and Mige were
the first two down. Mige was sporting some pajama pants,
as was Gas, who came in next. Gas and Mige sat on the
couch next to me and my nephew and were chit chatting
with each other in Finnish. Everyone was taking pictures
with the guys. Ville was the next one in. Burton left
soon after, and Mige and Gas disappeared. Linde had
opted to go to bed and signed a few things outside before
retiring for the night. The guys looked tired and they
were leaving for San Antonio soon. Ville spent the most
time talking with us and just hanging out. Again, all
the guys were generous and signed autographs and took
pics with everyone.
Ville appeared to be in good spirits and was playing
around with us. I told him I was going to be in San
Antonio the next day and he asked if I knew how the
venue was. I told him I had never been there, so I didn't
know. He then signed another dude's jacket and jokingly
told him "You need a shower, bro." Ville had
mentioned that he was thinking of getting his right
arm sleeved in writer's faces, but was unsure.
The San Antonio review to follow soon.
Mige
& Gas †
Burton
† Ville
|