Memory Lane Wednesday: Best. Concert. EVER.

Okay, so I do realize it's Thursday night and I'm only now getting around to posting my one weekly doodad. (Wow, that's actually a word lol).  My excuse is this: My internet is an ass. Literally. I only just got it back today. Apparently some glitch in the system (not mine) saying my bill was overdue. Three days of bitching and complaining and wouldn't you know it? Suddenly my money showed up. WTF?

Anyway, so now I can watch the last fucking 10 minutes of Bones I was watching on Monday when it died suddenly of a coronary. Now I can read my blogs and catch up. I haven't even been on Facebook since Monday morning. I was starting to have serious internet withdrawals. It's one thing when I go on vacation and remove myself from the internet, but it's quite another when my internet is dead. Jackasses. All of them. And before you leave a comment regarding whether or not I have a "smart phone" . . . I don't. I don't even have a "data plan" on my phone so it costs an arm and a leg to check the internet. Smart phones cost money. Damn it.

So, albeit a day late, here is this week's memory. Not sure why I feel bad . . . it is my blog after all and I can do what I want when I want. Right?

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About a year and a half ago, the most amazing concert ever happened. Well, in my life at least. Nickelback came to town in August of 2009. I had found out several months before, in spring, and was itching to go. I put out on MySpace and Facebook that they were coming to town and wondered who would go with me. In total, there was 13 of us. It. Was. Freaking. Awesome.

Half the group came from Redding. The other half from Sacramento. The concert was taking place at the Amphitheater in Marysville. However, during this whole concert fiasco, I find out it's actually closer to a town called Wheatland. Seriously, this venue is surrounded by cattle pasture. It's awesome.

I had this idea for all of us to meet for pizza before the concert so both parties could officially meet. Well, that sorta blew up in my face. Two people from the Sacramento group had to come later as they had class. So, no pizza for them. The folks from Redding wound up so lost, my friend R said this: "I could have given better directions while giving head!" (And that folks, is probably the most perverse thing ever mentioned on my blog). I had called a friend and asked if there was a pizza parlor in Wheatland easy for everyone to find. She gave me directions to one, and I passed this on to the Redding group, which obviously was of no help.

Me, Mway, and PV had pizza. Then we got phone calls from two different cars involving the Redding group that they each wanted large pizzas. The poor pizza guys were so nice and waited to make them, so they'd still be hot when the cars arrived. Then they called and asked where we were as they were at the pizza parlor. They were in Marysville, not Wheatland. Yeah.

Turns out, we had to take those pizzas to go, as they next phone call we got was, "We're at the venue, where are you?" Um. Still waiting for you. At the fucking pizza parlor. We run to the venue, and oddly enough, as we're driving through clouds of dust, my cell phone rings and R says, "Hey are you in a little blue car?!" I said yes, and she said, "Look to your right!" We three look to the right and there are women standing on top of a big ass truck jumping and waving and screaming. Found 'em.

We park, and start heading that way. Although, we nearly forgot the pizza. Then the tickets. Neither were good things to lose. The Redding group scarfed their pizzas, and left leftovers in their trucks as "hangover food". Yikes.

We get to the front gates just to get frisked. The gal loved the look of shock on my face. I'm a wee bit shy about getting too frisky in public, and not even the folks in the airports made me make a face. This was no normal pat down folks. It was nearly a strip search, without taking off any clothes. Once I was done, I turned around to see R making the same face as me, and she's nowhere near as shy as me. She agreed with me that usually strangers don't get that far.

We missed the first band to open, but none of us cared. We got to see Hinder and Papa Roach open for Nickelback, and had a good time. Between bands, all of us were visiting and laughing and snapping pics. It wasn't too hot, with was odd, since it was August. In California. By the time Papa Roach took the stage, it was dusk and it was wonderful outside. We were having the time of our lives.

And then came Nickelback. Now that shit was FUN. I mean it. Best. Concert. Ever. Every single one of us was dancing around like idiots, singing to every single song. They had their pyrotechnics show, they were funny, and our group screamed like idiots when they sat down to play "Friends in Low Places" (originally done by Garth Brooks). I mean, it's not often you hear a rock band singing a country song. Especially that country.

Once the concert was over, we could hardly talk, but we were all grinning from ear to ear. Definitely worth the small fortune to see them. Technically the concert started at like, 6pm. It was nearly midnight when it was all over. Totally awesome. R and B waited in line on the way out to buy t-shirts. The rest of us kept going and found the same shirts being hocked outside the gates for like $10. Best. Deal. Ever. R and B spent like $40 on the same shirts. We made it to their trucks and waited for the traffic to clear before heading out. We ate leftover pizza, and just hung out.

I've been to lots of concerts (all country) and they were all fun and enjoyable. But this one . . . this one was different. I think it was the large group of friends, the atmosphere, everything. I don't know. I doubt any other concert will live up to that one, even if I have a blast. I still listen to their CD's and think of the concert and smile. I hope to see them again, someday, hopefully with others from that same group.