neurological dryer lint

you people think you've seen me sweat... spend a few hours in the 97 degree heat at riverbend, you'll have a new definition of the word.

despite the ridiculous heat warped was well worth the price of admission. b-mack and i stayed for around six hours and caught several bands.

my day was mostly full, starting with bayside, followed by straylight run - an incredible show, i have to see them again; mxpx, a band i've kind of stopped caring about... watching their show brought back a lot of memories and "oh yeah, i remember that song" moments; the matches and the fabulous rudies, both while sitting at the main stage in the shade after i felt like i was going to pass out... the rudies especially surprised us - a san diego ska outfit with lots of energy, some solid originals and great covers of a message to you rudy and stir it up; straylight run again, a quick three-song acoustic set at the myspace tent; my american heart; three songs of coheed + cambria's set, which i had to tear myself away from so i could get a good spot at the stage to finish the day with bad religion.

i think one of my favorite places in the world is in the crowd at one of their shows. a plane could crash a hundred feet behind me and i don't think i'd notice - they are consummate performers, fun, easygoing, a cohesive unit that sounds flawless every time. jay, the bassist, made a few choice comments about tricia macke while onstage. i also noticed a "is this good for the company?" sign on one of their amps. the setlist was satisfying even for a 30-minute show:

american jesus
social suicide
i want to conquer the world
requiem for dissent
honest goodbye
you
do what you want
new dark ages
f*** armageddon
infected
sorrow

i am exhausted, burned to a crisp, feeling way too old to go to another one of these... although close, we certainly weren't the oldest people at the show. it's tough to miss, though, what you get for your ticket price certainly is one of the best values in live entertainment. it's weird that the last time i went was almost ten years ago. that length of time should feel longer, shouldn't it?

note: you need to hit b's site to watch this video and fall out of your chair laughing.