Today is the first day in weeks that I feel somewhat rested. The last few weeks everyone has been hard at work on Grammy week events. I was largely focused on our show with Hawthorne Heights, Atreyu and Anberlin, which happened on Wednesday. Leading up to the show it was all about coordinating with three managers and two labels. Victory Records (Hawthorne Heights and Atreyu) and Tooth & Nail (Anberlin) were a pleasure to work with. The greatest thing about working with these labels and bands is that you can count on them to work. These are the kind of bands that succeed or fail based on their fans, who spread the word online, buy merch, buy tickets and support the bands in any other way they can. It’s a really inspiring thing to see. Their fans are so dedicated.
I got to the venue and dinner was being served. I walked around, met the managers I had been talking to on the phone for weeks, shook hands with the bands and cleared up some last minute ticket issues with Alexandra (the real rock star of the evening). Guitar World magazine was at the venue taking some photos of the Hawthorne Heights guys. Kids were already lining up outside for a sold-out crowd. Cameras were in position, the El Rey kitchen was being used as the control room and in a small side room the editor was working on some footage for the show and Mark “The Cobra Snake†Hunter was wandering around.
This was a unique show for the S.R.O series because it went out live-live through AOL. There was a great moment while I was standing with Atreyu backstage right before they went on. There was all kinds of hectic activity going on because of the live nature of the evening. Alex (Atreyu’s singer) had a bit of stage fright as he realized just how many people would be seeing the performance. It was just one of those moments that makes everyone involved feel a little more human. The band took the stage and could not have performed better. I was totally blown away and it’s a good thing I had ear plugs.
Anberlin, then Atreyu and finally Hawthorne Heights took the stage. I watched at least a few songs from each band from the floor, but I was all over the place, talking to people, watching from the balcony, watching from the control room and then wandering outside to check on the incoming crowd. The show was awesome and despite a few technical glitches, came off as one of the better shows to date. I think we were able to capture the feel of the show. The fans were awesome and represent what S.R.O. is really about.
On to the next one…
