Tacoma - April 27th 2003 by Lilstar - Try To Shut Me Up Tour

[Sharifa]

Try To Shut Me Up Tour Review

Concert: Tacoma

Reviewer: Lilstar

Date: April 27th 2003


Okay, so I didn't believe there was a chance that the Tacoma show could even come CLOSE to how awesome the Vancouver show was! (Given what happened there..) but I have to admit I was pleasntly surprised! I waited in line about 8 hours for that show, too. It was a whole diffferent atmosphere in line. In Vancouver, there weren't many people until around 2 or 3ish. In Tacoma the crowds started coming around 11:30. Surprising, since it was on Monday, and people had school. I was at the front anyways so it didn't matter. The time went by SO fast! It probably helped that I had the sense to pack a freaking bag..a book, coloring books, markers, paper (I made a sign that said bandaids..very simple) CDs, blanket, tons of crap. A radio station came by and did some karaoke, so that was kinda entertaining. Except for when 23875104968 people who couldn't sing on key butchered all of Avril's songs..lol. Well, some could..but a lot couldn't hahahaha. Then Gob came out and were kinda out in the crowd..like, there was this little area that was outside some doors, and it was blocked off by ropes and some like..knee high concrete bricks. No security guards or anything! Theo was by far the coolest guy..so nice, talking to everyone! and he has an AWESOME stage presence! Always making faces and headbanging, I love watching him! He had come out at the Vancouver show during Complicated and Avril rode on his shoulders. I had noticed her "I love Theo" shirt (at that point I didn't know who Theo was) but I was in my own little world up there and it did not occur to me that it was a Gob guy! Then he pointed out to me that he was wearing an "I Love Avril" shirt!!! then he (JOKINGLY people, JOKINGLY! Don't start any damn rumours!) said that he and Avril were together..I don't remember exact words but he SARCASTICALLY said something like that. I had a picture of him with Avril on his shoulders with me, so him and the other gob guys signed it. He drew a cute little picture, too. Then I got a picture with him, and he was like, "nice to meet you again!" And lets see...they did a SERIOUSLY bad job of organizing the event..it was terrible. We lined up (wide line, not single file) at some caution tape, then they took it down and we ran (a couple people getting hurt) down to a few different aisles, where they were SUPPOSED to check people, I guess. But there was a stampede to the doors, which were around the corner and to the stairs. Miraculously, after all that running, I STILL was in the front of the line. After 10 minutes or so, the doors open, and we run to where there's a barricade...about 20 feet in front of a second barricade? That was NOT RIGHT! I marked the spot in the front where my brother went to talk to the security guard to be like, "dude..you're supposed to let people up closer than this" Soo I heard a security guard say that we might be about to be let in and I run to the side just as they are opening up the closer area for I think 600 people max. So that was really lame, they kept letting us run (or I guess most the time only being unable to calm the stampedes) and then stopping us, run, stop, it allowed too much time for people to lose their spots! Soo..that sucked. I was still in the front right in front of her mic. I liked Gob that time more than the first time, since I was more familiar with their music, and had talked to them earlier. I KNOW Theo recognized Tim and I, because at one point, when the lights went really low (probably so no one else would realize what he was doing and grab at him) he reached out and gave a guitar pick to Tim! Very deliberately gave it to him! Then lets see..Simple Plan was alright, but I couldn't really get into it because I was impatient to see Avril..and my feet hurt. Then Avril came on and I swear it was like an instant painkiller! During Anything But Ordinary, Jesse, while playing guitar, tripped on a water bottle, knocking it over and spilling water everywhere. He then slipped on the water, then tripped on a towel, and fell on the stage it was SOOOO funnny!!! Avril could barely sing because she was laughing so hard! At the end of the song they were talking about it. Jesse was like, "thats the first time I ever fell on stage!" and Avril is saying. "I saw him fall and I thought, 'oh no, I'm not gonna be able to finish singing because I'm gonna be laughing so hard'" she finished it alright..but was laughing a ton. During Complicated, it was kinda disappointing because instead of bringing out a guy fan on stage (who I was hoping would be Tim) she brought Theo..who would have come on anyways. He was really funny though, he posed as a fan. She asked his name and he said, in a fake accent, "This is Deeder, from Austria" And he was all kissing her hand and saying, "I LOVE YOU AVRIL!!!" Lets see..anything else eventful..of course, as usual, she sang the same songs and rocked at it. After the show I went to the backstage exit and parked there for about 2 hours. I was NOT going to give up! She finally came out after like, an hour and a half, skateboarded a little bit, went into her bus for a minute, skateboarded some more and then skated out of our view. A little after that Matt came over and he was really cool, he signed stuff for a ton of people and talked to us and stuff. Theo from Gob came over a bunch of times but didn't sign anything. I didn't care, though, because I already met him a couple times..lol. And had an autograph. To be SURE to clear up the Avril and Theo thing, I asked Matt about it and he laughed and was like, "no way" then he was like, "hahaha no spread that rumour!" and I was like, "no way, thats mean!" Then right as Matt was leaving Evan came over and signed stuff. He didn't stick around as long as Matt but I got a picture from the Vancouver show signed. One that Amber took that I printed out and brought with me. Then FINALLY a little bit later, Avril comes back out of the tacoma dome, skates for a minute, then comes over to us. She only signed a few autographs and seemed pretty intimidated by the crowd (not very many people by that point, most people had gone home) she signed something for everyone to the right of me, then left..lol. me and everyone to my left didn't get anything signed..figures. Kinda disappointing to not get an autograph, but I guess its not a big deal. I mostly wanted to say thanks for inviting me on stage..she smiled back, and looked like she recognized me but didn't say anything. I mean I have pictures WITH her, an autograph would be cool but not as cool as the pics I have with her! So I don't care that much, I still met her!