Selective Hearing Tour
So here’s an example of my Selective Hearing: four band tour, I go to four shows to see one band, fall in love with another, and skip the headliner entirely every single show. WHOOPS.
The Selective Hearing tour was headlined by Our Last Night with openers Jule Vera, Don Broco, and my loves, I the Mighty.
Take a wild guess who I was there for.
Jule Vera was pretty good, but I wasn’t crazy about them. Don Broco, on the other hand… Oh boy. I was smitten by the end of the first show.
Slim’s, San Francisco—3/8/18
I’d had tickets for this show since it was announced, obviously. But of course, my other band (*cough* Green Day) had to announce a Coverups show the SAME NIGHT so cue me trying to figure out how to catch two shows in the same night because I am NOT missing either. Luckily they were only a mile apart.
Because I the Mighty is an opening band and the Coverups are headlining, I had to hit Slim’s first.
Slim’s is next door to DNA Lounge, which has pizza, so I was ALSO fashionably late due to stuffing my face. So I more or less missed Jule Vera.
But I got there in time to see Don Broco start their set. I was super impressed to say the least. I decided during the first song that I would probably be a fan by the end of the tour. (Spoilers: I was right.) They had SO MUCH energy, and all the coordinated jumping was just AWESOME. I was so about it.
Apparently they’re huge in the UK and we’re just waiting for the states to catch up and jump on that. I’m SURE they’ll be huge here soon. They’re really friggin good.
Brent even said he was surprised they were going on after them. I kinda felt bad. It had to be hard to follow them. But I mean, come on, I the Mighty friggin kills it too, or else I wouldn’t be seeing them for the…24th time? 25th? Who even knows anymore.
ANYWAY Don Broco.
There was a group in the middle of the pit going absolutely nuts for them and it made me simultaneously happy and sad because it reminded me so much of my ITM fam. I wouldn’t be seeing any of my Northeast crew this time around for some…unfortunate reasons I guess. I think skipping a local show because someone you don’t want to see there is stupid, but it’s also pretty stupid to spend a ton of money flying across the country when someone you don’t want to see is gonna be there. It’s not like I’m missing the whole tour because of it. Four shows is plenty.
Again, ANYWAY.
There was one song (I later learned is literally called “T-shirt Song”) when that group in the middle all took their t-shirts off and swung them around their heads. If a band can inspire that much audience participation to make you want to LITERALLY take your shirt off, that is amazing. Serious props.
I made a mental note to check out their music before the LA shows at the end of the tour.
You Wanna Know
Stay Ignorant
Automatic
Come Out to LA
T-Shirt Song
Money Power Fame
I saw some friends on the side near the bar and gave them hugs. Eventually I saw ITM’s tour manager Aaron (they have parted ways with Bear, and Aaron has moved up from merch guy) and waved to him. He waved back, but I thought I was too far away so I wasn’t sure if he actually knew who he was waving to or not. Then Brent and Ian came out and I gave them hugs too.
I told Ian Veronica misses him, and I told Brent about my Coverups dilemma. He said they go onstage at 9. I was doin’ a heckin’ concern.
Eventually they hit the stage and I migrate into the pit. An internet friend Nae sees me and FREAKS OUT. I’ve only met her in real life maybe once before, and she’s sweet, don’t get me wrong, but she was a little cray. After shrieking (screaming bloody murder) and hugging/jumping with me, I noticed she was with two younger guys who were very confused. She was clearly annoying them/pissing them off, but they also thought she was cute so they didn’t care. I didn’t understand it. I don’t understand dudes tbh. One of them kept holding her stuff for her and simultaneously complaining and appreciating the fact that that meant she’d have to come back.
I want to learn these tricks dammit. How do other girls have this affect on dudes?! I’m cute sometimes…
Okay moving on. I’m here for music.
THEY BROUGHT BACK THE AMAZING SCREAMING AT THE SKY INTRO I was so happy.
Lady of Death
Where the Mind Wants to Go
Playing Catch with .22
Pet Names
Chaos in Motion
Silver Tongues
Symphony of Skin
The Dreamer
The Frame I
Speak to Me
I attempted to surf early in the set, but the guy I had pick me up was confused and put me on his shoulders. Noooooo.
I saw some friends Loni and Jackson in the pit and was surprised to find out they didn’t know each other, so I introduced them. Loni Lonzo is the fantastic photographer whose photos are featured here, and Jackson Blankenship is the ex-drummer of Serf and James and current drummer of the Unlikely Heroes.
Apparently Loni was only allowed to be in front of the barricade for the first three songs, so she spent the rest of the show shooting from the pit. She told me to try to surf again during “Speak to Me” since it’s the last song just in case I get kicked out afterward. I hate that this even has to be a concern, but I did almost get kicked out for crowdsurfing during an I the Mighty show once. Whoops.
So I did it. But of course, my luck, the guy who offered to throw me stopped paying attention, so someone else grabbed one leg and here I am, like awkwardly hanging in the air trying to get the rest of me up there.
I am terrible Concert Fairy, y’all.
But: I started ALL of the pits. I didn’t necessarily stay IN the pits, but I did start them.
Things I heard that night:
“That guy tried to start a pit and couldn’t do it, but you started two!”
“You’re the toughest 90lbs I’ve ever met.”
“You have fire.”
After the show I got a lot of high fives and people calling me a badass. Thank you, thank you, that’s what I’m here for. I like to fight the patriarchy through mosh pits.
But here’s a serious downside: I still had another show to go to and I was already WIPED from I the Mighty. I was drenched in sweat and totally exhausted. I went HARD. Am I REALLY going to another show from here?
Yup. Proving myself as the Concert Fairy, I guess.
I ran into this girl Stephanie while heading out of the venue who I had met through ITM once three years prior. HOW THE HECK DID WE REMEMBER EACH OTHER?! I honestly have no idea, but it was wonderful reuniting for just a second. Shows are weird, dude. She told me she carried me during that one awful surf. Awww.
I talked a few people outside the venue into following me to Thee Parkside for the Coverups show. They didn’t know about it, so they didn’t have tickets, and I don’t think they actually made it in the venue. Boo. I was glad they tried though. Doesn’t hurt.
So that would be why I missed Our Last Night this show. But Loni didn’t, so have some pictures!
Hawthorne Theater, Portland—3/10/18
So I’ve got a friend from the Bay, Justin, who moved to Portland about a year and a half (two years?) ago, and he’s been trying to get me to visit ever since. Well I finally did, and guess what? He was in Texas working South by Southwest for a majority of the time I was in town. Naturally.
Once again, I didn’t bother catching Jule Vera, and instead went straight to the bathroom of the Hawthorne Theater when I arrived to charge my phone. I am a piece of shit.
But then I went to merch and saw Justin. He made it! Apparently the band decided last minute to crash with him, so I guess it was good I hadn’t asked to. (I flew home immediately after the show. Why, I have no idea. I never claimed to be smart.)
I really liked the way this venue was set up. “Adulting” was in the back and all ages in the front, so you couldn’t possibly spill beer in the pit. THANK GOD. Why can’t all venues be like this.
The 21+ stamps literally said “Adulting.” Love it.
Apparently ITM saw me walking down the street around 1pm and tried yelling for me out the windows of the van, but I had headphones in and TOTALLY MISSED IT. Good job, Linds. You go all the way to Portland for these guys and you’re too far in your own little world to even notice them.
I made it into the pit in time for Don Broco. It’s been a whole two days so I haven’t had a chance to check out their albums yet, but I am REALLY getting into them. They fucking kill it live. “Everybody” and “Pretty” are my favorites, starting and ending their set.
And then ITM my loves.
I wanted to start a pit, but I was a little hesitant with this crowd. Eventually it opened up and it was pretty good. Not nearly as good as San Francisco, but still pretty good.
There was something really weird about the sound in this venue, though. I don’t know what it was, but every once in a while there was this loud…vibrating…thing? No idea, but it kinda hurt my ears and I go to a LOT of shows, so that’s uncommon.
But the boys still killed it, of course.
I was SUPER happy they put “Playing Catch with .22” on the setlist this time. I LOVE that song, and it feels so relevant to me these days.
Somebody tried to stagedive during “The Dreamer” but he got onstage too late and the song had already ended. Brent told him he had two more chances.
Me: Oh okay two more chances to stagedive. Permission!
I tried to fight my way to the front to jump onstage during “The Frame I,” but nobody in the front row would let me through, so I had to go back into the pit to ask some dudes to throw me. They refused too.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS CROWD, COME ON
FINALLY they pick me up, but OF COURSE, this being my life and all, I make it to the stage during the quiet part toward the end of the song. I can’t jump to this. What do I do?
I do what any deranged Concert Fairy does: I overstay my welcome and make a COMPLETE idiot of myself.
Brent (into the mic): “Any time, Lindsay.”
So I might have been a little embarrassed, but Chris set me up to jump…and I WAS STILL EARLY WHAT THE HECK but the surf itself was awesome and I was happy with it.
Okay but like I stood onstage way too long waiting for the perfect moment and STILL fucked it up? That is the story of my life if I’ve ever heard it.
A girl told me after their set that I’m a little badass and she appreciated that I was singing while waiting to jump. I didn’t know what else to do with myself up there tbh.
I headed back to the “Adulting” section and got a cider and went up to the balcony during Our Last Night’s set. I could hear them but not see them. Meh. I liked Don Broco a lot more.
Me: It’s fine, I have two more chances to see them.
Spoilers: Didn’t. Whoops.
Me and a new friend, Kylie, with a photobomb by Brent.
Teragram Ballroom, Los Angeles—4/7/18
Hi hello I have fam at this one. Devin and Veronica are in California! They made a pit stop before heading to the venue, and I still had my backpack with me when I ran into ITM bassist Chris Hinkley. He gave me a hug and asked where the rest of the crew was.
Me: “Devin and Veronica are on the way. They went to Culver City first.”
Chris: “I didn’t think they were coming!”
Me: confused because what other crew could he be talking about if not them? No one else ever comes to California. And unfortunately I’m done with NYC for a while sooo…
Anyway. I asked him if I could stash my bag in their van during the show, and he took it for me. Have I mentioned how much I absolutely adore these boys? They are the best.
Also, hello venue I saw the Matches in two summers ago.
Jule Vera
I finally caught them for the first time! They were pretty good but I wasn’t like crazy super into them.
The boys in the band came back onstage during frontwoman Ansley Newman’s (her name isn’t Jule Vera?) solo performance of “Scarlet Letter” with lights and everyone in the crowd joined in waving our phones.
Don Broco
Between the Portland show and this one, I listened to Don Broco exclusively. I tried listening to other music, but I just couldn’t do it. They are SO GOOD. I am obsessed. They have a very unique sound: heavy but dancey at the same time. A little electronic at times. But still heavy. They’ve got a thing and I LOVE it.
So this was my first show seeing them as a fan and actually knowing their music. Fuck yes.
The crowd for them was great. I could hear a guy behind me from the UK all excited.
The jumping during “Everybody” kills me.
The band had us start a huge circle pit during “Stay Ignorant.”
I joined in in taking my shirt off and swinging it around my head during “T-shirt Song.” Frontman Rob Damiani explained mid-song how they wrote this song while he was going through a tough time and his friends brought him to a bar in the UK, where it’s customary to take your shirt off and swing it around your head when the Baywatch theme song comes on, and he wanted to give us that same experience with one of his songs.
Oh my god, that is amazing and ridiculous and I am about it.
There was one song they had us duck down and jump up for. I wanna say it was “You Wanna Know” but I honestly forgot. Whoops.
And then my favorite song, “Pretty.” They tried to get a wall of death going. I ran to the back of the room to film it (only slightly fearful for my life, ya know), but it was a little pitiful for a wall of death. I guess everyone was slightly afraid. But they tried. The crowd was at least decent for sure.
There was one kid during their set who was going nuts and literally jumped on top of the crowd to surf and stagedive. He wasn’t reading the crowd very well, but it was funny. Glad he was enjoying himself.
Also one more thing to say about Don Broco before moving on to the main attraction: Rob wears his shirts funny. I’m not sure what it is. They’re like too big/baggy, but he tucks them in. I can’t even exactly put my finger on what’s weird about it, but it just seems off. BUT it works because he has KILLER stage presence, and I know I the Mighty couldn’t have been happy following them. Especially this show… I hate LA.
I the Mighty
Yeah so the crowd for ITM SUCKED. The whole time I kept looking around for more people besides Devin and Veronica singing along and found MAYBE three other people behind me who seemed to know the songs. What the heck?! It was BAD.
I attempted to start some pits, but had no luck. One guy just put his arm up to block me from his girlfriend. Okay.
After the show everyone (well, the band everyone) was asking me why I didn’t crowdsurf. Lol this crowd would’ve dropped tf outta me. No thanks. Maybe at Chain Reaction.
Brent was afraid he was getting sick and was gonna fuck up his voice, but he did fine.
Tilian showed his face again for “Silver Tongues.” I was a little surprised they invited him back onstage with them again after his little temper tantrum last show… But I guess they’re better off as friends than enemies. Me, on the other hand… I’m gonna hold the grudge. I yelled “Asshole!” when he stepped out onstage. I don’t care.
But it sounded like he practiced this time, so good on him.
And yet again, I decided that was the end of my show, so I sat at the bar during all of Our Last Night’s set.
Devin was kinda itching to leave the venue, but we had to say goodbye to the boys and they hadn’t come out yet. Also they had my bag and I was not about to leave without a way to take my contacts out or brush my teeth. Wonderful tour manager Aaron grabbed it for me while we were socializing post-show.
One last thing I had to ask the guys before we peaced out. Their first album We Speak has more or less been under wraps since they got signed to Equal Vision Records. They rarely play anything from it, and it’s almost impossible to find it.
Until they started talking about it openly on social media.
What?!
Me: “I’m assuming it’s just a reissue?”
“You’re probably assuming right.”
So they don’t even really know what they’re doing with it just yet, but hey, WE SPEAK EXISTS. (And it fucking kills, so. Check it out. It’s out there somewhere, I promise.)
Chain Reaction, Los Angeles—4/8/18
Chain Reaction is a much smaller venue in kinda a weird location. It was basically just a parking lot in the middle of more or less nowhere. There was a Target across the street so it’s not NOWHERE nowhere like Starland Ballroom in New Jersey, but you know what I mean.
It’s the last show of the tour, so I’m confetti-ing this bitch. But Devin and Veronica were the only other people I knew there (I knew one other girl Sam, but she wasn’t getting there til later) so we had to smuggle it all in just the three of us. I had confetti in places confetti should not be. It was super uncomfortable, but I didn’t know who to give it to.
I ended up just kinda hanging by the door trying to hand em out to people who walked in wearing ITM shirts. A security guy definitely saw me, but didn’t question it. I was afraid I was gonna get kicked out, but spoilers: thank god the bands made a bigger mess than I did.
Don Broco killed it as usual. I was in the pit for them again and it went basically like the night before with all the same crowd interactions.
It being the last show and all, all the other bands came out onstage during “T-shirt Song” to swing their shirts around their heads. I did too from my spot in the pit. Everyone onstage shirtless together was so cute.
And then during “Money Power Fame,” Rob said something about crowdsurfing. Sam went up and I immediately followed her. Apparently she lost a confetti stick on her surf and she texted me to save it. I had my own surfing disaster to deal with, but luckily Veronica saved it from her spot in the front.
My crowdsurfing disaster this time? I somehow ended up onstage on my head and couldn’t figure out how to get back on my feet. Very embarrassing. Times like this, Bear would scoop me up and hurl me back into the crowd so I wouldn’t have to even think about. Aaron was there to rescue me this time, though. He picked me up, and there I was, still standing there, not sure what I’m doing. I think I lose part of my brain every time I’m onstage. No idea. Anyway, rather than pick me up and throw me, he sends me toward the backstage door.
Okay, I guess I’m bothering the band now.
But I had to watch my favorite Don Broco song from backstage. That’s something that doesn’t happen… ever.
My intentions being backstage were to jump off back into the crowd during their first song, “Lady of Death.” But then Biz was texting me saying I should wait until the end and stagedive with my two fistfuls of confetti because I’ll never get another chance like that. Dude, I will DEFINITELY get kicked out of the venue that way.
“So? That’s why you wait til the end.”
Eh, he had a point.
Instead I compromised and watched about half of the set from backstage. It sounds different back there. The sound quality is definitely not as good as it is in front of the stage. But it was still cool to say I caught part of one of my favorite band’s sets from backstage.
And all because I’m a total failure at crowdsurfing. Beautiful.
I decided to take my jump during “Silver Tongues” and told Biz.
Biz: “If Tilian’s there, do me a favor. Bring that Nancy down with you.”
He was not there this show, which is probably good, because I can call him an asshole from the pit, but I don’t think I would want to forcibly drag him into a stagedive with me.
WAIT SIDE NOTE: Biz is who I’m avoiding in NYC lmaooooo. We didn’t speak for a month and a half (beginning of this tour), started talking again toward the end of this tour (obviously), but at the time of writing this I have officially ended our friendship for reasons, so back to the original plan of no more NYC ITM shows for me. Okay side note done, I just realized I’m contradicting myself a bit if I don’t point that out. K back to your regularly scheduled tour stories.
Instead I just kinda tapped Aaron as I passed so he’d know what I was doing and appeared out of nowhere, on top of the crowd on my tummy.
Brandon (Brent’s best friend) at the end of the show: “The first time I see you you’re diving into the crowd from the stage. I’m not surprised at all.”
But that way I was able to do part of the show from the pit. The crowd was 1000000x better than the crowd at Teragram. Lotta people who knew the words, lotta people moshing. Fuck yes.
I guess a theme of the night was all the bands coming onstage during each other’s sets. During “Speak to Me” they all came out to… have a pillow fight? Really? Okay. Confused, but it was cute.
The confetti went perfectly, also during “Speak to Me” while everyone was onstage with pillows. I was honestly worried about this one because a vast majority of people with confetti sticks had never seen me before in their lives, but I was impressed that they just kinda played along with me anyway. And it worked. The girl in front of me probably didn’t even understand what it was I was handing her, but she high-fived me afterward cuz it turned out so awesome.
Guess who went outside during Our Last Night’s set? ME! Wow I suck. BUT I came back in in time for the last song to see all the bands… TPing the stage. Yes, toilet paper. Okay, I am not in trouble for the confetti. They did much worse than I did. GOOD.
I friggin love these guys. This is so ridiculous I LOVE IT. (No idea who I stole this picture from, but I didn’t take it.)
Apparently the ITM boys had some radio thing the next morning, but Brent did actually kill his voice, so it was a no go unfortunately. Boooo.
But one last good thing: The next day was Veronica’s birthday, and Sam also owed Chris cupcakes (he loves sugar) so… cupcakes to celebrate! Yay! That’s my favorite way to end a tour for sure.
Is this ITM’s only US tour this year? For my own sake, I sure hope not. But if you’re lucky enough to be in the UK, you can catch both I the Mighty AND Don Broco at Reading/Leeds this August! Do it do it do it!
Professional photos from San Francisco by Loni Lonzo (*not the terrible one of the Slim’s sign. That would be me.)
