THE BEST NIGHT OF MY LIFE!!!

April 18, 2014

The Dive Bar, Las Vegas, NV

IT WAS THE BEST TIME OF MY LIFE!!

i finally got to see my favorite band,

CALABRESE, LIVE!

becuz i don't have my own transportation to get to any shows, it all comes down to how much do i wanna go and beg my parents to borrow one of their vehicles..

well, april was their last performance for a while and i saw that they were headed to Vegas, which is like 2 hours away..

i decided that i really needed to go and see them!

so i gathered Dad and Mom at their house, i wrote out a note for Mom about wanting to borrow one of their cars for the trip..

Dad had agreed that if Mom didn't want us to use her car, to take the truck, that hasn't been driven much..

Mom had said that i needed to take her car in to get checked out before going..

i just figured, i'd rather not take Mom's car becuz in her condition, she'd probably think that we would crash her car..

so i told Dad that we would take the truck to bypass any issue, or so i thought..

i asked my Sis to come with me, so that we could have a sister day of just us..

she also helped navigate for me..  she has a problem driving in big cities, it makes her extra nervous and she has no night vision, or we would have just taken her car..

but i'm fine driving if someone can direct me to where we need to go..

as soon as we hit Vegas, my stomach clenched up in panic..

it's just a thing with me, i hate driving in big cities too..

we left after 1pm and got to Vegas around 4..

we had to stop for gassing up and pee breaks and munchie breaks..

it was too early to go into the bar, at 4..

there were people there but Sis was sure that the show would start after 9 or 10..

as soon as we parked, i noticed A COMIC BOOK STORE (ALTERNATE REALITY COMICS)..

oh yeah, we could definitely waste lots of time in there!

we also noticed some other CALABRESE fans in there and they mentioned another store in that same plaza with more stuff we would be interested in..

CASH 4 CHAOS,  punk/rockabilly/metal/horror TREASURE TROVE!

it was just unbelievable and so hard to make decisions, but they really wanted us to buy so they were pushing all sorts of sales that we really couldn't say no..

at 5pm, CALABRESE drove up and parked near where we were standing by our truck!

i pointed this out to Sis, that Jimmy, bass player, was driving the black van and trailer..

as soon as he got out, i called out to him by name..

he came over to us to say hi and said that we got here early too..

i informed him that nothing was set up for the show yet..

and so the guys started unloading their gear..

i helped a bit by holding the door open for them to push their gear on wheels inside, and i helped push some boxes in the door too..

at the comic book store, i bought some button pins with various superhero logos for each of them..  and when i saw that they weren't busy, i made my move to present my gifts..

each of the brothers were very gracious about my pin gifts and even liked them a lot!

i didn't see if they put them on their jackets, but they did put them in their pockets..

so finally at almost 9:30, a doorman was going thru the bar asking people if they bought tickets for the show and they wanted to put wristbands on them..

i had my ticket confirmation that i bought tickets prior to arriving..

before the show started, i asked Davey, drummer, when were they playing, and he said that they would be last..

i was bummed, "why last??!  that's not cool! "

he said, "well that's just how the cookie crumbles.."

i said, "well we came to see you guys, so we're gonna be here all night then.."

he smiled and said, "ok !"

i went to their merch table where their dad, (C-Dad) was selling their wares..

i wanted to buy stuff from them, to help support the band..

i bought more shirts, for me and Sis and Mom..

Sis bought a comb, some pins..

when i mentioned that i was looking for something for my mom, their dad gave me a poster for free after i bought a shirt for her..

i asked, "do you think i could get the guys to sign it for her?"

he said, "i'm sure they would, they all carry pens for such times.."

so i went to hunt them down..

and each of them signed the poster for her, TO MOM..

it was so sweet of them to do that for her, and i also told them that she stole one of my band shirts and i had to order another one for me.. 

they got a kick out of that..

i was trying not to be a pest, but i couldn't help that they were so approachable..

Jimmy came over to talk to us for quite a while..

he was so nice and patient and witty..

my Sis pointed out to him that i was trying not to totally fangirl but i wasn't gonna be able to last since i was "starstruck"..

he laughed and said he was used to it..

but i did.. i ended up being one of those goofy fangirls, saying the stupidest things..

i am kicking myself now just thinking about all the things that popped out of my mouth, out of my control..  

i really did wanted to make a good impression, i hope they don't think i'm an idiot..

i told Jimmy it was my first Calabrese show and he said that it would be really fun!

i really couldn't wait...

and we had waited there, what seemed like 15 hours..

and then it was their turn, at 2am..

i was disappointed by the sound guy's crappy job..

the sound was just horrible, but the guys just went with it and continued on..

i stood with everyone else as close to the stage as possible to hear what they were singing..

and then the moshing started, i was trying to take pics and i got bumped, i almost reacted badly, but Sis pulled me out of the way to the right side of the stage and i still could get close to take my pics..

BUT.. it was right by a speaker as tall as me, over 5 foot tall..

the sound was just horrible, but being so close you could hear what they were doing..

and we could still sing along and i was dancing like i had never danced before and i couldn't stop bouncing around too..

Jimmy came over to my side of the stage and played for me, since he saw that i moved away from the moshing..  and he smiled at me and then went back over to his side of the stage..

i was smiling so big, it felt like from ear to ear..

and Davey on his drums would point his stick at me and nod when he saw that i was singing along..

i was moving from one side of the stage to the other to get pics of the guys..

and i'm sorry that my flash was so bright..  i know that can be distracting..

but my camera did get some good shots becuz of that flash..

the bar was so dark..

half way into their set i felt the energy flow from them and into me..

it was the passionate energy that psychic vampires can feed on..

i only felt that before at the alice cooper concert back in 08..

energy like that is built up from the crowd and the band and i felt it..

and then i couldn't stop dancing and singing and bouncing..

i felt so great, it was amazing!

after their show, Jimmy came right up to me and gave me his broken pick..

"here's a present for your first show"

that melted my heart, that he would do such a thing..

i thanked him and that i really did more than enjoy myself..

and i asked if i could get a pic with him,  i had given Sis my camera and she took our picture..

i was so in heaven, that i was being hugged by such a sweet and thoughtful guy who is nice to his fans..

and he thanked me for bringing the love and good energy for the show..

awww..  

                                 

              i then went to Bobby, guitar player, to thank him too..

poor guy had almost lost his voice from such a passionate performance..

i told him that i very much enjoyed my first Calabrese show and that i was very moved by their performance..

he said, "thank you very much"

and i was sorry for blinding him with my camera flash..

he said in shock, "oh that was you??"

"but i got some really good shots!"

he playfully said, "well there's copyright, and licensing, and .."

"but you look so hot in them..!"

with feigned vanity, "and that's what is important, that i look good.."

i told him that i would upload the pics as soon as i got home..

and Sis had taken our pic before he could pose, and it is the best pic ever!

she says it looks like we are about to kiss, 

i said, "that would have been even better!"

LOL

and then last but certainly not least, i talked to Davey..

he was the sweetest and the tallest..

i almost laughed at how he had to look down at me and even bend down a little to hear me talk..

we were all pretty deaf becuz the sound had been blasting so high..

i thanked him for such an amazing show and it was the best night of my life..

"you really know how to show a girl a good time.."

he laughed and then asked if i had any of their merch..

i told him that i had ordered and bought all of their stuff..

he kept pointing out stuff and i had said that i did get it..

he said, "hang on, i'm gonna get you something special!"

he went digging into a box by their table and pulled out their bandana..

he said, "i would be happy to sign it for you"

i squealed in excitement!

"would you??"

he pulled out a pen and signed it in silver and then dabbed his forehead with it..

and then gave it to me, "now you have something no one else does"

i thanked him profusely and then he gave me a big hug..

i really love leather jackets!!  hehe..

i was practically jello after that..  

my Sis was kinda laughing at me, telling me that she had never seen me so fangirly but she thought it was so great to see me so happy..

the trip home i was so buzzing with energy, and reminiscing about all that had happened..

but before we left the parking lot,

the damm cd player wouldn't play any music..

dammit, i had wanted to keep the Calabrese music going for the ride home..

and it seemed that the truck was telling me, 

"oh hell no!"  

LOL!

we got home after 6am..

we had stopped for early morning food after we got out of vegas..

and then Sis fell asleep on the ride home..

THE BEST NIGHT OF MY LIFE!