An Evening With Switchfoot

In this needle and haystack life
I found miracles there in your eyes
It's no accident we're here tonight
We are once in a lifetime

Yesterday at 2:26, I sped out of my Music Theory class and ran up to my room to grab my backpack, packed to the limit, but not heavy, and a plastic bag and umbrella. I went to the common room and donned my scarf and coat, said goodbye to Dan, and caught a cab. I arrived at the train station early enough, and the northbound train was five-to-ten minutes late, any way. I stood on the platform, once again grateful that I hadn't missed it, and ready for an adventure. Never had I taken the northbound out of New London, and I was anxious to see where it would take me.

I got to read my book for a while, which was somewhat frightening, actually. The novel is set in the post-apocalypse, and during winter, and it had snowed yesterday.... a lot. At one point, I looked up from the text for the first time in a while, and I looked out the window on the opposite side of the train, only to see mounds of dirt, covered in a dirty snow, and shrouded in a mist. There were no people, no birds. To look up and see the very thing you've been reading about is extremely scary, especially in this case, given the subject matter of The Road.

I arrived at Boston's South Station at quarter-to-five. I took the Red Line T to Park Street, and then I took the Green Line to Blanford Street, and then I got to go to Sara's dorm! Yay! I met her roommate, and then I called Liam, and then Sara and I walked to Warren Towers for dinner.

That cafeteria was so awesome - it was really huge and had a fun sort of style to it. I met Sara's friend, Devon*, who had a really awesome Totoro bag.



After dinner, we went back to Sara's dorm because I needed to get my ticket, and Liam had forgotten to print his! It took him much longer than it really should have to print it, and we got a bus up to the Paradise Rock Club.

There was no coat check in the club, so we stashed our coats and scarves behind an out-of-the-way rubbish bin.

And then Switchfoot came on.

Oh.

My.

Gosh.

The concert was amazing. I was stuck behind a lot of tall people, but that didn't stop me from loving every second of it.



For the first half, they played their new album, Hello Hurricane, from track one to twelve. Then they took a ten minute break, and came back on stage to play songs from their older six albums. They told the audience to either tweet them with suggestions, or if they couldn't do that, to throw suggestions on stage, or something. They played a lot of wonderful songs, but they didn't play 'Gone'. Oh well, it's not like I'm not in love with every other song they played! =D



Switchfoot, as a band, are really great performers. Jon especially. They all have a lot of fun, and they involve the audience and sort of invite them to join in the fun. The lighting and effects are also very ....effective. Of all their concerts I've been to, I think the Oh! Gravity tour was probably the most fun, because that is the loudest, funnest album, in my opinion. I'm not saying it's the best, but it is a lot of fun. The only problem with Switchfoot playing this entire album is that it is a very sombre album. I did not, in any way, dislike standing there and listening to this amazing music, but I know that many people prefer the fast, upbeat music if they are listening to it live, and I think Jon even said something along those lines about loving to play the happy songs, even though he has a hard time writing them. Don't get me wrong, though, it was very well done and totally worth everything.



I had a really amazing time, and I think Liam did, too. I wish I could say more about the show, really.



After the show was over, people started chanting 'one more song' and then the band came back on stage and... they actually played two more, lol.

Liam and I walked back to Sara's dorm. She brought him his laptop, which he'd left there, and then we said goodbye. Back in Sara's room, I stole two of her cookies [which she stole from the dining hall], and I teased her about not working on her paper, due today. And then I realised I'd never picked up my I.D. from the dining hall!



I slept on her floor between the two beds. I only woke up a few times in the night, which is surprising, but nice, and I woke up naturally at 6:50, and thought it was silly to try to sleep for the next ten minutes, so I got ready and was done by the time Sara got up. We had to walk back to Warren Towers to get my I.D. back, and then I took the Green Line T to Park Street, and then the Red Line to South Station, where I bought a chocolate croissant and milk, and then I found my Amtrak train.

As we pulled out of the station, I unwrapped my breakfast, and enjoyed it. Then I popped in my iPod headphones and took a nap for about forty minutes. Despite the uncomfortable conditions [leaning my back against that wall and window just hurt because of the arm rest...], it felt really good. When I woke up, the adorable Chinese kids sitting in front of me starting playing games with me, popping their heads over the top of the seat and around the side and then hiding again when I looked at them. I started making funny faces at them, too. Eventually, they started talking to me, and singing the ABCs at me. They asked me where I was going and I said, "New London," and they said they were going to New York. I told them I live near New York, and the girl said that they live in New York! but the boy said that he used to live in Singapore. Then they asked me my name, so I told them. I think they were possibly some of the cutest children I have ever spoken with. When I was leaving, they called down the aisle of the train "Bye Kathleen!" So cute.



Outside the station, a woman asked me where I was going, so I told her. She said she was, too, and wondered if I'd like to share a cab. At the end of the short cab ride, I was reaching into my wallet for my half of the cost of the ride, but she refused to let me pay! So I got a free ride back to school, yay!

So yes, it was pretty much a fantastic two days.


Check out the photos here.