Cassie The Venomous' Blog

December 15th’s My Chemical Romance show at the House of Blues in Chicago was the first MCR show for which I have ever not lined up at least somewhat early. I can’t say I enjoy that not-line-waiting sensation because I do so love waiting and meeting people and feeling like I’ve been through a battle to get to the front row of a crowd. Shows become war-zones and one must fight for his or her survival. However, after figuring out that my meet-and-greet with the band would take place as the doors opened for the show made me a long wait could be fruitless. However, there were many who braved the cold and who eventually got to wait inside for that amazing chance to see MCR up-close, including Paloma Pérez , 20, who flew in from New Mexico just for the show! The night before, my friend and I had scoped out the venue layout and asked some questions about lining up of the security staff working at the House of Blues. We were surprised to find lone Paloma waiting outside at about 9:30 p....

Concert Survival Tips Part II Warped Tour Survival There are two very specific forms of surviving in the concert world. There’s basic show survival, which is- well- basic; then, there is Warped Tour . Festival shows such as Warped are a breed all their own: a breed that can grab you by the throat, over-exhaust your sweat glands, and throw you –before you have time to think- into the land of “Oh-shit-I’m-passing-out-in-front-of-my-favorite-band!". I was in thrust into that land at my first Warped Tour. (Flashback Time…) Not only was 2005’s my first Warped, but also my first time being in a pit. I waited the whole time in front of the main stage for My Chemical Romance to come on, and- by the time they did- I was beaten and battered (second row sucks, but that’s a story for another survival lesson) to the point of exhaustion. I, however, could did not let this damper my mood; as, I was seeing my favorite band for the third time, and for the first time, I was actually seeing them u...

With more frequency than ever, I have been coming across younger fans who have yet to attend a concert and are seeking the advice of older fans on what they should do. Personally being a seasoned veteran, I have taken it upon myself to start a new blog series to help the novice concert-goers! Above: My friend Emily and I freezing in line for MCR in Canada. Winter, 2005. First installment: Surviving The Line-Wait! As those of you who have read my show reviews know, I sometimes take desperate measures to make sure I have a front row spot at shows, meaning-- I wait in line for EXTREME amounts of time. Would I recommend you doing this? No... but I say that only so your mothers will not yell at me when you say, "But that blogger girl told me to!" I am, however, secretly nodding my oh-so-corrupting-head on the other side of this computer screen, saying, "Yes, yes!" Some of the most memorable moments of concert days are the ones spent in line hanging out with the new pe...

Artists: Senses Fail, The HiFi Horizon, The Promise Estate Date: March 12, 2009 Venue: The Basement: Columbus, Ohio Long-overdue is the perfect adjective for this review; I would say. I apologize for the extreme lateness, but here it is, as I promised. The day of March 12th was filled with much anticipation as I struggled through my Philosophy and Visual Communication classes, watching the clock for the moment I would be released and could be on my way to Columbus. This wasn't a show for which I needed to line up 20+ hours ahead of time, so it wasn't at all stressful when my friend and I arrived at The Basement and the entire line had already made its way into the small, crowded venue. The Basement itself isn't a place where one necessarily needs to wait a ridiculously long time in line to procure a decent spot in the crowd (to obtain tickets that have yet to be distributed; however, you BETTER be there early). See, my goal when waiting in line for a ridiculous amount of...

So, I'm sitting here, miserable because the third issue of Dallas came out today and, due to Athens's SUCKING, it is not in my hands. I think to myself, "I have an entire icy day free of classes and am about to cry. What could cheer me up?" Duh. Warped Tour. I had planned on writing my Warped Tour blog earlier than this, pushed it away from my focuses, then was reminded by my blog-follower, Sarah, who posted a blog about a Warped Tour documentary. ----- There's nothing in the world quite like Warped tour, where you are likely to run into any variation of being available all while burning in the sun and watching, on your choice of several stages, the most diverse concert line-up out there. Warped tour is less of a show than an experience, a hot and sticky experience that takes place on the burning asphalt of a parking lot in the dead of summer. The mere smell of Warped Tour is unlike anything else in the world. There's no other way to describe it than the s...

Finally, my internet is fast enough to give thought to posting pictures. So, here are a few from the Taking Back Sunday show on December 12th in Louisville, KY. Read Part One of my TBS/EOTC blogs here Read Part Two of my TBS/EOTC blogs here I apologize for the quality of these pictures, as; they were taken old-school style with a Kodak disposable camera. Ha-ha! I'm very old school, as you know. Adam appearing to be falling. Adam doing the old sing-and-dance while Fazzi does the old sing-and-guitar. My scanner cut off the poor guy's head. Adam hiding his face. The Matts- Fazzi and Rubano Eddie offering the dehydrated mass in front of him water. A bad-quality picture of Adam that I felt I needed to upload, because he's looking at my camera. Adam aaaaannnddd... Adam again. Those are only a few of the pictures that I took, but most were far too awful to put up here. The venue's lights were behind the band-- no spotlights, so the lighting was pretty unfortunate for camera-w...

On December 12th, 2008 at 7:30 in the morning, two souls found themselves alone and freezing on the carpeted front steps of The Oasis bar and concert venue in Louisville, Kentucky. The only company they shared was that of cigarette butts, foreign newspapers, and forgotten and molding cheese and crackers. Having suspected similar souls would be partaking in the same activity, the two had set their hotel alarm for the “wee hours” and rushed to the bar, which faintly resembled a run-down mosque. Those foolish two were my friend and I, and the more intelligent concert-goers did not start showing up until we had been there two hours, much to the relief of their toes and other freezable appendages connected to them. It was 30 degrees, but concert-goers are strange specimens who are willing to cope with the elements, and even build up an adrenaline-fueled tolerance of them. It’s a sacrifice that is nothing when compared to the reward of clutching the barricade and being nearly close enough ...

So, about that promise I made to blog more frequently, and moreover - to even match the massive amount of blogging My Chemical Romance now do on their website... Yea, I lied. You can go ahead and call me a liar. Excuses are lame, but I have them. The week I made that promise, my father suffered a heart-attack, then I got super-busy. Currently, I have writer's block, and have been focusing on my art and "creative writing" as a means to focus my emotions. I am also busy helping pick the new round of MCRmy Medics- an anonymous group who work through e-mail and the My Chemical Romance street-team to help those who are in emotional need. This time around I'm even more involved with the medics than I have been in the past. I couldn't be happier about my position, because I love helping, but it does take a lot of my time and attention as it should. Despite my other obligations, I will pick things back up on here. I have a list of topics I have been planning, and -not to ...

The Epiphany Welcome to my fifth and final installment in my Bill and Trav blog series. In several of my blogs, I have expressed what drives me to want to work within the music industry, and this show helped me discover even more reasons why. If home is where the heart is, this feels a whole hell of a lot like home. Being able to see the crowd from where I stood was one of the best parts of the show. All the people in that audience were there for the same reason-- in the moments of their favorite songs, they were one. We were all united through music. I. love. fans, and I want us all to be united as we are during those moments at the shows, or when we've been standing in line outside in the snow together for 12 hours, or when we turn to complete strangers in the audience while singing along to our favorite lyrics and feel as if that person is our best friend of several years. We, as fans of music, are part of something much bigger than ourselves. We are in this together, and we n...