CONCERT STORIES: PARAMORE: An Emotional Riot in Me

CONCERT STORIES: In this series, I will share some of my most beloved memories from concerts I have had the chance to attend. I have countless unforgettable moments to write about: from spectacular performances to peculiar encounters with people in crowds. Once again, I want to thank you for taking time out of your existence to read my words. 

August 22nd, 2008; a date I honestly do not think I'll ever quite forget. In 2008, my life consisted of going to school and spending an ungodly number of hours on the internet watching music videos, live performances, interviews, and funny moments compilation videos of my favorite bands. One band, in particular, had conquered my heart, head, and ears more than any other band had before and ever will. The band in question was Paramore. Finding new Paramore related videos or even revisiting older content provided me with inexplicable but very real feelings of safety and bliss. Even though my comprehension of the English language at the time was not the most developed, I still managed to connect with Paramore's music on a deeper level than I initially thought. I certainly did not understand every single line of every song; however, I was able to somehow grasp the message and essence of it all.  I would sing my heart out to songs like "Hallelujah" and "Fences" in my dad's car nearly every day. Something was thrilling, magical about hearing and singing along to the songs off Paramore's second full length "Riot!". Despite being aware of the matter that Paramore was a successful full-time touring band, the idea of Hayley, Josh, Zac, Jeremy, and Taylor coming to play a show in my city was just a distant dream, a completely abstract concept. My 13-year old brain was convinced that I was only going to see my favorite human beings through a computer screen forever. Little did I know, I was going to see Paramore perform less than a year after becoming a fan. Here is the story of my very first concert ever; Paramore. 

I am not even exaggerating when I say that the hours preceding the concert felt like a lifetime. It legitimately felt like nothing I could think of doing would make the day go by any faster. I can perfectly recall arriving at the venue and seeing an enormous queue outside which made me simultaneously excited and nervous. "What if I am so far back I cannot even see a string of Hayley's vibrant hair?" Okay, that is not exactly what I told myself but that statement describes quite well how I felt in that specific moment. Guess what? I was worried about absolutely nothing; my mom and I ended up watching the show from the second row on the right side of the stage. 13-year old concert virgin was not fully aware of the fact that opening bands existed...Paper Route performed first and despite enjoying hearing live music for the very first time, I was ready to see Paramore already. However, I had to be patient; the bill featured two more acts; Phantom Planet and Jack's Mannequin. Phantom Planet is the band that composed the remarkable track "California" best known for being used as the theme song for the American television show "The O.C".  The very first notes of this particular tune had the crowd cheering quite loudly; fans were undeniably excited. Jack's Mannequin was the third and last band to perform before it was Paramore's turn to melt our faces off. Long story short; Jack's Mannequin put on the best performance that night (besides Paramore).     

My actual ticket, signed by Hayley after the show (photo taken by me)

The "Final Riot" intro remains legendary to me even all of these years. It was crafted to spark and build fans' excitement and goddamn was it efficient. From Josh playing the opening riff to Hayley appearing last and shouting: Montreeeaaaallll!!!! That intro was epic. My 13-year old self could not believe I was standing in the same room as the one my idols were performing in. I suddenly regained all of my energy and instantly started singing along to every single word. I am pretty sure I shed a tear or two or was at least on the verge of crying when Hayley finally appeared on that stage. Back then, it was most likely the happiest moment of my entire life. Every one of the songs played that night felt incredibly special to me.  I distinctly remember turning to my mother and saying: "This is so cool"! You could hear that true feeling of joy in my voice. Nothing will ever quite beat the feeling of sharing a room with 2200 other people singing their lungs out to "That's What You Get" like it was the last song they'll ever get to sing. The most electrifying moment to me was when Paramore played their rendition of renowned singer-songwriter poet Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" before transitioning into their song of the same title. Once the concert came to an end, my mom and I burst into tears and hugged each other.  I believe we were both ecstatic, exhausted, and heartbroken all at once.  

The only video I took that night, published via my old YouTube account 
  

Once we stepped outside, my mother and I noticed there was a small crowd forming near the back door of the venue. We agreed to stick around for a little while to see we could meet any of the Paramore members. We patiently waited and were greatly rewarded for it; we had the opportunity to (awkwardly) meet Hayley fucking Williams that night. I was not able to utter a single word; I was starstruck. Despite my blatant awkwardness, I still managed to get my ticket signed.

Once again, thank you for being here. I hope reading this entry provided you with a little bit of happiness and fun. 

Ps: yes, I did take a picture with Hayley. However, the photo in question is on a USB key which I cannot find at the moment.   

 

Your former emo kid/current emo adult 

Ariane