Let It Roll
Chapter 10
As Jingle Bell Bash comes to a start, the first band, Runner Runner, goes onto the stage to play their set. Since I didn't know any of their music I decide to hang back stage with the boys and watch them warm up their set. I could feel the excitement building inside me for the entire night.
As Runner Runner's set comes to an end, I walk over to the side of the stage to watch The Ready Set. I have always been in love with the singer, Jordan Witzigreuter since I discovered him 8th grade. When he begins to play his last song, Love Like Woe, also my favorite song, I begin to sing along as loud as I can. As he walks off stage, I yell to catch his attention.
"Jordan!"
"Hey, did you like my set?" He smiles.
"Hell yeah I did." I shout in excitement. "Can I get a picture with you real quick?" I ask him feeling myself get shaky.
"Of course!" He yells. We then take our picture together and I look at him with a huge smile.
"By the way I'm from Indiana too. I used to go to Fort Wayne all the time when I was a kid." I tell him. "Hoosiers for life!" I laugh, causing him to laugh along. Hoosiers is what Indiana calls it's citizens, just like Washington is Washingtonians.
"That's awesome. Thank you for watching us!" He laughs before walking off the stage. I continue to stand side stage, knowing that A Rocket To The Moon is going to be playing next. As they walk onto the stage to begin their set, I instantly begin to cheer for them. Memories start to flash back from the concert I attended last month since A Rocket To The Moon was one of the openers at that show. When their set came to an end, I caught their attention to quickly get pictures with them before they walked off stage. This is such a surreal moment for me. Who knew I would be meeting all these different bands in one day?
The next band is Cartel, and since I don't know any of their music I decide to go back by the boys, who just finished warming up. They walk up to me with smiles on their faces.
"You enjoying the show so far?" Jack asks giving me a huge grin and nudging my head.
"Fuck yeah I am!" I yell. "I already have met so many people, this is so awesome! I can't thank you guys enough." As Cartel's set comes to an end, I walk to the side of the stage again to get ready to watch The Maine. I sing along to the few songs that I know and take a picture with the members after their set ends. Next to play is Mayday Parade, and I continue to sing along and cheer for them. When their set comes to an end, I take pictures with them before they walk backstage. Having a few minutes to kill, I walk back over to the boys.
"You guys are playing soon." I tell them, even though I'm sure they know already. "You excited? I know I am!"
"Yeah, sure it's a short setlist, but I'm still stoked as fuck!" Jack says, yelling out 'stoked as fuck' causing everyone around us to turn, making me laugh harder than I thought it would.
"Geez, why don't you say that louder, I don't think the whole venue heard you." I laugh. Minutes later, I walk over to the side of the stage to see 3OH!3 start their set. Just like the rest of the bands, it wasn't a long setlist, but it was good enough. As the night progressed, each band's setlist got a little bit bigger. It was only a matter of time before 3OH!3 finishes up, I take my pictures with them and I watch as they walk backstage. I decide to wait side staging knowing that the boys will be out here shortly. I watch as the crew sets up for them to play and feel myself begin to get very excited. I was going to be watching my favorite band from side stage. A month ago, I wouldn't have even considered this as ever being a possibility. I feel myself form a huge grin right before I get nudged on the shoulder.
"Hey! You look like you're zoning out." Zack smiles as they all walk up behind him.
"No. Just taking all this in. I'm still in shock a little." I laugh under my breath. "I'll never be able to thank you guys enough."
"You going to cheer for us as loud as you have been for the other bands?" Alex asks. "Everyone says you've been cheering like mad."
"Yeah, I have been." I smile nervously. It's still a little hard for me to talk to them. "But I will definitely be cheering my loudest for you guys, no worries."
"Good be ready to, because we're going out right now." Rian smiles.
"Good luck!" I yell to them as they walk on stage. I begin to cheer along with the rest of the crowd as they introduce themselves. As their set continues, I notice I'm cheering about almost everything, more than I did at the last show. I'm not sure if it's because I'm side stage or because I'm in a overly good mood from the whole show, who knows? About halfway through their set, Alex walks up to his microphone, probably to make a couple dick jokes with Jack or something.
"We have someone new in our family that you might want to meet." I get a confused look on my face until I realize that they are talking about me. I feel butterflies begin to form in my stomach.
"And she's going to be around for a really long time, so be nice and give her a warm welcome." Jack yells to them. "Or I'm gonna come out there and yell right in your faces, so don't be an asshole!" I begin to laugh my ass off to myself, trying to make sure I don't look like an idiot.
"Also, she's from Washington herself." Alex smiles as he says it into the crowd. Instantly, the crowd begins to cheer insanely, showing a lot of impatience to find out who their fellow friend might be.
"Yeah, she's one of you guys, she might even be your best friend, or your enemy, depending on your level of badass." Jack laughs. "That was so stupid, one of the stupidest jokes I've ever made." Alex laughs along with him. Just then Alex walks over to me, grabs my hand and walks me on stage in which the crowd cheers the loudest it's been and instantaneously. I hear someone cheer really loud, "Megan" though I'll probably never hear about who it was.
"That's right, this is Megan. Give her a lovely welcome!" Alex says lifting my arm up causing me to smile and cover my mouth, feeling myself get really red in the face. He then walks me back off stage, unexpectedly gives me a kiss on the cheek and walks back on stage. Ok, I think I'm going to go die now. Did he really just do that? I know we have done more, but still, I know he's sober this time so it's quite more meaningful. A couple songs later, their set comes to an end and they walk to the side of the stage next to me.
"Weren't expecting to come on stage huh?" Rian asks nudging me on the head. "You seem like you handled it pretty well."
"Really, I'm still in shock over it." I laugh. I take a quick picture with all of them before they prepare to go backstage for the last band, Paramore.
"Jack and I will be back, we're going to watch Paramore with you." Alex smiles. I watch as they all head backstage. I stand along side, waiting to see Paramore and for Alex and Jack to come back. It still hasn't quite sunk in that I've met All Time Low, so the fact that I am practically their "family" as they call it is way too much to take in. A couple minutes later, Alex and Jack walk up next to me and we wait for patiently for Paramore to start. It wasn't long before they did and I was watching them, doing everything not to cheer. I wanted to, but I was nervous to do it in front of Alex and Jack. As their set goes on, I notice that Alex wrapped his arms around my stomach and was holding me against him. I'm going to fricking die. I know that he's not drunk again so something's not right. I feel bad for Jack and I'm hoping that he doesn't feel like a third wheel. As Paramore's setlist comes to an end, I yell for their attention as they come off stage. I quickly meet the members and take pictures with them
before we all, being all of the bands, ourselves included begin to pack up so we can all head home. Weirdly, Olympia will no longer be my home after today. Once I leave here to head back to Maryland with the boys, I'll be a Baltimore resident. I'm in complete and utter shock that I met Hayley Williams, I idolize her, along with many other members of other bands. I walk backstage and begin to help the guys pack up the bus, which doesn't take us very long. Once we finish up, we get on the bus and head our way to Baltimore.
As Runner Runner's set comes to an end, I walk over to the side of the stage to watch The Ready Set. I have always been in love with the singer, Jordan Witzigreuter since I discovered him 8th grade. When he begins to play his last song, Love Like Woe, also my favorite song, I begin to sing along as loud as I can. As he walks off stage, I yell to catch his attention.
"Jordan!"
"Hey, did you like my set?" He smiles.
"Hell yeah I did." I shout in excitement. "Can I get a picture with you real quick?" I ask him feeling myself get shaky.
"Of course!" He yells. We then take our picture together and I look at him with a huge smile.
"By the way I'm from Indiana too. I used to go to Fort Wayne all the time when I was a kid." I tell him. "Hoosiers for life!" I laugh, causing him to laugh along. Hoosiers is what Indiana calls it's citizens, just like Washington is Washingtonians.
"That's awesome. Thank you for watching us!" He laughs before walking off the stage. I continue to stand side stage, knowing that A Rocket To The Moon is going to be playing next. As they walk onto the stage to begin their set, I instantly begin to cheer for them. Memories start to flash back from the concert I attended last month since A Rocket To The Moon was one of the openers at that show. When their set came to an end, I caught their attention to quickly get pictures with them before they walked off stage. This is such a surreal moment for me. Who knew I would be meeting all these different bands in one day?
The next band is Cartel, and since I don't know any of their music I decide to go back by the boys, who just finished warming up. They walk up to me with smiles on their faces.
"You enjoying the show so far?" Jack asks giving me a huge grin and nudging my head.
"Fuck yeah I am!" I yell. "I already have met so many people, this is so awesome! I can't thank you guys enough." As Cartel's set comes to an end, I walk to the side of the stage again to get ready to watch The Maine. I sing along to the few songs that I know and take a picture with the members after their set ends. Next to play is Mayday Parade, and I continue to sing along and cheer for them. When their set comes to an end, I take pictures with them before they walk backstage. Having a few minutes to kill, I walk back over to the boys.
"You guys are playing soon." I tell them, even though I'm sure they know already. "You excited? I know I am!"
"Yeah, sure it's a short setlist, but I'm still stoked as fuck!" Jack says, yelling out 'stoked as fuck' causing everyone around us to turn, making me laugh harder than I thought it would.
"Geez, why don't you say that louder, I don't think the whole venue heard you." I laugh. Minutes later, I walk over to the side of the stage to see 3OH!3 start their set. Just like the rest of the bands, it wasn't a long setlist, but it was good enough. As the night progressed, each band's setlist got a little bit bigger. It was only a matter of time before 3OH!3 finishes up, I take my pictures with them and I watch as they walk backstage. I decide to wait side staging knowing that the boys will be out here shortly. I watch as the crew sets up for them to play and feel myself begin to get very excited. I was going to be watching my favorite band from side stage. A month ago, I wouldn't have even considered this as ever being a possibility. I feel myself form a huge grin right before I get nudged on the shoulder.
"Hey! You look like you're zoning out." Zack smiles as they all walk up behind him.
"No. Just taking all this in. I'm still in shock a little." I laugh under my breath. "I'll never be able to thank you guys enough."
"You going to cheer for us as loud as you have been for the other bands?" Alex asks. "Everyone says you've been cheering like mad."
"Yeah, I have been." I smile nervously. It's still a little hard for me to talk to them. "But I will definitely be cheering my loudest for you guys, no worries."
"Good be ready to, because we're going out right now." Rian smiles.
"Good luck!" I yell to them as they walk on stage. I begin to cheer along with the rest of the crowd as they introduce themselves. As their set continues, I notice I'm cheering about almost everything, more than I did at the last show. I'm not sure if it's because I'm side stage or because I'm in a overly good mood from the whole show, who knows? About halfway through their set, Alex walks up to his microphone, probably to make a couple dick jokes with Jack or something.
"We have someone new in our family that you might want to meet." I get a confused look on my face until I realize that they are talking about me. I feel butterflies begin to form in my stomach.
"And she's going to be around for a really long time, so be nice and give her a warm welcome." Jack yells to them. "Or I'm gonna come out there and yell right in your faces, so don't be an asshole!" I begin to laugh my ass off to myself, trying to make sure I don't look like an idiot.
"Also, she's from Washington herself." Alex smiles as he says it into the crowd. Instantly, the crowd begins to cheer insanely, showing a lot of impatience to find out who their fellow friend might be.
"Yeah, she's one of you guys, she might even be your best friend, or your enemy, depending on your level of badass." Jack laughs. "That was so stupid, one of the stupidest jokes I've ever made." Alex laughs along with him. Just then Alex walks over to me, grabs my hand and walks me on stage in which the crowd cheers the loudest it's been and instantaneously. I hear someone cheer really loud, "Megan" though I'll probably never hear about who it was.
"That's right, this is Megan. Give her a lovely welcome!" Alex says lifting my arm up causing me to smile and cover my mouth, feeling myself get really red in the face. He then walks me back off stage, unexpectedly gives me a kiss on the cheek and walks back on stage. Ok, I think I'm going to go die now. Did he really just do that? I know we have done more, but still, I know he's sober this time so it's quite more meaningful. A couple songs later, their set comes to an end and they walk to the side of the stage next to me.
"Weren't expecting to come on stage huh?" Rian asks nudging me on the head. "You seem like you handled it pretty well."
"Really, I'm still in shock over it." I laugh. I take a quick picture with all of them before they prepare to go backstage for the last band, Paramore.
"Jack and I will be back, we're going to watch Paramore with you." Alex smiles. I watch as they all head backstage. I stand along side, waiting to see Paramore and for Alex and Jack to come back. It still hasn't quite sunk in that I've met All Time Low, so the fact that I am practically their "family" as they call it is way too much to take in. A couple minutes later, Alex and Jack walk up next to me and we wait for patiently for Paramore to start. It wasn't long before they did and I was watching them, doing everything not to cheer. I wanted to, but I was nervous to do it in front of Alex and Jack. As their set goes on, I notice that Alex wrapped his arms around my stomach and was holding me against him. I'm going to fricking die. I know that he's not drunk again so something's not right. I feel bad for Jack and I'm hoping that he doesn't feel like a third wheel. As Paramore's setlist comes to an end, I yell for their attention as they come off stage. I quickly meet the members and take pictures with them
before we all, being all of the bands, ourselves included begin to pack up so we can all head home. Weirdly, Olympia will no longer be my home after today. Once I leave here to head back to Maryland with the boys, I'll be a Baltimore resident. I'm in complete and utter shock that I met Hayley Williams, I idolize her, along with many other members of other bands. I walk backstage and begin to help the guys pack up the bus, which doesn't take us very long. Once we finish up, we get on the bus and head our way to Baltimore.
Thank you! <3
5/2/13