2014 Fall Out Boy, Paramore and New Politics Concert
July 11th, 2014. I had been looking forward to that day since February of that year. My mom had purchased tickets for the Monument tour as a birthday gift. I knew I was finally going to be able to see one of my favorite bands perform live. I was ecstatic; I couldn't believe I was going to see Fall Out Boy, Paramore and New Politics perform at the Amphitheatere in Tinley Park.
I woke up full of energy and was anticipating the event to come. I remember picking my outfit the night before. I'd never been at an actual concert so I wanted to be prepared the next day. No matter what I did that morning the hours just seemed to drag on. I wanted to leave my house and have fun at the concert. Yet I knew I had to wait. My grandparents were going to come over to watch my baby sister.
They finally arrived and I was ready to go. My mom and sister came along with me as well as a friend of mine. During that car ride I kept thinking about the concert and wondering what it was going to be like. When we arrived near Tinley Park there were hundreds of cars lined up on the streets. People were irritated and anxious. Everyone wanted to zip through the check point and find a parking space.
After the checkpoint we were easily able to find a place to park. I stepped out of that car with a rush of adrenaline and eagerness. We walked towards the gates to only find lines of people. The lines appeared snake-like and overall unorganized. It was difficult to tell start from end and what exactly the lines led to.
I waited for what seemed like an eternity. Then there were announcements. The gates were finally opening and people were rushing to get in. There was another checkpoint just in front of the gate. I knew this was the last one.
I felt a surge of relief knowing we were finally in. I observed my surroundings... merchandise stands all around. The scent of beer and fried foods lingered in the air.
We had lawn seats which weren't exactly all that great. Never in my life had I seen so many people crowded outside into one area. I expected the concert to start much sooner than it actually did. New Politics opened up for Paramore and Fall Out Boy. They were a relatively new band from Denmark. I have to give props to them though. Their music was much better than I had anticipated and the lead singer was insanely talented at break dancing.
People stood, danced and cheered. The evening was full of promise, and I couldn't wait to see Fall Out Boy perform. Paramore's performance was packed with energy. Hayley Williams jumped and ran all across the stage. During one of Paramore's songs, they unleashed confetti at the song's peak. A shower of rainbow pastel covered the ground and surrounding audience. The sun had already been setting. It seemed as if time had slowed and I knew I had experienced something that could be considered as a "once in a lifetime moment".
Not long after... the sky was pitch-black and filled with radiant stars. Everyone stood up and waited anxiously... we knew what was to come. I remember these large curtains covering the stage, they appeared to be made out of plastic. The stage lights illuminated the setting and you could see silhouettes behind the curtain. Suddenly lights flashed, sparks flew and the music blared.
I enjoyed every second of it. It was a dream come true. I found myself swaying to the beat and singing along with the rest of the crowd. During the concert my mom asked me if I was having fun and I replied with a huge grin and a yes. Before I knew it the band members of Fall Out Boy had finished playing their last song and darted backstage towards safety. I was stunned, I couldn't believe the concert was over and that they left so quickly.
It was time to leave. I looked around at my surroundings one last time. Beer, soda cans and water bottles literally covered the lawn area. The rainbow confetti was being swept off of the concrete by staff members. They had a long night ahead of them. The fun was over but I knew I made memories that day to last me a lifetime.
I woke up full of energy and was anticipating the event to come. I remember picking my outfit the night before. I'd never been at an actual concert so I wanted to be prepared the next day. No matter what I did that morning the hours just seemed to drag on. I wanted to leave my house and have fun at the concert. Yet I knew I had to wait. My grandparents were going to come over to watch my baby sister.
They finally arrived and I was ready to go. My mom and sister came along with me as well as a friend of mine. During that car ride I kept thinking about the concert and wondering what it was going to be like. When we arrived near Tinley Park there were hundreds of cars lined up on the streets. People were irritated and anxious. Everyone wanted to zip through the check point and find a parking space.
After the checkpoint we were easily able to find a place to park. I stepped out of that car with a rush of adrenaline and eagerness. We walked towards the gates to only find lines of people. The lines appeared snake-like and overall unorganized. It was difficult to tell start from end and what exactly the lines led to.
I waited for what seemed like an eternity. Then there were announcements. The gates were finally opening and people were rushing to get in. There was another checkpoint just in front of the gate. I knew this was the last one.
I felt a surge of relief knowing we were finally in. I observed my surroundings... merchandise stands all around. The scent of beer and fried foods lingered in the air.
We had lawn seats which weren't exactly all that great. Never in my life had I seen so many people crowded outside into one area. I expected the concert to start much sooner than it actually did. New Politics opened up for Paramore and Fall Out Boy. They were a relatively new band from Denmark. I have to give props to them though. Their music was much better than I had anticipated and the lead singer was insanely talented at break dancing.
People stood, danced and cheered. The evening was full of promise, and I couldn't wait to see Fall Out Boy perform. Paramore's performance was packed with energy. Hayley Williams jumped and ran all across the stage. During one of Paramore's songs, they unleashed confetti at the song's peak. A shower of rainbow pastel covered the ground and surrounding audience. The sun had already been setting. It seemed as if time had slowed and I knew I had experienced something that could be considered as a "once in a lifetime moment".
Not long after... the sky was pitch-black and filled with radiant stars. Everyone stood up and waited anxiously... we knew what was to come. I remember these large curtains covering the stage, they appeared to be made out of plastic. The stage lights illuminated the setting and you could see silhouettes behind the curtain. Suddenly lights flashed, sparks flew and the music blared.
I enjoyed every second of it. It was a dream come true. I found myself swaying to the beat and singing along with the rest of the crowd. During the concert my mom asked me if I was having fun and I replied with a huge grin and a yes. Before I knew it the band members of Fall Out Boy had finished playing their last song and darted backstage towards safety. I was stunned, I couldn't believe the concert was over and that they left so quickly.
It was time to leave. I looked around at my surroundings one last time. Beer, soda cans and water bottles literally covered the lawn area. The rainbow confetti was being swept off of the concrete by staff members. They had a long night ahead of them. The fun was over but I knew I made memories that day to last me a lifetime.
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