If there's one thing that's been a big part of my life this past year, it's been concerts. Building new friendships by waiting hours in line, standing next to people you don't know, hanging out after the show... all of those things have definitely made my year.
This year, I rediscovered a great group of guys who I had supported in the past and will definitely continue to support in the future. Luckily, I've seen them the most in the same year out of any artist I've seen live (they take the cake at three). Those guys? Hollywood Ending.
Backstory: I supported Hollywood Ending when there were five of them competing in Radio Disney's "Next Big Thing" competition. After they came in third place, I continued to support them because of their passion for what they did and even though they lost, that didn't stop them. 2012 was kind of when I stopped, and then they stepped back out in 2013 with their single "You," but after that, I hadn't heard of them again.
Winter of this year I was scrolling through Crescent Ballroom's website, one of my favorite concert venues and restaurants in Downtown Phoenix, and that's when I saw they were having a show there. Not wanting to go alone, I avoided asking anyone and just let it be. Shortly after (literally a few days later), King The Kid announced that they were supporting the boys on that tour, so I was like "welp, guess I'm going now."
After waiting at the venue practically all day for an interview with King The Kid, I caught glimpses of HWE every now and then. They definitely changed over the past two years, but seeing them banter with each other, they were still the same guys I grew to love. At the show I talked to Chris and Tyler for a bit, but not as much as I would have liked.
They continued their tour and that's when I got back into them. I jammed out at their show for sure, but not knowing any of their new music made me want to figure out what I missed over the past few years. Having friends who were close with them helped, too, and I didn't look at them as a band, I looked at them as dudes who I'd like to be friends with. They're all my age, after all.
They announced that they were touring with Paradise Fears on select dates of the Live Forever Tour, which I had already bought tickets to, so needless to say, I was stoked. My best friend/roommate Kaley eventually had HWE grow on her, so she accompanied me to the show where we were hanging out with all four of them. Wanting to make a statement, we found Coca-Cola bottles with their names on them and filled them with candy, got Dan a birthday card (his birthday was a few days after) and Cameron a bottle of aloe because he had gotten sunburnt while surfing the day before. Dan ended up recognizing me from Twitter (the Internet is a powerful tool, my friends) and that eased us all into a weird friendship sorta deal.
And now here's the present. This past weekend, they headlined the Winter Lights 2 showcase in Mesa, and knowing they were headlining, Kaley and I, along with our friend Laura, were going. I just wanted to go and hang with the guys for a little bit before the end of the year, and that's exactly what we did.
They weren't playing until 10 PM that night, so Kaley and I left my house around 7:30. We got to the surrounding area of the venue around 8:30 and decided to sit in the venue's coffee shop to wait. There was a small group of people there, so we sat and hung out for a bit in there. It wasn't until Kaley urged me to turn around, and that's when Chris walked in to order an expresso. I never freak out in situations like that, but it was like a Wattpad-worthy fanfiction: a bassist in a band who's show you're about to see walking into a coffee shop to order an expresso.
After he was done ordering, I said hi and he waved and asked how we were. Dan was standing outside, about to walk away, and that's when I started waving from the window. The biggest smile spread across his face and he started frantically waving back and then ran to the window and threw himself onto the glass, starfish style, as I urged him to come in. He bolted from the window, skipped inside and nearly ran to us, screaming "I MISSED YOU GUYS" before engulfing us in a huge hug. We chatted for a bit about the show and how they had no idea what was happening and that the showcase was running an hour late so they wouldn't be playing until 11 or so, not 10, and that's when Chris came over and joined us, giving us hugs and asking how we were. Dan's phone rang and he gave directions to where we were to whoever was on the other end, and within two seconds of hanging up, Tyler walked in through the front door.
"Have we met before?" he asked me, to which I responded yes, and then he looked at Kaley and I again and was like "OHHH I REMEMBER YOU GUYS" before hugging us and relaxing for a bit. Chris and Dan left, leaving Kaley, Tyler and I in an empty coffee shop. We talked about Pete Wentz, New York, just the usual stuff, before the barista told us that we were getting kicked out. Tyler said his goodbyes and then we all left the shop, trying to figure out what to do for two hours.
After Laura arrived, we hung out for a bit and then blasted blink-182, The Used and All Time Low whilst dancing around like crazy people in the parking lot. Cameron was a few cars down from us and that's when he said they were going on in about 10 minutes, so we should "probably get in there" (he lied... it was like half an hour until they went on).
So finally, they went on. I tried taking pictures with my new camera during their set, but the lighting at the venue absolutely sucked, so I forgot about that and decided to just rock out because I never know the next time I'm going to see them again is.
After the show, Tyler came over to us (to be specific, moonwalked over) all smiles and super jazzed because he just performed. I proceeded to tell him that was the best time I had seen them perform (they get better and better every time, I'm not kidding) and he engulfed me into a huge hug and thanked me, asking "Really?!" over and over. We took a Polaroid together, and his idea for a pose was scaring me by slinging his arm over my shoulder and pulling me right into his side, resulting in a scream and almost falling over. We took about 20 selfies after that and half of them involve me staring at the camera pouting while he was laughing trying to get me to laugh, which yeah, it worked. We said our goodbyes, hugging and kissing each other on the cheek, and then went to find the other three.
Next was Cameron. Cameron has a very special place in my heart, as cheesy as that sounds, but we're very similar in a lot of weird ways (the big things being we're perfectionists, germophobes and nail biters). Last time they were here he was sick, which was a total bummer because I always love seeing him. His voice was super hoarse from singing, but he was still talking to us despite how tired he was. For our picture together, we pondered on a pose for a moment, both trying to figure out what to do. He threw out some suggestions and then we picked one. I had to teach him how to hold my phone to take photos because he is a bit taller than me, so I said to do it lower, so he tried taking double chin photos, which I am definitely not about. We hugged again, said our goodbyes, and then moved over to Dan.
Out of the four of them, there's no doubt I'm closest with Dan. We talk all of the time on Twitter and I can get super sappy or make fun of him and he won't look at me any differently. In the middle of him talking to someone, Kaley and I snuck behind him and hugged him from behind, and he's tiny enough that my arms wrapped completely around his body. We talked about how I forgot that he had a tattoo (his new lip ring was something that I had to adjust to) and talked about their full length, which he said is going to be a rap album (nice joke, dude). Every time I see him, we always give each other noogies and pull on each other's hair, I guess it's because we both have curls, but I have no idea where that started but it's pretty cute.
Chris finally came over and we talked a bit, and he was another one, like Tyler, who took a million pictures on my phone. Protip: never let boys take your phone.
I hope they come back next year to tour for a full length, which I know they will, but it's fun being friendly with bands who you've liked for so long. They really are a great group of dudes, and even though sometimes I act like I hate them, I don't. That's how I just show how much I love someone.
So here's so next time, Ty, Cam, Dan & Chris. I miss you nutters already.
