This episode talks about the first concert since Covid. Learn about my experience at the HellaMega Tour in Philly.
Show Notes and Full Show Transcript
Hey everyone! Welcome to the Eat Sleep Breathe Music podcast. I am your host Jeanette Kimszal.
I am back after an unplanned hiatus. I don’t really know what happened. July came and I felt I was on this good track of posting every week or every other week. I don’t remember exactly when or how often I was posting (laughing)
I don’t know I got to the point where I was feeling kind of weird and like just unmotivated and I don’t know if I was feeling depressed or what but you know and I got to the point and then I was just like like I wanted to go to the beach and I just wanted to chill out and I didn’t really have anything to say when I went to try to podcast.
Like, I would try to start podcasting again and I had nothing to talk about. And I am doing this as a hobby and if it doesn’t feel fun anymore then I should probably stop.
Because what’s the point of doing something that you’re doing for a hobby that you don’t even like at that point in time? And then I don’t know what happened. The year went by really quick.
And you know there were some shows that were opening which was nice because we were able to go and listen to concerts and go down to the boardwalk and hear music again and that was really, really nice.
And I think I was just kind of doing that for a while, and I don’t know if I was kind of burnt out. But regardless I had an unplanned hiatus. And I decided now it’s the new year again. I would like to start posting more content because I like it!
I like doing the podcast in the past and I like doing this and still talking. I think I’m trying to figure out what I’m doing with this but again it’s just a hobby so it really doesn’t even matter.
Because it’s just kind of more of a spoken record of you know the time. And it’s like a time capsule. I like having this record of things so when I’m older I can go back and go oh this was such an awesome show or hear about this was an awesome experience and you know? Or this was an awesome band.
And this episode is to just kind of kick off the new year and try to get back on track with things. I don’t know what my schedule is going to be like. I think I’m gonna podcast when I wanna podcast.
And you know if I have something that comes across my desk that looks really cool. Then I’d love to chat about it and that is probably what I’ll do going forward (laughing).
So I’m gonna you know see what happens. But I think this is evolving as I go. You know you only learn from doing. So i’m just kind of seeing what happens as I go across the landscape (laughing)
One thing I did want to talk about today it’s also the title of the episode was the HellaMega tour my first concert back. There was a lot more stuff going on this summer which was great.
I was really thankful that we were able to go to concerts this summer. I think now I will probably be more selective in what I choose because honestly, it is. It’s kind of weird (laughing).
We went to see the HellaMega tour. So I was. I wanted to see this concert originally and I missed the boat on getting tickets the first time around so we were lucky we were able to get tickets for this past year.
And we were looking at…we live where we can either go to Philly or NY depending on you know what’s better.
And it turned out the NY concert for the HellaMega tour was during the week and my husband couldn’t do that. So then we saw that there was one on Friday in Philly
Um, I forgot the name of the stadium there. It’s like the baseball stadium. It’s where the Philly’s play. And like they were doing all these baseball stadium tours which is interesting because we are always like are the seats going to be good?
Where are good seats? How is the sound going to be?
Because it’s not a place used to be hosting music venues and music concerts.
So we were like let’s go to the Philly one it’s on a Friday. And I was looking at tickets and I was like let’s see what’s available. There were seats that were like maybe pretty good seats and then I saw that there were seats in the first two sections.
And I was like these are really expensive (laughing) but we haven’t been to a concert in over a year. You know we’re kind of like “Let’s just go.” let’s take the plunge and get the good seats and we’ll go it was around my birthday which was awesome so we celebrated my birthday.
So we got the seat and we were not in the pit area. Because…I remember I was asking my husband. I was like “Oh should we get tickets to sit not to sit but you know in the pit?” He’s like “No let’s get seats it will be better with seats and so we got seats and we were kind of like in the 2nd section on the side of the stage.
And we had really good seats and we had a really good view. And it was so…such a great concert. To like go back to.
So we get there and we were kind of stressed out because my husband was working that day and I went to meet him in and we were going to drive together from South Jersey.
And then we were like…I was really nervous cause I wanted to make sure that I got there to see The Interrupters because they were the opening-opening act.
And you know they were…you know the opening-opening act usually is like only 15 minutes long. So you really have to get there on time.
And we were lucky because we did get there. And then (laughing) I was worried about the bag situation cause I feel like I read somewhere or I saw some people coming back and they were saying you can’t have any backpacks and I had a backpack purse.
And I was like oh man. I mean luckily I had another bag in the car but then luckily my purse was small enough even though it was like a backpack.
Cause I was like “Oh man we’re gonna have to walk all the way back to the car.” Cause we had to park by this um. It was this. Like that casino that they have there that’s like right outside there. It was this casino hotel right outside the concert venue or the stadium rather. Where the Phillies play.
Luckily so we were able to get in and then we get there and we are starving because it’s you know dinnertime and we didn’t have a chance to like to eat dinner so we got food and then I heard the band starting and I was like “ah we have to get back to our seats.”
So we grabbed our food and rushed back to our seats. We got there just in time to hear the end of the first song I think.
I was so ecstatic to see them because the last time I went to see them I missed their set. I went to a concert. It was like The Dirty Heads back in 2019. They were playing at PNC which is a venue here in NJ and they were the opening-opening band I had actually had a photo pass for that show but I got there late.
I made the mistake of. I think I had work that day. That’s why I couldn’t get there and the venue has this weird policy where you can’t just like go in. They don’t just give you a photo pass and let you into the venue.
You literally get the photo pass and then you have to be walked to the stage by someone who works there and I don’t understand why they do it because if you have a ticket you’re gonna be there anyway. So it just really doesn’t make sense to me.
But I remember I had work that day and I couldn’t get there early enough and I was really hoping that by the time I got there I would be able to get in and see the band but there was this woman who worked there and she was like, I don’t know what she was doing.
But it was me and this other guy who was also a photographer taking pictures of the show who had a photo pass. He like, we were both standing there like “What is taking this lady so long to do?”
Why isn’t she coming to take us through the gate to take us to the stage? So I missed it. And my husband was with me and I felt bad and I was like “You just go inside because I want you to see the band so at least one of us could go see them (laughing).”
And I think he got in and he saw the last song of that set. So we were really excited we were able to see the full set because again the opening-opening band gets 15 to 20 minutes and if you get there late you don’t see them.
So I was really excited. I’m also hoping that you know they go on tour again and they have their own tour because it would be great to see a full set of them.
I didn’t write down the setlist but I love that setlist fm website because it’s pretty on the mark with the songs. I remember going through the concert list at the show itself and I wonder if they are going to play this.
And whoever is putting the content on that website is awesome because it’s always pretty on target.
For this particular set, they played 8 total songs 7 of their own and 1 was their cover of the Billie Eilish song “Bad Guy.” I remember when I heard this song on the local station here wRAT the Rat he said something like he liked the cover of the song better than the original itself which I thought was interesting to hear.
I don’t know if I hear the original first or if I heard their version but I do really like the cover they did of this. And it’s really cool the infusion of the ska and how it speeds up the song a bit.
So it is a really cool cover if you wanna take a look and if you do like cover songs in general it’s pretty cool to check out. Some of the other songs that they played at the concert were:
- “A Friend Like Me, Title Holder
- “Take Back the Power
- “She Got Arrested
- “Gave You Everything
- “On a Turntable”
They ended with “She’s Kerosene” which was their signature or I would say their radio play song which is a fun song. And I remember when I first heard that song on the radio too.
I was like…it was so weird because it sounds like an old ska band but they’re a new band, it was a really cool song.
And then I kind of looked into the band and it really excited me about them and I liked just listening to some of their other music. I think we had featured one of their other songs.
I just became enamored with their music after that and was really happy I got to see them live. Even though it was a few months ago I was watching some video from the concert earlier and it sparked all the memories from the show it gave me goosebumps and it took me back to that concert all over again.
That’s the best thing about the video now. I remember when I was in high school there was no digital technology of cell phones or anything.
So we literally had disposable cameras and back then you couldn’t bring cameras into the venue you had to sneak them in and then I remember going to the 1hour photo booth (laughing) to get my photos developed from the show and that would be my memories from the show.
And now it’s so awesome having cell phones and video capability where you can have snippets of concerts for your memories.
The cell phone can be a distraction as well cause I do feel like I’m just on my phone taking video and I’m not really immersed in the show.
And at one point I thought to myself “You know, I just wanna like to be immersed in this and have my full attention so I would like literally just take like a photo or two and then kind of focus on the show, and I feel like that was really helpful. I was a lot more present that way.
So after the interrupters next up was Weezer. We were a little surprised because we actually didn’t realize that Green Day was headlining the show.
So at first we were kind of bummed but once they started playing we kind of forgot about it and got into the whole show and were excited to see them live again.
So it was a real treat to see them again live. They come out and they start and they started with the song
Cause the last time we saw them live was in 2018. So it was exciting to see them again after all that time. Weezer is a band that puts on a great live show.
They opened with the 2020 antihero track “Hero” which was a great track to start with. It got the crowd going and then they went on to play a good mix and old tracks.
They played a lot of stuff from the Blue album “Undone the Sweater” song. “Surf Wax America,” “My Name is Jonas,” which is another really good one.
They also mixed in a lot some stuff. A lot of the singles from over the years, “Beverly Hills,” “Hash Pipe,” uh “Pork and Beans,” that’s another favorite.
Then they ended the show with “Buddy Holly” and before that, they did “Say It Aint So.”
It was just so good. There like such a great band to see live. I don’t know what it is about Weezer but they always put on a good show.
I love that they had incorporated uh “El Scorcho” from Pinkerton which I think Pinkerton has to be one of my favorite albums.
They also did their cover of Toto’s Africa which is a good time. I don’t know what it is about 80’s covers that are so fun.
As always Weezer was so fun. Here are some clips of the tracks that they played.
Next up was Fall Out Boy. I hadn’t seen Fall Out Boy since the early 2000s and I remember being a little disappointed about the show.
The thing with Fall Out Boy is they are one of those bands that just kind of plays. From what I’ve found that Patrick Stump he doesn’t really interact with the audience. He’s super talented and awesome and doesn’t talk much. He just kind of plays and sings.
And then Pete Wentz will say a few things here and there but I feel like I remember it being not that great when I saw them back I think it was 2010.
But then this show. This show was awesome. I don’t know if it was because I was feeling nostalgic for the time or what I was thinking. Or maybe I went in with a negative viewpoint and it surpassed my expectations (laughing)?
But was it was such a great set. And I was really happy and I feel like half the set I didn’t have my phone which was probably a good thing because I was just focusing on the show.
I had the tickets on my phone and I didn’t give them to my husband. Like I didn’t transfer the tickets to his phone. Then he needed them if he had to go to the bathroom or get something.
So he had left because he’s not a big fan of them so he took that time to go to the bathroom or get a snack. So I didn’t have my phone so I was there without my phone for half the set.
The set was so good. I was kind of happy I didn’t have my phone so I wasn’t focusing on taking videos or taking photos.
So I was hoping this would be a better set. I didn’t have my phone for half of the set because I made the mistake of leaving the tickets on my phone only so my husband needed my phone in order to get back to our seats.
So I was left with no phone for most of their set. It was good because it took me back to when I didn’t have a phone and was able to fully focus on the show.
Even their set up was pretty cool. It reminded me of something of a fairy tail with a wooden house that was surrounded by a white picket fense with flowers surrounding it. It was something out of a fairytale like the 3 little pigs or Hansel and Gretal.
Their drummer was placed on top of the house. It was quite an impressive set complete with pyrotechnics. Pete Wentz even had a guitar that shot flames. It was pretty epic.
Then during the set, it started raining. We were lucky that it was not thundering otherwise the show would have had to stop. I thought it was going to rain a little bit I kept looking at the weather before we went. I was like I’m gonna bring ponchos. You know you can’t bring umbrellas into concerts so you have to get ponchos.
So I went to the store beforehand and got ponchos and I was lucky I got the last two ponchos in the store (laughing) Then I was thinking I’m probably not gonna need these because I bought them but then it started pouring.
I don’t know if it started pouring during Weezer’s set or after but I remember being drenched. It was so heavy. The rain was so heavy and I’m looking around at everyone and people are getting soaked. You know that was…I feel like that set the mood for the set.
It also made the set even better. The whole Fall Out Boy set was really good and they played a lot of stuff from…they played older things and newer things.
They played a lot of stuff from the Under the Cork Tree album. And they played things from the Sugar We’Re going down and some newer stuff.
I am personally a fan of Under the Cork Tree album and I think that whole album and the Thks for the Memories album were my favorite albums.
I was excited when they played songs from those albums. They did the typcial songs they’re known for.
They opened with “Pheonix” and then closed with “Saturday” which was cool because that is one of my favorite songs.
And I was like ah such a good show. I was really happy that we got tickets. Because it’s one of those things where you don’t really know when you’re gonna see them again.
Fall Out Boy hasn’t played together in a really long time and it was really an exciting experience. I was so happy and lucky we were able to see them. Because I know they weren’t able to play the New York show.
So it felt like we just got a really good treat and it was such a great set.
The last band to play was Green Day and by the time they came out it finally stopped raining which was great because we could take off our ponchos.
They opened with the track “American Idiot” and they closed with the track “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” which I remember being very popular as a graduation song back in the late 90s and early 2000s.
They played a good mix of their popular hits. Songs from when I remember them being on the radio.
A fun thing they do is invite these kids to come play on stage and it’s neat because the kids get a chance to come play the guitar. They had two kids come up. The one kid came on stage but I guess they didn’t think he was good enough so they told him to get off and then had another girl come on stage.
At the end of their set, they had fireworks which is always fun.
And I didn’t really feel so cramped. Like that was the one thing I was worried about was feeling like inundated by people.
It wasn’t bad until we left. I felt like as we were in our seats we had enough room and no one seemed like super close. But when we were leaving everyone was filing out and everyone was like super close and that was like woah.
Everyone was super close in line. That kind of weirded me out a bit. Cause I kind of forgot about how everybody gets filing out and everyone just wants to get out of the venue and you’re like…It’s not like a stampede but it’s weird being that close to people after not being around people for so long (laughing).
Overall, I would say I had a really great time and I’m looking forward to more concerts. I would love to know your experiences with concerts now whether it’s the HellaMega Tour or another concert.
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