Okay, this is the pared down version. My original one is just for me, and I didn't think anyone would want to read 4 pages worth!
We arrived in Vegas around 1:30 PM and I headed straight to the venue to check it out. We chatted with one of the security guards for a while and he told us it’d be best to wait just around the corner, outside a set of doors. So I sat on a couch just outside the doors to The Joint, prepared to be waiting for quite a while. Coincidentally, Feli (from the official site) and her friend Stephanie came right around the corner as I was sitting there. I told them what was going on and they went up to their room to get ready.
A little while later, as I was still sitting there, I got a call from Feli telling me that they could see the Followills at the pool outside their window…Stephanie came down to hold our spot while I went with Feli back up to the room to investigate.
Low and behold, right outside the window was the boys’ cabana (equipped with a security guard at each corner) and we could see Jared on the phone, pacing back and forth. A few minutes later, Caleb (and one of the big baldies) came out of the cabana and started walking toward the slide, closely followed by Nathan and then Jared.
Caleb went down the slide with his hands crossed over his chest…it was hilarious…he’s such a little water baby! Haha. As he was waiting for the others to come down, he started floating on his back…he really seemed to be enjoying that kiddie pool
Anyways, they along with Jessie and I think some family members just swam there for a while as me and Feli got a call that the chairs downstairs were being moved. Not wanting to lose our spot, we headed back down.
A little while later, a security guard came and grabbed those of us that were waiting there (I’d say about 15 people) and brought us inside the doors into the hallway leading to the venue. We lined up in-between some ropes and it was all a waiting game from there. While we were standing there, we saw Julian and Parker from The Whigs; we waved to them both…they loved it
We also saw Nathan walk into the venue right before we were let in…he looked like a child in the middle of all those 300-pound men…such a sight…
Soooo…7:00 rolls around and we are FINALLY let in. I didn’t have a bag so I scooted right pack bag-check. Lucky me because I was one of the first people inside! I had my pick of any spot on the barrier. But of course I chose to be right in front of Caleb, with a view of Nathan as well
At The Joint, if you’re on the barrier you are SUPER close…I think about 4 feet between you and the stage. It’s the best view I’ve had so far.
While we were waiting for the show to start, we made best friends with the security guard stationed right in front of us (whose name was Leon! Unfortunately not the g’pa though
) which is always a good idea…because you’re more likely to get goodies that way
Of course, we saw Nacho scootin’ around up there, setting things up…I yelled “Nacho! Wooo!” and he looked at me and mouthed ‘wooo’…it was cute…but I think you had to be there…haha.
So The Whigs opened up. They were pretty good, as usual. We all know how the opening act goes. Moving on!
The lights were dimmed and the place erupted as Mozart started. The boys started filing out, and the screaming escalated. They opened with Be Somebody.
There were some sound issues throughout the show, mostly with Caleb’s mic. He was pretty angry (and drunk, which I’m sure made it worse)…he kept looking over to the sound guy, yelling things and pointing at the mic. He even kicked over the stand during one of the songs, I can’t remember which…and I mean before Black Thumbnail, and it wasn’t for show. At one point, in-between songs, the sound guy came out and they had a heated discussion…it sounded fine from then on.
One of the things I noticed, and I don’t think anyone else did, was that Caleb fumbled a line in Molly’s Chambers…he didn’t even flinch though, just kept on going and no one even knew.
Have we figured out what he drinks up there when he’s not drinking wine? He kept taking big drinks from red cups and throwing them (after chasing them with red Gatorade). I’m not sure. But he makes the best sour face after he drinks it so you know it’s something strong!
After he threw the first of many red cups, I asked our BFF Leon if he could grab it for me…which he did
He held it on the other side of the barrier until the end of the show.
Throughout the whole thing, Caleb talked A LOT. And I mean, a lot…he was very chatty…I think he probably made about 10 different little speeches. From what I remember:
He said something like “We were at the pool earlier…I was the fat one…you all saw me comin’ down the slide like this [he put his hands behind his head and made a funny face]…” I can’t believe he called himself fat! He also said something about how we all think that underneath their shirts they have abs and all this, but that they don’t…
He kept apologizing for getting mad about the sound…he kept saying how it’s truly because he wants us all to have a great time and he wants every show to be perfect.
Uhhh let’s see….he said something about how he knows not everyone there was from Vegas and thanked people for going to all the shows…of course, how he was gonna get drunk…he also spoke for Matthew and said that Matt’s parents were there that night and thanked the crowd on his behalf. According to a review, he called him Cameron at first, but I didn’t hear that part.
As he started playing the beginning of SOF, he looked up at us in the front row and rolled his eyes, smiling. He did it again right after he sang the first line. I loved it!
As far as the crowd went, everyone around me pretty much knew most if not all of the old stuff. But I think that went as far as the pit. My mom was up in the balcony and she said she was literally the only one dancing and singing along, and that everyone else was sitting down. And, according to other peoples’ reviews, there were lots of people leaving before the show was over. So ridiculous that they would pay that money and not even stay for the whole thing. I’m assuming the ones leaving were the drunken idiots going to gamble and drink some more!
Anyways…towards the end Caleb said something about how they know they walk around with these big bald-headed guys but that they’re really not tough and they could beat them up
He also said they were gonna be around the casino and to come up and say hi. And that if the bodyguards give us a hard time, to just give Caleb a wink and he’ll tell them to back off.
As they came back on stage for the encore, Caleb smiled and said “Thanks for bringing us back out here”. They started that with Slow Night, So Long. No Devil Song this time
As they were going off, Nathan threw his drumstick up in the air and caught it…everyone went berserk at that, haha. It was pretty awesome though. Caleb took extra time thanking the crowd after the rest had already left. He went to the edge of stage and put his fist to his chest and said “thank you” as he looked out into the crowd. Even though a lot of what he was saying was because he was drunk, I think he really did mean some of it.
After that he leaned over the edge of the stage and dangled his hanky, pretending like he was gonna throw it a couple times…he was teasing us and he loved it!
He finally threw it and I shot my hand up there like a freaking barracuda…well I caught it
Finally, having freaky long arms comes in handy…haha…
So…that was the end…it’s kind of hard to explain a show like this one in words, but I’ll always remember it…I don’t know what was so special about it, but it was.
Also, Rhianna was there, stage right on the floor. She’s really pretty in person. Jessie was on the balcony stage left, I looked up and saw her dancing a couple times.
Afterwards, I went up to my hotel room and got my Rolling Stone that I brought…went back down to the casino and walked around for a little while. But I never saw them…I’m assuming they just went back to their hotel room. Feli and Stephanie said they saw Jared in an empty hallway and asked for an autograph/picture but that he ignored them. So maybe it’s best I didn’t see them…Jessie posted a picture of her bowling inside the hotel, and our room was directly under the bowling alley suite…people were up there bowling until 4 in the morning that night, and I’m not positive it was them, but it could’ve been!
So I reluctantly gave up trying to catch them out somewhere. I was sore in so many different ways, and tired out of my mind, but was still buzzing from the show so I barely felt it. I almost passed out after I got up in the middle of the night…I had only eaten a bowl of cereal that morning and nothing else…but all in all, the whole day/night was incredible, start to finish. I was feeling a bit depressed during the drive home because it was over…but I can only be grateful that I got to experience it. It was my favorite show by far.
SETLIST (in order except for last two?):Be somebody
Taper Jean Girl
My Party
Molly’s Chambers
Red Morning Light
Fans
Milk
Revelry
Crawl
Four Kicks
Charmer
Closer
Sex on Fire
Notion
Use somebody
On Call
The Bucket
Encore:Slow Night, So Long
Knocked Up
Manhattan
Black Thumbnail
I'll put up the couple pictures I took once my friend tells me how to put them on my computer!