WEENIE ROAST 2014- Fitz and the tantrums, Foster the People, and WEEZER

Last night hubs and I went to the WEENIE ROAST 2014! It is a concert put on by Budweiser and 106.5FM  There were 14 bands this year.

We didn't get there until after 5pm so most of the bands had performed already. I was mainly there for Fitz and the Tantrums, Foster the People, Fuel and WEEZER.

When we got there J Roddy Walston and the Business was playing. They were pretty good, I had never heard of them, but enjoyed their sound.

According to the schedule ,Fuel was SUPPOSED to come on stage at 6:35. They didn't.  I don't know if they got moved to an earlier slot, or if they cancelled, or what. But i didn't get to see them. 

 Bummer.

Us when we got there.  It was like 1000000 degrees outside and everyone was in the lawn or tailgating until the big names came on.

For Fitz and Foster the People,  our seats were left center-ish almost to the back of the overhang. Good seats,  BUT, after Foster the people, someone we knew was leaving and gave us their seats CENTER right behind the VIP  eat and seat. so we had primo seats for Weezer!

FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS.  

I will say that I have enjoyed their music pre-concert, but didn't know a lot of it. I am a new-found admirer and fan. I will DEFINITELY be listening to more of them.  They came out and KILLED it. Seriously. It was so hot and humid and they just absolutely went to town.  they got everyone on their feet and such awesome audience interaction. i REALLY liked them a lot.  i told hubbs that I absolutely wouldn't mind seeing them again.  And I have a new crush. The lead singer is ...wowie wow wow. something about him is SEXY.  Maybe it is the rock star sweat .

This lady right here is AMAZING. She nailed it. seriously.

FOSTER THE PEOPLE

I am going to be honest, I like Foster the People, but I wouldn't see them again(just on their own). I feel like the music was good, but they had no audience chemistry. I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I did Fitz and the Tantrums.  The set was great, the music was great, but I just cant put my finger on it, they didn't peak my interest as much. And I am sad to say that because I do enjoy their music. I just felt like it was hard for them to come out after FATT, who had an amazing set and got the audience completely ready , and it was hard for them to hold that momentum, then to be followed by Weezer. It was a tough spot.

WEEZER

What can I say about this amazing band?  The lead singer did his own sound check and tuning (wearing a welding helmet as a disguise??) Then as they were waiting to come out on stage they were playing Frisbee. 

 They came out swinging with My Name is Jonas and just kept hitting with their best songs, their hits, a new one coming out etc. It was amazing. One regret: i wish they had played The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived. But other than that no complaints. I loved everything.

 And because of our better seats(Thanks Browns!) we were right near the cameras who were recording so we had primo lighting for photographs etc. i am REALLY proud of some of these. (Like, Weezer needs to call me and use some of them as promotional pictures).  These were all taken with my Canon sx50 point and shoot. 

I LOVE this photo. No photoshop,no filter. This is perfection.

I liked all the "flair". 

this was sound check. It is the lead singer wearing a welding helmet, doing his own tuning and sound check.

This was a great concert. I have listened to  Weezer for 20 years, so i am glad i finally got to see them play live.

Went to a concert last night...and it was amazing!

 A little back history:  when i was about 7, the song "Maneater" came out.  It was a HUGE song , HUGE. You couldn't turn on a radio without hearing it. ( Kind of like that recent song Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye)
Well as a young girl this was my FAVORITE song.   However, in my little mind, it wasn't about a gold digger that went through men, using them left and right.  No, in my mind it was literally about a woman who went out after night and ate men.  Chewed them up. Kind of like a werewolf.   (So you can imagine my disappointment when i saw the video... Oh well).
But from that moment on my love of  HALL AND OATES was born. (yess Hall and Oates. 2014 rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Hall and Oats...and the #1 selling duo in music history!!!!)

Well last night they were in Charlotte at the Uptown Ampitheater at the NC Music Factory.  A cozy venue with reasonable prices and good seats all around.   The weather was PERFECT! Absolutely perfect. Meant to be,  in my opinion.  Clear skies, very slight breeze, 75 degrees. I could not have ordered a more perfect night. For those of you who have never experienced a perfect Carolina spring evening , put that on your bucket list.  find a way.

Concert was scheduled to start at 730. We dropped kids off at my parents for the night  (Thanks mom and dad!) and headed uptown . Got to the Ampitheater a few minutes after 7 and found our seats. We had never been there before so weren't sure what to expect.  But we both really liked the smaller, cozier venue. all around the left side of the ampitheater were restaurants and a courtyard that could pack extra people in. So not only were there seats and VIP boxes and a large lawn, but there was also that extra room that people could sit out and listen while they ate and drank at the various restaurants.

So here we are pre concert. Taking a selfie (Or an us-sie).


Here are our seats.  Left side row 14.

Quickly the seats started filling up,  and  in front of us we had a couple of middle aged groupie "Woooooo" girls in front of us.  DRUNK middle aged groupie whoooooo girls.  They claim they were 42, but if they were 42 then I am 29. The entire concert kept screaming "darryl!! Over here darryl!  We love you!! wooooooooooooo!!". Dancing the entire time like Bohemian gypsies and running their hands through their hair, like Hall or Oates could actually see them making fools of themselves. once you hit a certain age, it's embarrassing.  But I guess the saying about drinking is true. It makes you think you can dance and makes you think you are the life of the party. but you cant tell them they didnt have a good time!

"Ohhh here she comes, watch out boy she'll chew you up.."

These other band members were awesome.

Hall and Oates came out swinging with MANEATER!  got the crowd revved up. One african american guy, probably in his 40s, was about 3 rows ahead of us.  He was REALLY getting into it. he had it choreographed and everything.  had moves to match the words of the various songs.  I really got a kick out of watching him through the concert. especially when they sang I Cant Go For That (No can do).

M-E-T-H-O-D  O-F   L-O-V-E

They played through all their great songs.: Maneater, Out of Touch, Say It Isnt So, Method of Modern Love, Adult education, She's Gone, Sara smile,  I Cant Go For That (which had a crazy long saxophone/guitar riff that got a little long). They then encored with Rich girl and You Make My Dreams Come True.  They then Double encored with Your Kiss is On My List and Private Eyes.

I cant Go For That! (no Can Do)

Sara Smile.

About an hour and a half of music and these guys werent phoning it in either. They were really playing and singing ...hard. John Oates has a little more petite height, but he is built and he can STILL play crazy awesome on his guitar. It was impressive.  Super impressive.
and darryl...wow, he still has a great voice.
They just really seemed to enjoy playing and singing together and their songs were amazing.  It was one of those concerts where you know every song, and you realize just how BIG their career was and all years they've been together and all those hits! They really do have an impressive resume .

On a completely unrelated note...I think we may have been some of the youngest people there. I dont care.
I loved it, and it was well worth the money. I would go back and see them again.

Loved it. Best part...we were home by 1030!!  Who says you have to stay out all night like teenagers to have fun?? (I just sounded like my mother).

The Carolina Renaissance Festival-Huzzah, raise a cheer

Every year we take ourselves to one of our favorite places...The Carolina Renaissance Festival here in Charlotte NC (well, more like Concord. Its off of Poplar Tent Rd exit on I-85).  EVERY...SINGLE...YEAR.  Of course, this year was no exception.  Many of the same acts from years past, some new acts.  This year was the 20th anniversary, so every weekend they are bringing in an "Artiste du jour" to spice it up.  This year was AMAZING!  Seriously.

Slay a dragon.  We have one of these for the past 13 years...

hubba bubba and I starting our day off

Looking at the map, debating what to do first

I just wanted a close up of the crown I made...

So We started off our day with one of our favorites "DON JUAN AND MIGUEL". (self proclaimed: A mexican and a Polish guy from Chicago") They do whip tricks, sword fighting, comedy, dirty jokes that sail over the kids heads.  Don Juans daughter, Esmerelda appears with him on occasion. She is now heading off to Texas Renaissance Fair with her boyfriend, a world champion whip cracker.

Don Juan and Miguel

Here is a series of whip shots from Don Juan and Esmerelda (The fair Esmerelda and hubba calls her. A little whip crush methinks)  He had two bundles of pasta/-. She had to whip through one and leave the other intact. She's good.

Over the next hour or so we wandered around, looked at the various booths and vendors and then went to the opening joust.

Joust arena

Queen and her princesses at the joust

mistress of the games

Our knight, Sir Edgeron.  He was a cutie.

Sir Maxamillian (the cheater) lancing through the rings

ANATOMY OF A TILT:

 Our next stop was to find something to EAT!!  This year Peter had Steak on a Stake, Finn had a meatball Hoagie (very 1599 I know), Hubba had a grilled Portabello Mushroom sandwich(again, very renaissance) and I had a corn on the cob...which they had doused in so much butter that it dripped all down the husks and onto my shirt, effectively ruining it forever. Oh well.
We then headed to my favorite booth...the chocolate booth.  Boys got a slab of rocky road fudge to share, I got a caramel apple with pecans and drizzled with white and dark chocolate.  (and a personal note to the teenage girl working behind the counter...I am sorry you dont want to be there, but it is your job and you need to learn how to talk to people instead of mumbling and trying to figure out the math on your fingers)

So ontoto our favorite act of the entire faire...THE LONDON BROIL!!! (London Broil Core Audience...huah!) I have seen these guys every year for the past 14 years here at  Carolina Renfest. I have seen them get a little older, a little grayer, but still so darn funny!!) Peter was a 5 months old his first London Broil Show...he is now 13.  I LOVE the London Broil. I think the reason I enjoy them year after year is that they obviously love juggling together. They have fun. Yes, it is their job, but they are like 3 best friends who goof off on stage, while working. Its really just FUN to watch the chemistry between them.

Here is Matt with his pretty princess hair(seriously? Did you lose a bet??), opening the show with some flames of fury juggling:

You can see where the torch is starting to get away from him

"hey, no big deal..."

 All three, Matt, Louis and Duncan doing what they do best...

Duncan

Here is Matt being proclaimed KING of the show with a pretty princess tiara, to go with his pretty princess hair....again, did you lose a bet?? .

"try this at home kids...'cause where else you gonna try it??"

Finn then tried his hand at Jacobs ladder....it did not end well. It ended with him on his butt in the hay.

Our next stop was BARELY BALANCED.  These guys, Small, Medium and Large are amazing together. They balance on each other, juggle, contort etc.   

This kid was chosen from the audience. His face was priceless.

Her body is SICK! I want abs like hers when I grow up.

Our next stop was the Falconry Show.  We always enjoy this one, they have a large variety of really amazingly beautiful birds.

Jake the Harris Hawk.

Archimedes the eurasian eagle owl.

Widget the barn owl

Cricket, the  Aplomado falcon

Then the final Don Juan and Miguel show of the day. This is world champ and guinness book record holder Adam Crack, whipping open a can of soda.

I got a new pretty:

my very own Twisted Spider

Sunburn, joust, spending way too much money...nothing like a good old Renaissance festival.  Thanks again for another GREAT year!!