Hypnotic Bolt

‘Fingers Crossed’

When we found out that COIN was playing in Atlanta on their upcoming tour, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see them. We got home from our classes, changed into our best outfits and headed down to Georgia. Listening to music with the windows rolled down, cruising on the highway as the sun was setting, we had a good feeling about this one.

Play it Cool

When we arrived, we waited in a line that wrapped all the way down the block and struck up a conversation with some cool people with the same interests as us. When we entered the venue around 7:15, we raced to get a decent spot on the left side of the stage.

Tessa Violet was the opener and she created a welcoming and energetic feel with her songs. She transitioned from her sit single “Crush” into some slower acoustic songs that had the crowd swaying back and forth with their arms raised. Tessa engaged with the big crowd and retold personal stories in between songs.

“…so keep on dancing”

The members of COIN made their way to the stage around 9pm. They made a grand entrance with their hit song “I Don’t Wanna Dance” which ironically had everyone jumping up and down and dancing. They played through songs off their albums “HWYKIYNT”, “COIN”, and their singles “Cemetery”, “Growing Pains”, “I Want It All”, and “Simple Romance”. And let me tell you, these guys had everyone dancing their asses off. There was something about the energy of the crowd mixed with the energy of the band that made that venue feel indestructible.

The lead singer of COIN, Chase created a special bond with the crowd. I believe that even people way in the back or on the balcony could feel a connection with him, which I think is insane. He sang to all parts of the crowd and made sure that no section was left out. There has yet to be a concert that we’ve been to that had that same type of energy throughout the whole venue. There was a time in between songs where he asked how everyone was doing and then proceeded to say “This is a safe place. A safe place to cry. A safe place to dance.” You could literally feel the love and appreciation that they have for their following. It was something so special.

“How Will You Know If You Never Try?”

They ended the set with “Fingers Crossed” and made a lasting impression on the crowd. After the crowd started to disperse, we headed over to the merch table. There was a line for Tessa’s merch and also the chance to meet her and take a picture with her so obviously we got in that line first. When we went up to meet her, she complimented our outfits and thanked us for coming to the show. We took a picture with her and Jenna struck up a conversation with her about Dodie. I found it so admirable that she spent the time meeting and having genuine conversations with everyone waiting in that line. She was such a humble and down to earth person and if you haven’t listened to a lot of her music, you should! (Plus her hair is super badass!)

After meeting Tessa, we went to the COIN merch table and picked up T-shirts and vinyls (of course). We gathered up our new goods and headed back to the parking garage and prepared for our drive home.

“Heart Eyes”

This was our first time seeing COIN but it probably won’t be our last. The environment in the Buckland Theatre was insane and it really opened our eyes as to who COIN is and how well they perform. If you EVER have the chance to see them, please take the time to do so, they will definitely make it worth your while!

Laid Back with The Jacks

“Hello My Friend”

1/2/2019 Atlanta– The sun was shining and we were en route to Atlanta. The night before, The Jacks graciously responded to a comment we made about their “house party” show. They DMed us the address, and asked us if we wanted to come. Of course we couldn’t pass up the opportunity, so like always we hopped in the car and drove.
We arrived around 2PM, and we were escorted to the open backyard. We walked down the porch steps and walked closer to where the stage was set up. The party host, Alex was so sweet and accommodating. He was shocked that we had driven so far to see the band, and promised to make it worth our while.
He introduced us to Tom (guitar/ vocals), Josh (drums), Jonny (vocals and guitar), and Scott (bass/vocals). The band was just as excited as us about being there.

“Shake it up baby now”

The guys made their way to the makeshift stage and started playing their set around 3:30. They opened with “Holy Roller”, played through some of their unreleased songs, and covers of “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”, “Hey, Jude” and “Twist and Shout”. They kept the crowd energized and on their feet through the duration of the show. Jonny engaged with the crowd by getting off the stage and sharing the microphone. We made connections with the guys while they were performing and we never missed a beat. They finished the set with an encore of “Twist and Shout” and had everyone twisting in their shoes.

The Dirt (on our shoes)

After the show, our shoes were muddy, the sun was setting, and the crowd had dispersed. We met up with each of the guys and struck up an intriguing conversation. We were curious to know what was next for their career. They mentioned that they recently got signed to EDGEOUT Records (a record label under Universal Music Group). Thanks to their new record label, they were able to participate in the Superbowl performances. Jonny explained that because of this big milestone in their career, they will be releasing new singles soon and are planning on going on tour in the upcoming year.

Josh was curious to know where we had discovered them. We explained that Vista Kicks had mentioned them and we were interested in learning more about them. We did our best to persuade Scott to go on tour with their pals, Vista Kicks. Scott asked us where we were from and was open to any suggestions on venues to play at when they come back around. We mentioned that we recently went to a concert at the Radio Room in Greenville. We continued the conversation talking about psychedelic rock bands.

In our conversation with Tom, we found out that they cover songs that fit in their genre of music. “We do this because if the crowd isn’t familiar with our music, it gets them interested in our sound.” He then added that they do like to add their own twist to the songs that they cover. For example, he mentioned that he loves covering “Hey Jude”, because “It’s one of the best songs ever written and we love to add our own spin to it.” “

“Hello, Goodbye”

The sun had set and we were bidding our farewells. We thanked Alex and his roommate Murphy for the billionth time for hosting the party, and made our way to say goodbye to our new friends, The Jacks. We had mentioned the blog in our previous conversation and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get a picture with them. They were more than happy to, and thanked us again for traveling down to see them. We bid our farewells and promised to see them again soon!

“…a little taste”

If you have never listened to The Jacks, you definitely should! These guys create some badass rock and roll music. Their music is influenced by the 1960’s and 1970’s rock invasion. Keep an eye out for any new music they will be releasing and if you ever have the chance to see them (even at a house party in the middle of Atlanta) you should take that opportunity!

Thank you guys again for inviting us and being so down to earth and genuine! This will be an experience that we will never forget!

‘The Night’

On Wednesday night, we threw on our jackets and headed to the Radio Room in Greenville. This was the first show that we have been to that wasn’t an hour or two away and we were excited to get the chance to see amazing performers in our home town.

‘The Other Side’

“I don’t want to be the dreamer, I want to be the dream.” sang indie duo Babe Club from Charleston, SC. Consisting of just two members, Babe Club, brought a raw and simple sound, with meaningful lyrics and captivating acoustics to the crowd and they set the tone for the night to come. They finished the set with their song “Bitch Goddess” and announced that they will be releasing new music during the spring but in the mean time, get your fix by checking out their single “Hate Myself” on all music platforms.

“A.S.S (And She Smiles)”

The next openers were a group called New Madrid based out of Athens, GA. This group brought an electric and head-banging sound to the night. Their catchy tunes mixed with their wild dance moves and heavy strumming, kept the crowd bouncing around and tapping their feet. They currently have three albums available on all music platforms and if you are a local to Georgia, you should definitely swing by one of their shows!

“Is This a Dream?”

Based out of Nashville, TN trio, Liz Cooper & the Stampede made their way to the stage around 10. Dressed in the cutest jumpsuit and the most badass white boots that I couldn’t stop staring at throughout the night, Liz Cooper brought the dream psychedelic sound. They opened with “Sleepyhead” and continued the set with playing songs from their most recent album Window Flowers released back in August of 2018 (with a split break in between to cover “Heart of Glass” by Blondie). The drummer, Ryan, kept the crowd in awe as he pounded on his drum set while smiling and laughing the entire time. Grant, the bassist, shredded the tunes out on a bright red bass guitar that was too beautiful to look at. They ended the set with “Hey Man” and played an INSANE instrumental at the end. If you have never listened to this group, you definitely should! Their mixture of folk and psychedelic rock is something so wild and beautiful. -B

“Come lose yourself and dance with me…”

Make sure to check out all the bands mentioned and as always, stay groovy!

All the love, Britt and Jen

‘The Champagne of Bands’

“Summer Girls” in Mid-Winter

January 10– We dressed warm and headed up the mountain. We found ourselves listening to bands from previous concerts, and taking in the beautiful scenery as we drove. When we arrived in our favorite city, Asheville, we had time to kill before the show. Shivering, we bounced from shop to shop. We stopped to eat at our go-to, Mellow Mushroom, and talked about moving our future home right above the venue we wanted to open in dowtown Asheville.
We still had time to spare, so we stopped at one more shop before heading to move our car closer to Static Age Records. Where we would be seeing “the champagne of bands”, AKA Acid Carousel. They are a band based out of Denton, Texas consisting of six members. Ian (Bass and Sax), Gus (vocals and guitar), John (vocals and guitar), Lucas (vocals and guitar), Matt (keyboard, tambourine, maracas, sax), and Jake (Percussion…and trombone!!)

Records for Days

When we arrived we waited a bit in the car since Static Age had just opened it’s doors a little after 9pm. When we finally did decide to go inside, people were filing in one after the other.
The venue was small, but held many records. We searched for familiar bands, and looked for new ones too. Around 10, people began to head towards the back of the venue, where the bands would be playing.

The “Big One”

Kitty Tsunami performed first with a punk beach sound. We tapped our feet along to their set. Their song “All the Kids” really stood out to us, and we’ve had it on repeat since that night.
At around 11, Acid Carousel made their way to the stage. Before the show started, they told us that they were going to perform “the Big One”. We weren’t sure what that meant but, we were excited to find out.
They included a light show behind them as they played. We’ve never experienced a show this unique before. The visuals were captivating and really added to the vibe of their psychedelic sound.
Soon enough we found exactly what “the Big One” meant, as their songs blended into each other. Again, we’ve never been to a show like this before. It was so fun to watch them jump around the stage, and keep the energy up the whole time. We screamed and moved along with them.
We were super impressed by the multitude of their instruments. We weren’t expecting them to whip out a saxophone in the middle of their set. They kinda went off! They definitely kept us on our toes.

Brother Bonding

After the show we headed back to the merch table and talked to Lucas about their set. They just recently started morphing their songs together into one long song.
We bought some groovy looking posters, and headed to put it in the car. When we returned we talked to Matt and Jake (who are identical twins), and we learned a lot about them. We talked with them for a while, and formed a brotherhood based off of the fact that we all (except for Matt…) played the trombone growing up, and our love for quirky tattoos. While adding Acid Carousel to your playlist go ahead and add Mommy’s Little Boy (Jake’s solo project) and MattyRaps.

Catch ya later, street cowboys

You know what they say… “this town ain’t big enough for the two of us”! We truly enjoyed this show, and look foward to the next time they come around.
See ya later and always, STAY GROOVY!

Best Friends Forever

Hey guys! This blog post is going to be all about our friendship, how we met, and the fresh matching tattoos we got last night!

Where It All Began

Jenna and I (Britt) met in the later half of eighth grade. I had just moved to South Carolina from Florida and I had a hard time making friends with people who had similar interests as me. In February, Ed Sheeran played a super low-grade concert. We both went to the same concert but had no idea that the other was there. The next day at school we both wore our new concert merch. I was at my locker when Jenna came up behind me. “You went to the Ed Sheeran show last night?” “Yeah! I love him!” “Me too! What’s your favorite song by him?” “Oh definitely ‘You Need Me I Don’t Need You’.” “Oh my god, that’s my favorite song by him! I’m Jenna by the way!” “No way, that’s so cool! I’m Brittany!” And a friendship was born.
Jenna invited me to sit with her and some of her friends at lunch, and we have been inseparable ever since. When high school started, Jenna moved to a different part of the state and we were separated for a year and a half. During that time, we both became closer to other friends and lived our lives apart. During sophomore year, we all heard the news that Jenna was moving back. I’m not going to lie, I felt nervous because I didn’t know how much had changed between us while we were apart. But it felt like we picked up right where we had left off.

Twitches

As the years carried on, we grew closer and realized that we were similar in so many ways. During junior and senior year, people referred to us as twins and we went everywhere with each other. Around this time we started noticing wild stuff, like we would show up to school wearing the same exact outfit without planning it, we would say the same thing at the same time, we would guess what the other was thinking, etc. So naturally we became mesmerized with learning about all things new age (astrology, dreams, fortune telling). We came up with this weird handshake-type thing for whenever we would have one of these revelations. We would touch our fingers together and make a “Zzz” sound, which signified electricity or a bolt of lightning passing between us. We did this often enough that people at school were used to this strange habit.
Jenna moved 14 hours away for college and it was a miserable time for the both of us. It sounds crazy but I felt like I was missing a part of myself. We would facetime everyday but it wasn’t the same. Jenna realized that she missed home too much and moved back down to South Carolina permanently.

New Year, New Tattoos

A couple days ago, we were at a New Year’s Eve party. We were drunk, sitting on a couch in the basement, when we started reflecting on the past years of our friendship. We both agreed that we have had friends throughout our life but no one that we really considered a best friend, until we found each other. We started laughing and crying, thinking about how lucky and grateful we are to have each other. I know that this may sound cheesy but I wholeheartedly believe that the universe tied us together. I moved up to South Carolina for a reason, and Jenna was that reason. There has been multiple times when we have been separated, but we keep getting pulled back to each other.
Now since high school we have been planning on getting matching tattoos. I don’t really know what was holding us back from getting them for so long but last night, we went to dinner and called up every tattoo shop in the area to see if they could squeeze us in. It wouldn’t be a Jenna and Britt adventure if it wasn’t completely spontaneous now would it? We found a shop that would take us and got these bad boys!

Gemini Rising- Twins for Life

These tattoos symbolize our everlasting friendship, our synchronicity, and this blog. Our friendship was created because of music and it’s crazy to think that 7 years later, we would create our own music blog and go to the wildest concerts. There is no one else that I would rather experience those things with. Here’s to more concerts, more adventures, and many more years of friendship!

All the love, Britt and Jen

How We Style Our Band Tees

Howdy brothers! This post is all about how we style some of our band merch. We hope this gives you some inspiration on how to style your favorite band t-shirts. We really enjoyed doing this little shoot, and we hope you love it.

The Districts

We saw these guys when they opened for Hippo Campus (10/15 and 10/30). Check them out and our blog post about them!

For these outfits, we decided to tuck the shirts into our favorite pair of jeans with a belt. (With short sleeved shirts, we’re known for rolling up the sleeves to give it a more edgy look.) You can find these dope shirts on their website https://www.districtlines.com/The-Districts

Post Animal

Our blog post from a couple of weeks ago featured these goofy guys. Check them out, they have cool shirts…and music of course!

For these cool shirts, we tucked them into black and blue jeans. We added some chokers and a little head band for some extra spunk. Like the shirts you see? Cop those bad boys here: https://shop.postanimal.us/products (hurry before the sell out again).

Vista Kicks

Last but not least, we have our merch from Vista Kicks! Their brand is all about booty shaking and we took this as an opportunity to do just that!

Since we got to do a little selling for these groovy guys, we had a couple of extra shirts to show off. We styled our many shirts with jeans, ’70s style coats, and cardigans. They have a variety of clothing that is perfect to dance to their music in over on their website: www.hellomerch.com/collections/vista-kicks

Lens Cap

We had a lot of fun taking these pictures. Shoutout to our third brother, Cailee (@cailee.r) for being our camera man, and capturing our vision for this shoot. Catch ya later, stay groovy

All the love, Britt and Jen

Vista Kicks Kicksback

Rain or Shine

Saturday December, 8– We found ourselves contemplating a dangerous drive to Atlanta or staying at home in our cozy pajamas. Everyone told us that it wasn’t a good idea. We had been looking forward to this day for weeks, and we were determined to make the two hour drive to see Vista Kicks.
So, we packed in case of an emergency, and hit the road. We had our playlist of all their songs queued up and blasting. The rain was heavy, but bearable. Our drive was spent snacking, talking, singing, and laughing. We weren’t prepared for what was to come later on.

Receipt Set list

We arrived at the venue, 45 minutes before the doors opened. When they did, we went in and got our spot in the front. The show began at 9pm, and they had two talented openers; Everyday Dogs and Paul McDonald. They both played amazing sets, and made sure to interact with the big crowd.

Having a Good Time

Vista Kicks literally busted through the crowd (Sam, we forgive you) right at 10:45, and opened with Marceline. Not to go into a crazy amount of detail BUT, all we can say is that we made our presence very known at the show. We were booty shakin’ and singing like no one else, and created a strong connection with those groovy guys. Throughout the duration of the show, we made eye contact and sang to each other while hyping everyone else up. Their set was filled with head bangers, and they truly captivated the audience. Which is like nothing we had ever experienced at a show before.

Booty Shakin’… and Out of Breath

We were out of breath, smiling, and full of adrenaline when the show sadly came to an end. People began to crowd around to meet the band and take pictures with them. To ensure that we would get to talk to them, we headed over to their merch table and began a conversation with their talented friend Christine (@christinesolomonphotography). Walking over to where our coats had been placed before the show, we set our new shirts and vinyl down. Trevor (bassist), spotted us through the dispersing crowd and made his way over to us. He brought us into a hug and complimented us on our singing and dancing. Then Sam (guitarist/vocals), noticed us and talked us before taking a couple of pictures. They moved onto the last set of people waiting to get their pictures with them, when Derek (lead vocals/keys/guitar) came over to us.

“…Come to the Show”

Derek thanked us for performing for them, and gave us advice about getting home safely. He then kindly rounded up the rest of the members for some group pictures. Here are the results:

On social media, they had been asking for help with selling merch at some of their previous shows. So, we offered a helping hand at their next show in Raleigh, NC. They were eager about staying in touch with us to make it a reality. Before we left, Sam yelled out “See ya in Raleigh”, and we did just that.

On the Road Again

Monday December, 10– Keeping this secret between us, we packed our bags and made the four hour trip up to Raleigh. As we approached the venue, we messaged Sam to let him know we were 30 minutes away, and excited to help. We found a parking garage not too far away, and walked to the venue. Inside, they were setting up their set, and tuning their instruments. Sam greeted us with a hug, and thanked us for helping. He reintroduced us to Christine, and she gave us the run down of what the job would entail. The other members made their way down and chatted with us before the show and asked us what songs we wanted to hear.

Dancing on the Job

Vintage Pistol opened for them with a grungy set, and we tapped our feet along as we stood behind the merch table. The boys made their way onto the stage an hour later, and we couldn’t help but shake our asses and sing along from the back of the room. The rest of the crowd was in awe of us and in that moment we felt exhilarated. We made our way to the front for Marceline, Gotta Get Away, and Alice so that we could dance and sing with them. Again, we were booty shakin’ and singing with them and hyping the rest of the crowd up with their music. They really showed us the love during Alice, and we belted out the lyrics as they played.

Snowball Fights & Cookout

After the show, we ran back to the merch table and started preparing for the crowd. We got many compliments on our dancing and singing and how we made the show more enjoyable. We helped take money for shirts and vinyls alongside Christine. After the crowd had gone, we packed up their van, and hung out in the front with them. Hunger struck all of us, and we decided Cookout was our best bet at such a late hour.
They offered to give us a ride to our car in their van, but after taking a second look inside of it, Derek offered to walk us back to our car instead, because their van was a little messy. He made us feel safer as we walked back to our car and we will always be appreciative of that.
As we got to the parking lot, their van pulled up and they waited until we made it all the way back to our car before driving away. All of us made our way to Cookout, and unfortunately it was just a drive-thru. But the boys made the best out of the situation by having a snowball fight. We threw a couple ourselves, but our aims aren’t the best.

‘All Over Now’

After ordering our food, we stood around and waited with them. Chattering teeth and shivering bodies we laughed about our experiences from the night and discussed the difference between Cajun fries and regular fries.
We finally got our food and walked back over to where they had parked their van. Squeezing us into tight embraces, they thanked us for the millionth time that night. We replied, “No problem, anytime! We love you guys”. And we meant it.
This was one of the most memorable concerts that we have been to and the guys of Vista Kicks are such genuine and goofy guys. If any of you ever have the opportunity to see them, take that chance! They will make it worth your while!
Vista Kicks, thank you for this unforgettable experience. See ya soon!
“Come to the show, we’ll make you laugh, make you scream, make you get down on your knees and settle down”
Stay Groovy!

All the love, Britt and Jen

Post Post Animal Post

Howdy! On Wednesday we went to see Post Animal in concert down in Athens. We thought that you guys would want to read about our experience because it was a great one! Enjoy!

Wasting Time

We’re going to start this story from when we entered the venue. When we walked inside, we saved a spot right below the stage and claimed it as ours. As other people started filling in, we took turns getting water and going to the bathroom in fear of losing the awesome spot we had. Post Animal had two openers open for them. The first one being a cool dude named Shane T. He came on stage in worn in Vans and ripped jeans and blew the crowd away. His music is super cool and easy to vibe to plus his voice is amazing! (Right now he’s only got one song on Spotify, “Wasting Time”, but he’s got some new music coming so check him out!)

Illiterate Light

The next opener they had was a duo called Illiterate Light and let us tell you, these guys know how to rock the hell out! Their music is between a mixture of hard rock and smooth alternative. These dudes are super talented and had the whole crowd hyped up from the beginning of their first song! (They have two singles on Spotify right now: “Better Than I Used To” and “Growin’ Down”.)

When I Think of You in a Castle

The dudes of Post Animal appeared after Illiterate Light finished their set. By this time, we had moved away from the front of the stage and backed up so we could get a better view. These guys are so talented and had the whole crowd shaking their heads and tapping their feet. If you’ve never listened to Post Animal, you definitely need to! Their music is a mix of psychedelic, hard rock, and alternative and it is amazing live! They opened with “Gelatin Mode” and continued throughout the set with high energy and finished with an encore of “Swamp Fruit” (one of my favorites).

Special Moment

After the show was over, the members of the band were standing by the merch table signing shirts and records. As we approached them, the lead singer Dalton was taking payments for the merch and he started up a conversation with Jen and we continued talking with him for about 15 minutes. As people were starting to file out and leave, we asked if we could take a picture with them. After we took a couple pictures, we hung around with Matt and Javi. We talked about any upcoming shows that they were performing and if they would come back around us anytime soon. We were standing and talking with them for so long that the manager at the venue had to escort us to leave. We held them to their promise of coming to Greenville soon, shook their hands, and said our farewells.

As we left the venue, we had a feeling of complete astonishment as we realized that we just hung out and talked to such a cool ass band. On the drive home, we relived the concert and it’s memories while listening to their music in the car. When we got back to Jen’s house at three in the morning and collapsed onto the bed in a state of fatigue, we both had the feeling that that concert was one of the best! See you in February Post Animal and thanks for the incredible experience!
STAY GROOVY

What’s Spinnin’?

Welcome to our new series! Every month we will be talking about our current favorite songs and what we have been jamming out to! We had planned on writing a post about a concert that we were supposed to go to but unfortunately mother nature had other ideas and the rain was too treacherous to drive in so we decided to go get bagels. We hope you all enjoy this post and let us know what your favorite songs are at the moment!

Britt

Volcanic Love- The Aces
4th and Roebling- The Districts
Ordinary Day- The Districts
If Before I Wake- The Districts
Salt- The Districts
When I Get Home- Post Animal
Susie- Post Animal
Parking Lot- HUNNY
Heaven Up There- Palace
Flower Power- Greta Van Fleet
Vines- Hippo Campus
Poems- Hippo Campus
Vacation- Hippo Campus
The Halocline- Hippo Campus

Jen

Violet- The Districts
Golden- Hippo Campus
Dollar Bill- Hippo Campus
You Don’t Know How Lucky You Are- Keaton Henson
Static Space Lover- Foster the People
Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby- Cigarettes After Sex
Yes, I’m Changing- Tame Impala
If You Need To, Keep Time on Me- Fleet Foxes
The Trapeze Swinger- Iron & Wine
Dreams- The Cranberries
Lazerburn- Jesse Woods
Gold- The Shelters

Well, there ya have it! We hope you guys found some new music to listen to and until next time,
STAY GROOVY!

All the love,

Britt and Jen

Not an ‘Ordinary Day’

Cheeto Dust

The Districts are a strong opener for Hippo Campus, and they make quite the impression. They’re sound makes you want to get in your car and drive to the mountains. We were introduced to them on October 15, at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC.
Before the concert, we weren’t sure who was opening for Hippo Campus. Most people don’t really care about the opener, but we take it as an opportunity to listen to new music. We never expected to love the band this much, though.
When they first started their set, there was a couple in front of us that were solely there for The Districts. So, we thought they must be good enough to have a fan base all the way in North Carolina. We were surprised when everyone in the venue was dancing and jumping up and down during their set. They truly put their heart and soul into their performance, and shows when everyone next to you is in awe of their music.
After the show, we walked over to the merch table to get some HC memorabilia. We saw a small table for The Districts and headed over there to check them out. A tall guy was standing behind the table. I (Jen) saw a small orange vinyl signed with silver sharpie. I contemplated before looking up at the guy and asking how much it was.
He laughed and stated, “Ten dollars! But I won’t sell you that one because I was eating Cheetos earlier, and got the Cheeto dust on it.”
For some reason that was all the more reason to purchase one. So, I left happily with a t-shirt and the vinyl.

Brown Paper Bag Set Lists

Fast forward two weeks, and we were on our way to the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, North Carolina. We had spent the majority of those two weeks learning more and more about The Districts, and falling in love with their music.
We knew Long Distance and Ordinary Day by heart, and we were determined to shout the lyrics out while they were performing.
When we arrived in Carrboro, we were looking for parking when we saw Rob, Pat, and Braden casually walking down the street. We waved to them, Rob looked confused that we knew who he was. Which, obviously made us feel connected to them. I (Jen) waved to Rob again, when were sitting down to with the rest of the VIP people.
Again, they played an incredible show. Us and the people around us were rocking out to their set. The guy next to us leaned over and told us that he loved their sound, and how cool he thought their performance was. After, their performance, their lead guitarist handed me (Jen) a set list that was written on a torn up piece of a brown paper bag. The keyboard player hopped off the stage to hand Britt a set list too. We then proceeded to tell him how much we loved his black and white checkered pants. We knew that after the show we wanted to meet them in and get to know them. So, we did just that.
We walked passed the Hippo Campus merch and made our way over to the same guy we met in Asheville. He greeted us, and Britt asked for the same vinyl I had purchased last time. We then asked if he remembered telling us that he got Cheeto dust on the vinyl.
His eyes widened and laughed, “I was just thinking about the other day! That was such a funny joke, well not joke but story”. We laughed with him, and then they asked where we were from. We explained that we had driven four hours to see them this time, but only an hour to see them in Asheville.
He was shocked that we had traveled so far to see them again, and then introduced him self by shaking my (Jen’s) hand. “I’m Keondre, by the way,” he said with a smile.
We introduced ourselves, and then Keondre gestured to some people next to us, “We have two show comers, guys”. We look next to us, and their lead guitarist and bass player are standing in the corner. They turn to us in shock, and we explain again where we’re from and how far we had traveled to see them both times. They seemed like they were in awe of how dedicated we were. They introduced themselves as Pat and Connor.
They were more than happy to take pictures with us, and hold a long conversation about the small 15 person van they travel in. We explained to them how much we enjoyed their set, and how awesome their music is. Pat, Connor, and Keondre tried to persuade us to go to their show that they were playing again at the same venue.
We walked outside with a feeling of fulfillment. We had just had full on conversations with both bands that day, and we could not have been happier. I think the realization of them just being human beings hit us as we were holding these long conversations with them.
We headed around the the front of Cat’s Cradle where a crowd waited for Hippo Campus to come outside. But, we weren’t waiting for them, mainly because we had already gotten the chance to meet them. We were waiting for the rest of The Districts to come outside so that we could meet the rest of the band members. This was probably the best decision we have ever made, because sure enough we waved to Keondre and motioned for him to bring the rest of them to us.
A big shout out to Keondre, for being the sweetest soul and rounding them all up to introduce us. They all made their way over to where we were standing. They were quick to tell us that Keondre had told them how far we had traveled and that we saw them in Asheville too. We shook Rob and Braden’s hands and introduced ourselves to them. We got a picture and then talked with them about their January tour in the Northeast.
We said our goodbyes and turned away to walk back to the parking garage where we had parked. As we past the crowd of people, they stared at us as if we had just done something insane.
What’s so crazy to us is that, people see these bands as props or untouchable. But, the truth is most of them just want to be treated like people. And if you allow yourself to break from that stigma, you end up meeting really cool people, who just so happen to make cool ass music.

Late Night Korean BBQ

We spent Halloween listening to their music and crying because we weren’t able to go to the second show. We obviously wanted to see Hippo Campus again but we really wanted to hangout with The Districts and see them live again.
The next night we were both at our houses, separated for the first time in a week. I (Jen) was on Instagram when I saw on their band’s food account (@thefinediningdistricts), that they were looking for places to eat… in our freaking town. Out of all the places they could have stopped, they stopped in our town to eat. I slid over to the next story and saw that they were at the Korean Barbecue place next to where we had gotten out tattoos.
I (Jen) immediately called Britt to tell her the news. We were both in shock, and I tried convincing her for an hour to get up and go meet up with them, but at this point we were both in bed. I had my acne cream on my face with wet pig tail braids, soaking the top of my sleep shirt, and Britt had her retainer in. Both of us agreed we were in no shape to get in a car and drive to this place to meet them. What would we even say? How weird would that seem if we just showed up?
We still kind of regret not getting up and going, but if we did we wouldn’t have gotten the idea to start this blog.

As always, stay groovy! Catch ya later!