Tag Archives: concertphotography

Hypnotic Hangout: Briston Maroney

‘Hangin Round’ at taco bell

It was 1AM in Asheville, North Carolina and a cool breeze swept through the Taco Bell parking lot. The purple fluorescent lights lit up the sidewalk. The only noise was the passing of cars, and Briston Maroney clearing his throat as he sat down next to us on the curb. After playing a packed show at the Mothlight, we were able to sit down with the Knoxville native to get a little more insight on Maroney and his music.

We briefly discussed his tattoos and their stories before jumping into our real questions. Pointing to his black inked outline of Texas, he laughed, “This one is probably my favorite, by far”.

Of course, we needed to know where his passion for music is rooted, and what inspires him to write such personal verses. He adjusted his navy blue hat and scooted a little closer to us, “My grandpa turned me onto a lot of country music when I was younger like Waylon Jennings and Townes Van Zandt,” he laughed before saying, ” I was and still am into that kind of folkier country music. I’ve always wanted to be a cowboy. I have the tattoo and the boots so maybe by 25 I’ll either become a cowboy or just hang up the hat”.

When you listen to the “Caroline” singer, you almost feel as if he opened up your journal or crept into your thoughts and just wrote songs about your worst break-up or deepest fears. We asked,

“So, we want to know about the song writing process but more specifically the emotions that are going into every line. Do you have to be in love to write a song about being in love? Do you have to be going through something difficult in order to write on that experience? Is it more based on feelings or more expeirence based?”

He nodded his head silently, looking at the gravel beneath our feet. “I feel like songs that last and that are genuine are true feelings. I think you can write a love song about being in love in the moment, but I believe you have to have felt those feelings and be wanting to feel those feelings. For me, it’s hard to not make it personal. There are amazing artist who have the ability to just pull words that make sense without having to feel all of that [feelings] in the moment. I just can’t.”

‘SMALL TALK’

Maroney recently went on a UK tour with the Wallows, we were curious to know how this might have shifted his career as a whole, “How do you feel this affected your career and was it a big stepping stone for you?” Maroney responded with “Short term and long term it changed a lot of things for us. It was really important for us as people.” Maroney revealed that he feels closer to his band mates because of these experiences on the road.

Indiana

Maroney released his third album, Indiana on May 17th, 2019. So of course we had to ask, “What does Indiana mean to you compared to the other albums you’ve released?” Maroney went on to explain It was the first one they signed with Atlantic Recording Co.

“It was four songs that I had written in a period of time when I was living with my mom in Florida. Those songs were about living there with her and moving back to Nashville. It was the end of an era and it was an awesome experience to make.” He continued with “I feel like it was the first step towards speaking for what I want to stand for.”

Desert island bands

After much consideration, Maroney carefully chose these three musicians to be stranded on a deserted island with:

  1. Neil Young
  2. Jimi Hendrix
  3. Graham Nash

A special message from briston

Going into this interview we knew that Maroney is an enlightened person and we wanted to convey any messages that he wanted to give to our readers. “I want people to feel relieved when they listen to this music to know that someone else is feeling the way that they feel. Life is complicated and people experience really intense things. I want it to be a symbol of sharing intense experiences {his music}.”

“And finally what do you want your listeners to know about anything?” Briston smiled and replied “My phone number.” We both laughed thinking he was joking. But then he went on to say “865-291-7761, you can text me if you want. Life is pretty short and I’m trying to put my feelings to the side for a little bit, and be nice to everyone.” He started laughing and said genuinely ” I want them to know my effing phone number.”

What’s next?

Briston Maroney is currently on his first head-lining tour in Europe and America and has recently released a new single “Chattanooga” which you can find on all music streaming platforms.

A Hypnotic Hangout: Daddy’s Beemer

‘Time we killed’ before the show

APRIL 19, 2019-We had the pleasure of sitting down with local SC natives, Daddy’s Beemer at the Radio Room here in Greenville. From their Clemson roots to their recent travles, we got some insight on this tight-knit trio. Consisting of Brady Sklar, Dan Fetterolf, and Wesley Heaton, Daddy’s Beemer has made a name for themselves in South Carolina’s music scene.

The three of them met at Clemson University, through a student run radio station. After Daddy’s Beemer took off, they headed up to Charlotte, North Carolina in hopes that it would make touring travels easier. Now, they’re in the process of moving down to Charleston, SC.

When on the topic of moving around, we asked if it inspired their song writing process in any way. Lead singer, Brady Sklar was quick to answer with a simple, “Yes.” He further explained, “A lot of artists talk about how you need to live your life to be able to write songs about it. Otherwise, you’re going to write about things you haven’t done because you haven’t been doing anything.” They believe new experiences, people, and points of view can be useful in their song writing process. Dan Fetterolf, guitarist/drummer, said that seeing bands that he looks up to inspires the actual music part.

Music inspirations play a key role in the band’s sound. Bands like Steely Dan, Otis Redding, The Strokes, and Carole King have had a huge influence on the band and their sound. Last month, the members of Daddy’s Beemer, headed to Texas to play at SXSW. Some of the artists that they performed beside have been great influencers such as, Briston Maroney, Shane T, Big Thief, and Mommy’s Little Boy.

The bassist, Wesley Heaton explained that, “We weren’t sure what it was going to be like, because we had never been. We had been to other festivals like Bonnaroo on our own, but this was completely different from that because it was more of a networking thing.” The band was able to show their music to new audiences and meet new people while attending the festival and touring.

‘Penthesilea’

Sklar describes one of their singles, “Penthesilea” as an eulogy to a parrot that Fetterolf had right before they started the band. Sklar went on to explain that the song is named after the parrot and the lyrics describe the longing and grief that they have for the parrot. Fetterolf went on to show us a colorful tattoo that he got on his chest in honor of his pet.

Final Thoughts

Daddy’s Beemer recently released two new singles, “Indoors” and “Serotonin.” During this interview, they explained that they are writing new songs for a full-length album. Keep your eyes peeled and follow @dadsbeem on Instagram to stay updated with any new releases! This interview was super fun and we want to thank the members of Daddy’s Beemer for giving us the opportunity to sit down and talk with them!

Texas Travels

About two weeks prior to our spring break we saw an ad for an upcoming music event with some of our favorite artists. The only problem was that it was in Texas. To be quite honest, the distance was never the issue at all, it was the getting there part that seemed a little hazy.

It became clear to us that we were going to go, despite the distance and everyone’s thoughts against our plan. So, I (Jen) began to plan out every detail in order for this to work. Our cars were in no shape to drive across the country, so I asked my biological father if he wanted to swap cars for a week. It took a while to get an answer but he willingly agreed.

Now came the saving up part. This trip was not going to be cheap. Fortunately I have a lot of relatives that live in Texas, so no hotels for us. Our expenses would mostly be food and gas, mostly gas though.

The most difficult preparation was the packing. We both struggled in this area, but what do you expect from two indecisive girls? I (Jen) packed two bags, my 16 y/o cousin brought one, and Britt brought 4. In Britt’s defense, her main suitcase wasn’t as big as ours were. We somehow managed to fit them in the back of our Honda Civic.

On Thursday, March 15 we drove away from Greenville at 4am, and rode into the sunrise. Britt drove first, just like we planned, and then we switched four hours in when it was time to refuel. We kept this up for 14 hours. The ride was filled with music, and naps and our silly “song roulette” game. As we passed through states, our minds were filled with the desire to travel and live our lives on the road. We counted down the hours until we would be in the Lone Star State baby!

We arrived in Burleson, TX around 5:30pm and were greeted by my grandparents. This would be our home for the next week, and we couldn’t contain our excitement about the adventures to come.

VIsta Kicks, but as cowboys

On Saturday, we drove an hour to Denton, TX for the first show of our trip. We got lucky with this show, it wasn’t apart of the plan at first. We decided to leave Burleson around noon so that we could do a bit of exploring, which turned into shopping (watch our vlog to see a full haul of our purchases). We ate, and then headed down to the venue.

VISTA KICKS was still doing sound check as we waltzed in. After they got off the stage, we were quickly greeted with hugs and how-have-you-beens. It was exciting to stand aside and watch all of the new and young fans that they had gained since we saw them last.

Their opener was an energetic band called Jonathan from Croatia. We stood to the side with Sam and Trevor and watched them rock out on the stage.

When it came time for the boys to go on, we made our way to the front so we could get some good shots of them. They played through songs off of their albums and included some songs that we’ve never heard live before like “Mona Lisa” and “Circles”. They put on a great show as usual and we were looking forward to their showcase in San Antonio.

stay bad showcase

We arrived at The Paper Tiger around 6pm and stayed around to explore the venue. The venue was outdoors and had string lights and murals to decorate the area. We sat on one of the a picnic benchs and waited for the show to start.

The Shakes came on around 6:30 and played through their set with a relaxed and mellow vibe. Their song “Golden State of Mind” is super calming and easy to chill to. The next performers were a group called Gymshorts based out of Rhode Island. They jumped onto the stage with high energy and an angsty sound. The lead singer kept the crowd engaged by handing off the microphone and leaping off stage.

The next performer was a solo artist named Derek Ted from California. His music is mainly acoustic and is weirdly reminiscent of summer and old lovers. His sound can be described as being soft and nostalgic. If you’ve never checked him out, you definitely should!

Arms Akimbo was the next band to perform. They had everyone bobbing their heads and tapping their feet to the sound of their music. Based out of California, Arms Akimbo brought the ultimate alternative and rock sound. These goofy guys put on a great show and continued smiling throughout the whole thing.

Hate Drugs came onto the stage around 10pm. Also hailing from the Golden State, they brought the dream indie sound. These guys were so into the music they were playing and it showed. They had the whole crowd engaged and no one took their eyes off of them for a minute. They recently released a new album, Tsunami Soul I, so they played the majority of their set from this album. These dudes are extremely talented and you should check them out on Spotify or any other music platforms!

Vista Kicks were the last set that was scheduled for this show. They came out and opened with “Million Dollar Seller Pt. 1” and played through some of the same songs from previous shows, with surprise performances of “Work for Me” (Thanks Trevor!) and “Love & Paranoia”. We can honestly say that these guys never put on a bad show! The energy and effort that they put into not only their songs but into their stage presence and performance is unlike any we have ever seen. We’ve said this plenty of times before but if you EVER have the chance to see Vista Kicks live, please do! We have a feeling that these guys will be big very soon and you don’t want to miss the opportunity to see them in an intimate environment!

Back to reality

In between concerts, we spent our days exploring nearby cities, going to Target way too many times, and ultimately just living it up while we had the time. This trip was nothing short of amazing and it was a great way to spend our spring break and to get away for a little bit. We already have some new adventures planned, but for the meantime, we will be saving up some money for our next venture! We hope you guys enjoyed this travel post and make sure to check out the vlog that we made regarding this trip! Also make sure to check out the pictures that we took while on this trip on the gallery on this blog or on our instagram @hypnoticbolt! Stay groovy!

United Steaks Tour 2019

Part I

Athens, GA February 27, 2019- The first show we went to was at the Georgia Theater. We had seen Post Animal at this same venue back in December and were excited to be back.

“Fresh Squeezed”

The first performers were a group from Austin, Texas called Duncan Fellows. They played through songs from their album Both Sides of the Ceiling. They had the crowd bobbing their heads and tapping their feet. Their music is reminiscent of summer and reminded us of sunshine even in the dreary February weather. Playing through hits like “Coffins”, “Fresh Squeezed”, and “Sway”. Duncan Fellows introduced their music to the Georgia Theater and gained new listeners.

Flame Impala

Post Animal made their way to the stage around 9pm and opened with “Gelatin Mode”. If you’ve never listened to Post Animal before, we recommend starting with this song. The upbeat sound and heavy guitar that eases into slower parts only to pick back up makes for a great song to dance your butt off to.

They played through songs off of their recent album, When I Think of You in A Castle and older songs like “You Were Not There”, and “When I Get Home”. They created the same dreamy psychedelic experience that you hear in their songs. They ended their set with “Dirtpicker” and gave the crowd something to remember them by.

Who Are You? Point To It!

Ron Gallo entered the stage around 10pm. Jenna and I had been studying his music and we were excited to see him perform live. He and his ensemble put on an incredible show. He incorporates a lot of pedals, instruments, and uses effects like an echo on his mic to give him that grungy, kaleidoscopic sound. He played through songs off of his albums HEAVY META, Really Nice Guys, and Stardust Birthday Party. He kept the crowd engaged by running across the stage, passing the microphone to people in the crowd, and inviting Post Animal back onto the stage to sing one last song. Great guy and an even greater concert!

Part II

Asheville, NC February 28, 2019- The next day we headed up to our favorite place, Asheville for round two. We arrived at the Mothlight and got our spot right in front of the stage. The Mothlight’s atmosphere was a lot different than the Georgia Theater’s. The stage was lower to the ground and it made for a more intimate and insane show.

Duncan Fellows

This show was way different from the first. Duncan Fellows had a bigger fan-base in Asheville and it was enjoyable to jump around and sing along to the lyrics with the members of the band. They were surprised that people knew and listened to their music and we could tell that it meant a lot to them to have people dancing to their music in a confined space. Their set was energetic and uplifting and if you haven’t checked them out, you definitely should!

Ron Gallo

Ron came out next at this show and brought the fire! The whole crowd went crazy when he started playing and the energy of the crowd only intensified as the show went on. When he started playing his crowd-pleasing song, “Young Lady, You’re Scaring Me”, the audience went crazy. Everyone in the venue was jumping and bumping into each other and slowly started forming a mosh pit. Ron finished his set with “You” Are The Problem” and left the crowd giddy and ready for Post Animal.

Everyone Hit “Gelatin Mode”

The members of Post Animal came out shortly after Ron Gallo. We want to preface this by saying that this concert was something we have NEVER experienced before. Once Post Animal started playing “Gelatin Mode”, the crowd went wild! Everyone was jumping, head banging, throwing their fists in the air, and crowd surfing. We have never been a part of such an intense and reckless environment. As the show went on, we became immersed in the crowd and continued screaming the lyrics along with everyone. They absolutely KILLED this show! The raw energy in the Mothlight was indescribable. They were feeding off of the crowd’s energy and the mixture of the vibrating floorboards and sweaty bodies made this show memorable.

“Tire Eyes”

These past two days have been amazing even with our lack of sleep, empty stomachs and our hearts racing from all of the energy drinks we have been consuming. Post Animal always puts on a great show and these shows have introduced us to new music such as Duncan Fellows and Ron Gallo. If you ever have the chance to see any of these bands live, please do, they will not disappoint!

‘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!

‘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!

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