After driving an hour and a half, I arrived at the theatre to find a line formed around the building. I looked at my cell phone to check the time then asked the person in front of me why they hadn't opened the doors yet. Supposedly, they had to push the time of the concert back another hour. While waiting to get in, all were amused by the constant pestering of street people. On one occasion, a group of kids left their Burger King meal to be watched by their friends yet when they returned they found a man off the streets had swiped their food. He sat there eating fries and laughing. Then, a man in a gorilla suit passed by to take pictures with some fans. But, the moments we had outside the venue were nothing in comparison to the entertainment we were about to experience.

When the doors opened, I walked in to find a small waiting area with a hallway leading to the main area. As I walked down the hall, I eagerly wanted to see a clean, decorated theatre with an intimate stage. What I found was an unsightly venue. I took my place about 5 rows of people behind the barricade. As I waited for the opening act to come on stage, I looked around the venue to see if maybe I had made an unfair first impression. But, I was right. The venue was quite dirty and a fire hazard. It reminded me of a rundown Medieval Times full of smoke. I’ve never been in a venue that actually allowed smoking. I didn’t think it was exactly fair to permit that considering it was such a small venue. Some of us prefer to keep our lungs healthy.

Anyway, Copeland entered as a two man band to play an acoustic set. I heard a rumor after their show that their drummer had departed the band so that’s the reason they played acoustic. I had never heard of Copeland’s music before but I’m glad I finally did. I became an instant fan. The singer impressed me with his vocals. I couldn’t tell you the titles of any songs they performed since I don’t have any of their albums. But, their ability to capture certain feelings with their lyrics overwhelmed me. I felt as if I was in the story of the song experiencing it right there. The audience slightly warmed up to them as they finished their set. They exited by announcing the next band on stage would be This Holiday Life

Whoa! I did a future star review on them a few months ago. I had no idea they’d be on tour with Switchfoot. It definitely surprised me. They took to the stage with tons of energy that the audience quickly reacted to. As they performed, I overheard several girls note how cute the guys of the band were. While the girls swooned, the guys were found moving their head to the beat of each song. I wouldn’t be surprised to see these guys following Switchfoot’s path in the near future.

After waiting 30 minutes of standing in one place, I went to go ask someone on staff how I could get up to the barricade since I had a photo pass. They were rude and said there was no photography allowed. I showed them my press pass and other credentials yet they continued to be stuck up by saying I had no proof that the magazine was actually real. What can you expect from a staff that was drinking beer? So, I was stuck in the back of the theatre for the entire Switchfoot performance. Although this would most likely seem like the worst place to be, I found it didn’t take long for me to become a part of the community once Switchfoot came on stage. It was almost as if they had a magic wand where they could command the audience to do anything. One minute they had the fans clapping their hands in the air, the next they had them holding their cell phones, lighters, and any other mobile devices in the air. Some of the songs that fans enjoyed most were “Without Politicians,” “Beautiful Letdown,” “Meant to Live,” and the Chem6A karaoke session they did definitely delighted the fans.

It was so nice to see the band interact by talking with the fans in between songs. It’s a relief to know that everything in the music world isn’t choreographed. I can remember the lead singer drinking water mentioning how he was told that he was told he sounds like Johnny Cash as the show went on. Then, he joked saying sometimes it can even get so low that it sounds like Barry White. Of course, the comment did not go without an imitation. Girls were dropping to the floor by then. Later on, there was also a mentioning of the effort the world needs to put into aiding those suffering in Africa. It was such an inspiration to see this band wanting to encourage others to make a difference in the world. The lead singer wasn’t the only one to have fun interacting with the crowd. Another band member had to feel the love by doing some crowd surfing. I was impressed by the passion and fun these guys have. Their interpretation of music is dead on with the demands of today’s teen/young adult. If you’re looking for substance, motivation, or a celebration of life then you must see Switchfoot live.

Once the show was over, I met up with a friend who came along with me who said she found one of the members of Switchfoot performing outside for the fans who didn’t have a ticket since the show was sold out. She said they had a cameraman out there too so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see this private performance on an upcoming dvd. Although I had an excellent time seeing these bands give 110%, I can’t say I had the best time at this show because of the venue’s atmosphere. I departed the show early with completely irritated eyes and anger for the ignorance of the staff. Surely, Switchfoot will be playing much better and bigger venues very soon.

Photo Credit: Andy Barron, Jon Bend