Home Sweet Home: Day 2 in Denver

Yesterday was probably one of my favorite days I’ll have this whole tour: we played my hometown! It feels a little bit like a tease for me to have to leave, then come back so fast, and then leave again, but all at the same time it was very reassuring to know that I’ll somehow always find my way back as quickly as I left. 

After a crazy day in Salt Lake, the band and I finished re-packing all of the merch and condensed enough to fit ALL our luggage into the Cargo Bay (YAY!) and began the “quick” 10-hr drive back to Denver. The drive was easy enough, no problems, no traffic, nothing getting in our way, but it still took all night, and we rolled into town as the sun began to rise over the Mile High City. I managed to finally get some sleep in the hour between Fort Collins to Denver, and then another two once we finally found our way into the parking lot at the stadium. Once 8am hit, I was back up and at it, and the band and I took a few minutes to get ready in the parking lot before we loaded in for the day. It was a super funny, and pretty ridiculous watching us all running around half dressed, brushing our teeth and putting on deodorant, all in the middle of a cement ocean and a herd of sprinters. Welcome to life on tour, I guess!

sunrise over Denver as we drove into town.

Having the band play Denver was AMAZING! I Fight Dragons has received great radio play in Colorado thanks to the local radio station 93.3fm KTCL, beings as JJ (their manager) is also from Colorado, so the crowd was really pumped up to see the guys. We had a great 1pm set time, and although it was a little early in the day we had a HUGE crowd! The band sounded great despite some insane heat, and the fans reacted really well. We all had a ton of fun running around doing signings, meeting fans new and old, and getting so see some familiar faces from around town.

the "robots" walking around in the crowd.

The best part of the day for me hands down was getting to see so many friendly faces, friends, and family. My mom and both little brothers were able to make the show, as well as some friends from the blog I write for in Denver, Ultra5280, and my boyfriend Danny. It was so exciting to share this new part of my life them: my new daily routine, the van, the band, and Warped Tour. I’ve been going to Warped Tour since I was 12 or 13, and after all those years when I was younger and my mom dropped me off, she never actually had come inside until yesterday. Although it was a long and tiring day, I wouldn’t have traded it for anything. Denver is such a unique, beautiful and genuinely interested crowd. My city has one of the best music scenes in the entire country, and it truly shined through; I was so proud to see my city come out, ready to show all the bands just how much we love music. It was really also very cool for me to get to see the behind the scenes part of Warped in Denver after years and years of participating from the public perspective. After the gig I got to spend a little bit of time with my family, and some time with Danny finishing errands and relaxing. This R&R was a perfect reminder for me that my loved ones will all still be there for me once I get home, no matter how far away I travel, or how long it takes. I’m very lucky...very lucky. 

Today as we drive through the desert I’m finally feeling much more at peace with this realization that i’m finally leaving Denver. Being able to spend time relaxing with Danny last night and today made me so happy, so calm. He’s the person I think I’ll be missing the more than anything else as I’m away from Denver, and so getting to spend so much fun and easy down time with him was a great reminder that even if I’m gone for awhile, nothing will change between us. For my birthday this past Monday, he got me a build-a-bear Polar Bear dressed like him, my very own “Tour Boyfriend” to take with me on my travels! I’m excited to have a new companion along for the ride. :) He was running around yesterday and today helping us pack the Sprinter, selling merch, and hanging out with the guys. Seeing him embracing my new job and “tour family” put a huge smile on my face all day long.

me and the band at a beautiful overlook in Utah

Right now we’re about halfway through Utah, and it’ll be another five hours or so until we finally make it to Vegas and stop for this evening. The sun is setting over the beautiful desert valley, and the band and I stopped off to take some awesome pictures at a scenic overlook. JJ, our manager, joined up with us today and will be staying with us until we reach Los Angeles, which makes me super stoked. He’s been living outside of the state the entire time I’ve worked for him, so It’s very rare that we get to spend this much face time together. I’m super excited for the fun we’ll have at shows these next few days as we head through California! Tomorrow is our day off in Vegas, and we’ll be relaxing, sleeping, and swimming and taking in the sights. Our show in Vegas on Wednesday is supposed to be a hot one, with temperatures possibly hitting 118 degrees! SCARY! I’ll be sure to keep you updated as things happen, but that’s it for now :) 

Xoxo

-M

Why?

Hello hello! Today is the last in the “Who? What? When? Where? Why?” series, but fear not! This is all just the end of the beginning, as today I left Denver and headed west-bound with the band towards Salt Lake City - our first official tour destination. So, on a day when I’m thinking heavily about all this myself, I give you my “Why”. 

 This question of “why” can manifest itself in many different ways. Why am I going on Warped Tour? Why am I going with I Fight Dragons? Why did I choose to work in the music industry? Most of these questions are straightforward, but the basic idea of “why” has left me thinking for the past few days. My why’s all start with the same basic understanding that I do what I do because I love it. All of it. My Junior year of high school I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life for a career, for college, for anything really. I was going through the motions and enjoying what I was doing in the moment, but I really had no set idea of where these things would take me in the future. Being asked to produce a benefit concert for a school club I was a part of was the one thing that set me on my path. Crazy, right? They really mean it when they say that one moment can change your whole life, I just didn’t imagine that it’d ever happen to me in such a drastic way. 

 Why am I going on Warped Tour? Warped Tour has somehow always been on my list of things to do. Growing up, this tour was the epitome of “summer” and the tour that always made me think of the rock-n-roll lifestyle and what it was all about. I certainly wasn’t wrong! Warped Tour has been going for over 15 years at this point, and has always been a perfect mix of summer, extreme sports, and music. Although this tour is well known as being “the hardest tour to work”, I think it’s the perfect first tour for me. I’m still young, excited and adventurous, so I can handle all the insanity so many people fear and dislike. This is a big bus tour that fully encompasses everything that a musical tour should and could be, while still really giving both fans and the people working it a chance to have a ton of fun. This gives me everything I could ask for in terms of my first real tour experience: a fun summer full of growing relationships, great music, and memories made. And I Fight Dragons, you may ask? I’ll admit, I never thought I’d be going on my first tour with them. I always thought it’d be Bop Skizzum simply because they’re the band I’ve worked for the longest and the most closely. Although this isn’t what I expected, it’s absolutely perfect. This group of guys is fun, kind, and very open to having me join their rat pack. Even though they are a band I don’t get to work with every weekend, I've spent time with them whenever they've made it to Denver, and I happen to L.O.V.E. their live show! I think getting to build this kind of relationship with a new group of people will be a great experience. Everything feels like it’s lined up perfectly: this summer is my perfect storm to grow into my role working in my chosen professional field. 

 Although there are a few different “why” questions surrounding this trip, there is one answer that still remains the same: I love the music business. Since that first concert, I’ve gone on to actually study this industry and work towards making this some kind of career for myself. I know it sounds bonkers, but I really do think that somehow I’ll be able to make this work out. I’ve come to find in life that as long as I continue to do what I feel is right, honest, and the smartest decision for me, that everything else works out in the end. I try really hard not to worry too too much about the little things anymore because I’ve realized that too often I freak out about the most absurd things, and before I even know It, it’s all worked out. I’ll admit that these past few weeks have been full of little freak-outs and scary moments, but all with good cause. My last few days home were stressless and perfect, filled with fun and relaxation with Danny, family and friends.  And now, the time has come! Tour is here, and I finally feel ready to go. I’m ready for this summer full of new adventures and opportunities. You hear me, world? Bring it on. :)