concert review: o-town

I can't remember a time when music was not my biggest passion. It has always been a massive part of my life....whether my cassette tapes were playing Disney songs or my CD player had my favourite song on repeat. Though I am not musically inclined myself (aka, I have no talent for instruments or singing whatsoever), I more than make up for that by being the ultimate fangirl. It would be impossible to count the number of concerts, personal appearances, interviews, and autograph signings I have attended in my lifetime thus far. Basically, it's a lot! Which is why you would think at this point, seeing one of my favourite bands would be unexciting. So so wrong.

Recently, O-Town played a show near where I live. Of course I had to go. Unfortunately, no one was willing to go with me, since O-Town had played there two years in a row already. That is when I made the decision to go and see the show by myself. This is something I used to do all the time. My motto was always: why miss a great show because no one wants to go with me? So, it was a solo adventure! I actually wound up vlogging it for my YouTube channel. (For the record, that video will go up on my channel in a few weeks. After all of my Vegas themed videos go live.) That was a strange experience but an exciting one, too.

Straight after work, I got changed, dropped off my stuff, and headed to the train station. An hour later, I was downtown and ready to head to the venue. That walk was long (thanks to limited public transportation near the concert venue) but the rainy weather held off. Once I got there, it was time to wait in line. The concert was general admission, so it would take a bit of patience to snag a decent spot inside. I spent the wait reading a book....but I confess: it was lonely. Like I said, it had been a while since my last solo concert experience. It felt strange to be all on my own, especially when everyone else was reminiscing about old times and previous shows.

But once the actual show began? Everything was amazing. The waiting may have been long and lonely but the concert itself blew my mind. O-Town was incredible. They played every song from their new EP, Giants, had a ton of energy, and made sure every single moment of the concert was memorable. During the show, I felt free. I just went into a blissful state of happiness, and everything else just faded away. (That is the best part of any concert, in my opinion!)

After the show ended? It was time to meet the band. Yes, you read that right! They had a merchandise bundle available before the show. When you bought a t-shirt and poster, you would get a post-show selfie with the band as well. The last time I saw O-Town I met them but they were not taking pictures. So.....really, I had no choice!

As you can see from those pictures, I was very very happy to meet them. They were lovely, sweet, and very gracious. Even though I was shaking like a leaf (seriously, they are one of my all-time favourite bands, so I cannot function when I am around them) and got super nervous and flustered....they were just so awesome! I cried on Trevor (my favourite member) and have no regrets about that. He was extra awesome and hugged me a lot.

It was not a perfect night. Waiting for the concert was tough on me and made me feel really isolated and sad. But it was all worth it in the end. Seeing O-Town perform, hearing the new songs live, and meeting them post-show? It was one of the best nights I can remember.

Have you gone to a concert lately? Who did you see?

xo Shannon