Fab Finds: Coheed & Cambria Concert | San Francisco
A couple of weeks ago we finally fulfilled a trip we've had planned since OCTOBER! I bought tickets for the Coheed & Cambria concert at the beautiful San Francisco Masonic for part of Randy's Christmas present. He absolutely LOVES this band, and I do as well! He's definitely been more of a dedicated fan over the years, but I HAVE been listening to them since high school, so that counts too, right!? The more I listened to them over the years, and the more I learned about the band members as real people, it made the decision to get these tickets that much easier. I even splurged and got us the "Platinum Package" which included a meet and greet with the full band, a photo opportunity with the band, early entry (an hour before doors open), one song exclusive performance from Coheed members, an exclusive cassette copy (yes, a real cassette, gotta go find me a cassette player!) of demos of their newest album "The Color Before the Sun," platinum VIP laminate and lanyard and an exclusive lapel collector pin. Definitely worth the extra bucks!
So... let me back up to the morning of concert day...
We decided to head out for a late breakfast, and as we were walking to breakfast, past the Masonic, which happened to be RIGHT next door to our ADORABLE and chic hotel, The Scarlet Huntington, we noticed a giant black tour bus parked out front. We wondered, "Could it be...??? No..." YES! It was Coheed & Cambria's tour bus, which we thought was cool enough until we kept walking and looked to the steps of the Masonic and SAW THE BAND! They were just chilling there hanging out, so of course Randy gets a little nervous and excited and waves and says "Hey guys!" They graciously waved back! That definitely made our morning and helped get our day off on a fabulous start!
After happily walking down the hill, we finally made it to Mymy, a terrific place that a couple of our friends had recommended to us for breakfast or brunch. I ordered zucchini pancakes with a Parmesan crust, chicken apple sausage and two eggs over medium! DELICIOUS! I highly recommend stopping in there if you're in the area, so so good! I have my eye on those lemon ricotta pancakes next!
After breakfast we went back to the hotel, and I got ready for my lunch date with one of my really talented and beautiful friends Caroline (follow her blog, she's a Perfect 10!), who is a San Francisco native. We planned on going to one of her best friend's newly opened restaurants, As Quoted for lunch. I can't say enough amazing things about this little gem, because that's exactly what it is, a gem. From it's perfectly crafted menu, to their bad-ass barista, and don't even get me started on the ambiance. It's a dream, literally. It's so light, airy, and fresh. I think that's the best word to describe it, fresh. Everyone there was an absolute delight and the food was tremendous! Very excited about going back there the next time I'm in the city!
After a very inspiring and exciting lunch, it was time to head back and get ready for the show! Since we were allowed early entry, we were told to be there about 30 mins before that time. Prior to coming on the trip, both Randy and I decided it would be super cool to put together a gift basket of a bunch of dried fruits and products from my family business. We figured the guys would love some treats to snack on during tour. So here we have Randy, carrying a massive dried fruit gift basket down the street to the Masonic with people staring, very confused. After waiting 30 mins, and almost getting the basket rejected by security, we finally made it in! We were off to meet the band!
As we saw the band casually and cooly walk in, the energy in the room instantly increased. We were towards the back of the 50 person meet and greet line and were so surprised at how long the band was taking with each group of people they met. We honestly thought it would be a quick take a picture, sign my stuff and be done with it, but to our surprise, it was so much better! As we were next in line, I looked over to my left and saw the infamous dried fruit basket hiding behind the “coat check” sign. Our turn! I went first and Randy followed me. We shook their hands and "casually" introduced ourselves. They were SUCH nice guys! I explained to them that the massive basket hiding over there was for them and gave them the scoop on all the good stuff inside. They got so excited and were extremely grateful! We took a couple pictures with them, had them sign some stuff, thanked them again for the opportunity and finally headed in.
Travis, Zach, Randy, Myself, Claudio and Josh - Coheed & Cambria
After about 30 minutes, we got our one song exclusive to platinum and gold package purchasers which happened to be Travis, the lead guitarist, who performed an acoustic version of one of his songs “Damned Renegades” from his side project Davenport Cabinet. He was amazing, and it was so nice to hear him showcase his vocals.
The show finally started with THREE opening acts. First one was “Silver Snakes.” Not a fan. Second one was “I, The Mighty” which I actually enjoyed! Funny enough, while we were waiting for the show to start, I get a tap on my shoulder and this older lady asked me to take a picture of her, her husband and their son, the drummer of I, The Mighty! Randy got himself a picture too, because why not!? Their set was surprisingly good! I think I'd actually find myself listening to them! The third band, oh my. Glassjaw. I can’t even describe to you how much misery I was in. If there’s one thing you’ll learn about me is that I HATE, LOATHE, CAN’T STAND screaming music. I just, can't. Moving on... As soon as Coheed came on stage, it was ALL worth it! These four guys are so talented and are SO amazing live! I can’t even describe how I felt during the show. The energy was unreal.
After a good two and half hours, that completely flew by, the show ended and my breath was taken away. I was so happy with our decision to make a mid-week trip to San Francisco, and not only was Randy a very happy camper, but I now have a lot more respect for the band after seeing them live. Unbelievable.
Next up...
Taste of Chaos - Taking Back Sunday (one of my favorite bands), Dashboard Confessional, The Early November and Saosin - July 13th, Fresno, CA
Outside Lands Music Festival - August 5-7, San Francisco, CA
