If I was the sun I would shout/I've got so much shining left before I'm out

I found out at kind of the last minute yesterday that I had one spot on the guest list for the Phantom Planet/Hush Sound/Motion City Soundtrack/Panic at the Disco show that night. I put out a couple feelers to see if anyone I knew was going to the show, though I knew it was rather hopeless. As much as I love Phantom Planet, I have come to [mostly] accept that none of my friends share that love. I also knew that, as a woman of a certain age, I would be presumed to be a parent to some pubescent attendee. Ugh.

So I debated, a little. Should I go alone to a show knowing no friends would be there and miss a band I really, really like? Or suck it up and just go? From the way the bands were listed, it looked like Phantom Planet would go on first so I could escape early, having no real interest in the other bands. On the promise of an early start/early exit, I decided to go.

I got to the Pageant before 7:00pm and it was already hopping. PATD had their beautifully painted tour bus outside and some booths were set up to give away something or other from their corporate sponsor, Honda (not very rock and roll, really). When I picked up my ticket I was handed two. What the? Steve's contact had assured him that since the show was sold out he could only spare one spot on the guest list. But don't look a gift horse in the mouth, even a last minute one. Since I had talked to my co-worker Karen about the show before leaving work, I called and offered her the extra ticket. She would meet me there after she got off work.

The venue was packed, though the bar area wasn't terrible since the majority of the crowd was under age. Phantom Planet took the stage promptly at 7:00 pm and proceeded to charm me as always. They were very energetic and charming and didn't seem to mind opening the show. Halfway through their set they played their great song, "Big Brat" with members of the Hush Sound helping out on extra percussion. So great and raucous. During their last number "California" (their most familiar song, it being the theme song of the show "The O.C.") Alex Greenwald somewhat wistfully asked the crowd, "You guys do know we wrote this song, right?" Their set was soon done and it was only 7:31.

Unfortunately, Karen hadn't arrived yet so I had to hang around. One more beer and some wandering and then the Hush Sound's set, which wasn't bad but neither was it particularly memorable. The kids seemed to love them, though. Their set done, I bought another drink, closed my tab and waited for Karen's call. She finally called and I met her in the Halo Bar and gave her the bad new that I was bailing. I had gotten up at 3:45 am that day and worked for 9.5 hours so she understood. We talked for a bit then she headed into the show and I headed home. A rock show, drinks and home before 9:30 - a dream come true for an ageing hipster.