Concert Stories #19: New Found Glory, Good Charlotte, & Less Than Jake

Partially presented by TRL, that's why I say "pop punk"

New Found Glory & Good Charlotte & Less Than JakeHonda Civic TourEagles BallroomApril 11, 2003

Age 20

Get ready for the next few weeks I'm pushing through my 20's and my pop-punk rock phase.  In 2003 New Found Glory and Good Charlotte co-headlined the Honda Civic Tour with opener Less Than Jake.  At the time I did not know much about Less Than Jake and I really should have done my homework.  Rob (my brother, it's about time I use his name instead of referring to "my brother" all the time) had turned me on to Good Charlotte with their self titled album Good Charlotte and The Young and the Hopeless.  "Seasons", "Hold On", and "The Day That I Die" were some of my favorite songs of theirs.  I did also know a little of New Found Glory, but most of my knowledge came from MTV's TRL show.  "My Friends Over You" and "Head on Collision" from Sticks and Stones got a lot of airplay.  I also had a pretty massive crush on NFG"s guitar player Chad Gilbert, but I digress.

The concert was in the Eagles Ballroom and when we got there security ordered everyone to sit on the ground in the ballroom, which I had never done that before and was completely unaware of what was about to happen.  When the show started Less Than Jake was the opener and I did not realize they were a ska-punk band and that the crowd was going to mosh.  As soon as the lights went out, the crowd stood up, Rob and I were instantly separated, and the moshing began.  It was actually frightening for me, this was not two months since The Station Nightclub Fire in New Jersey, and thoughts of that terrified me (note: I know a moshing crowd is nothing like the tragedy in NJ, but that incident was on my mind and being stuck in a pit for the first time ever made me instantly freak out.  To this day, my concert going approach is shaped by that incident).  You could tell there was a part of the crowd there who were not prepared for this, and I was in that group.

What I had noticed by this time in my concert going career, that while some people in a crowd can be annoying and mean, the majority of people are there to enjoy the show and if something goes wrong, there are nice people willing to help you out (that way they can go back to enjoying the show).  This sense of comradery is one of the many things I love about concert going, thousands of strangers together but all there to have a good time.  There was a guy who noticed that me and two other girls where not doing well and he took charge to get us out (keep in mind, massive moshing and crowd swaying at this point).  He gave instructions to each of us when it was time - grab the random person in front of you, put your hands on their shoulders and push up while he bent down and picked us up and threw us up.  Yup, the only way out was up and over.  So this is the one time my friends that I ever crowd surfed.  Thankfully I came down safe in front of the stage, be it with just one shoe!  As I was walking off around the crowd barrier I watched as my other shoe got chucked on stage.  Which was one of the oddest sights that I will never forget.  At least it came quickly so I was able to have both shoes again! Side note, remember in the beginning of Speed where they rescue the people from the trapped elevator and when it plunges to the ground the one woman loses a shoe and says "My shoe!", that was my thought when I saw my shoe in mid-air.

After the moshing NFG and GC played, I can't remember which one went first, I believe GC did.  But the rest of the night was amazing.  Filled with jumping up and down, singing, and just having fun.  All from the edge of the crowd of course!

Excitedly enough, yesterday Good Charlotte announced that they are getting back together!  The first clip of their new song is already taking me back to these fun memories.

For those of you who do not know GC or NFG, here is "Motivation Proclamation" from Good Charlotte.  It is probably one of my favorites from them.



and here iss NFG's "Bruised and Broken"

And new additions to the awesome playlist