Answer:
I just finished studying at Kingston University and have only two more weeks here in London then I will be traveling Europe and heading back to The States. I love the people here! Whether I’m making new friends, making small talk with people at pubs, or just people watching, I find them so interesting! It’s something about London, it attracts some of the most fascinating people. :)
Easily one of my top ten favorite moments in London.
My favorite band, The Summer Set, is from Arizona and I saw them play at Musica in Akron, Ohio with my friend Matt two summers ago. I love their upbeat music and what they write about. They just came out with a new album this year, Legendary, which I have only heard a few songs but I LOVE IT SO FAR. Lightning in a Bottle is pretty fun and Maybe Tonight is inspirational.
So here’s how the evening went:
-First of all, I saw on twitter the night before that they were going to be in KINGSTON doing an acoustic performance at Banquet Records. hoe-lee-shit. I just had to go! I had planned to go into Central London that day but woke up feeling iffy and didn’t want to spend so much money traveling so I stayed home and worked on a few things then had 4 hours to kill. So I slept. I woke up ate dinner and headed out the door at 4:50 when the performance was supposed to start at 6 pm.
I got to the street the record shop was on and felt nervous because there were a TON of people… but then I realized that was just the bus stop and the shop was further down the road. So I walked, not really knowing where I was going until I saw a short line of about 20 people (all who looked 16-18 years old at most) and walked to the end, which didn’t take long. I asked the two girls at the back of the line if they were waiting for The Summer Set (just to make sure I was in the right place) and they looked at me like “yeahhh. of course!” So I made small talk with them saying I had never been there before and then a white van slowly drove by and I saw John in the passenger seat so I calmly turned to the girls and said, “there they are.” They asked me if I had seen them before and I said yeah, “I’m from Ohio so I’ve seen them play back in The States.” Suddenly, a few heads in the line perked up and looked at me as if I just said that I’m really good friends with them. It was kind of a neat moment I wish I had someone with me to share it with but of the American friends that were still in London, none of them really knew of The Summer Set so they weren’t interested. I went alone but it worked out in my favor I’d say.
I was going to ask the girls if they bought their tickets online or if they were going to pay at the door but hesitated and the subject changed so I forgot about it. I looked online earlier that day and it said “get your advanced tickets now!” and it included buying their CD. I tried to buy it but the link wasn’t working so I figured it’d be easy enough just to pay the 10 pounds when I got there.
Randomly, this girl from the front of the line walks right up to the two girls and me and asks “Does anyone want a free ticket?” I immediately said, “Oh I would!” She asked, “you don’t have a ticket?” as if it were totally absurd that I showed up without a ticket. So I quietly said, “Nooo.” And she gave it to me! YES. Free ticket to meet The Summer Set!
We saw them walk up from around the building and in the front door of the shop, walking like typical celebrities and what not with their sunglasses even though the sky was dark from a huge looming rain cloud. Some girls yelped but didn’t scream obnoxiously. Once we were finally let into the shop, it was just Brian and John with his guitar sitting on a platform. It was kind of surreal. Maybe because I haven’t seen them in person in a while and their careers are just starting to pick up speed this past year so I see them everywhere now in magazines when they used to be this cool little band not too many people knew about, especially in England. I mean they’re still cool but now they’re headlining their own tour in the UK and selling out almost all of their shows. When I saw them last they were playing in a small bar/club/pub type place.
Brian was so casual and John wasn’t wearing shoes and it felt like a very chill atmosphere. I’m not going to fan-girl but Brian and I made eye contact a few times and my stomach did flips ;) It could have been because of all the people who were sitting on the floor, I was standing off to the side to get a nice view for a video and was easily in sight, plus I didn’t want to sit on the ground, not a fan of old shop floors. They played Chelsea from their older album then Maybe Tonight and Boomerang from their newly released album. I had never heard the second two but I fell in love with them!
They had everyone go back outside and wait so they could set up the room for a meet and greet. I was self conscious about my sniffling because it was cold outside and it was making my nose runny!
Once I was close to the front of the line, I happened to make eye contact with Brian again through all the people and again, not fan-girl-ing or anything but I shyly looked away and when I looked back he was looking again. ANYWAY…
I got to the front and handed them a post card to sign.
Jess, the drummer and only girl in the band, said, “I like your necklace. I really like that!”
Me: “Oh thank you! It’s from Africa.”
Jess: “From Africa?”
Me: “yeah my sister got it for me when she went there.”
Jess: “That makes it even more bad ass!”
Then John piped up saying, “did you know a Scottish man created the first postcard?”
Jess said, “He thinks the Scotts invented everything.”
John started listing off all the things and I asked if he’d ever been to Scotland. He said yeah
and I said, “Oh I was just there last week!”
Then Brian, noticing my accent said, “Wait, where are you from?!”
I said, “I’m from Ohio!”
Brian: “Oh no way!”
Me: “Yeah I actually saw you guys play in Akron.”
Brian: “Awesome!”
Jess: “At Musica?”
Me: “Yep!”
Brian: “So what are you doing here?”
Jess: “Studying?”
Me: “Yeah studying here in Kingston. I actually only have two weeks left in London and one of the last big things I do here will be seeing you guys in concert.”
Then either Stephen or Josh said this, I’m not sure because I was walking around them to get set for a picture, “So have you fallen in love with any British guys yet?”
Without hesitating, I said, “Oh yeah all the time!”
They all laughed and I felt like I was joking around with some good friends. Once I got the picture I wanted to stay and talk some more but I felt like I was holding up the line so I started to walk away and
Brian said: “So when will we see you next?” I turned and said, “I will see you the 31st then… probably back in The States.”
Instantly, all the people in lined turned to stare at me like I was partially a celebrity, probably because of my American Accent and cool demeanor ;) They all said something along the lines of “ok see you then!” and I walked out oh so casually I even surprised myself! I wanted to invite them out for a drink but they had to leave for their next venue so I decided against it. Plus there was a line behind me so I don’t know how long it would have taken them to finish signing stuff.
I was floating on a cloud the whole way home and now I’m even more excited to see them in concert a week from today!
I really hope that I get to see them back in The States and maybe ask if they remember me from Kingston. I can’t imagine there were many other Americans in that line. Ohhh happy days!
Thanks, London! You always surprise me :D
Met some fellow Americans- The Summer Set in Kingston tonight! Oh you know, it’s part of the oh so casual London lifestyle ;) … Can’t wait for their concert next Friday! 🇺🇸🎶🇬🇧
Took a trip to the Camden Market today with Katie. “Haggled” for a pair of sunglasses and got the price cut in half! Crazy place, that Camden.
Well that was the best musical I have EVER SEEN. #bookofmormon #westend #princeofwalestheatre #london
Andre Gide
It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves- in finding themselves.
There have been many great lengths that I have gone through in order to avoid actually writing this 3000 word Shakespeare Research Essay. I’ve decided to make a running list…
1. Candy Crush.
2. Make a video of my African dance assessment
3. Go through every receipt I’ve collected here with my expenses and add them to an Excel spread sheet.
4. Calculate how much I’ve spent, how much I will unavoidably still need to spend, and how much I owe my parents.
5. Feel depressed over how much I owe my parents.
6. Go to a pub.
7. Watch Mock the Week… Hilarious British show!
8. Go to directing rehearsals.
9. Watch Once Upon a Time
10. Day dream about what it would be like to live in Storybrooke.
11. Make tea.
12. Make elaborate burrito.
13. Listen to the lecture I recorded about the directions for the essay.
14. Have anxiety attack because I still don’t know what I’m doing for the essay.
15. Plan trip to Scotland.
16. Audition for a play at BW.
17. Try and sort out some confusion among people at home.
18. Walk all the way to the store, buy a steak and some parsnips, walk all the way home, Google how to cook a steak (yeah yeah, whatever, I’ve never cooked my own steak before) and parsnips, prepare the meat, sit around, cook the meal, ENJOY THE STEAK. like damn I’m good!
19. Read the Terms and Conditions.
20. Laugh over the terms and conditions for the tour:
“The Company does not accept any liability for any loss, inconvenience or damage caused by war, threat of war, riot or civil commotion, terrorist or criminal activity, industrial disputes, natural disasters, fires, illness, weather conditions, road traffic conditions, temporary technical, electrical or mechanical breakdown within booked accommodation.”
21. Write this blog post.
22. Check social media.
23. Delete the dumb game on my iPod that has been in control of my soul for the past few weeks. (…not Candy Crush, are you insane?!)
24. Quickly look busy so the research students wont ask me to take ANOTHER SURVEY. They still asked but oh darn, I have a paper to write!
25. Listen to the soundtrack from the Book of Mormon musical for some inspiration, particularly from the song, “Man Up.”
26. Make a Vine video about a miniature dancing teddy bear to songs from Book of Mormon.
27. Watch Youtube Videos.
28. Go sit in the garden because it’s sunny outside.
29. Go back inside because the clouds don’t want me to be warm or get a tan.
30. Make more tea.
31. Do the dishes… It’s not even my house!
32. Download an app for countdown clocks.
33. Create count downs for my trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon & Scotland, my Shakespeare Essay deadline, my reflective essay deadline, my director’s book deadline, when I get to see Book of Mormon, when the BW seminar in England group gets to London, when my family comes to London, when I go back to the USA, when I see the LTFE family again, and when I turn 21.
34. Add personalized picture backgrounds for each countdown event.
35. Go to a boat party on the Thames River.
36. Plan out every mode of transportation for the next week with my 2 trips.
37. Go to Stratford Upon Avon.
38. Go to Scotland.
39. Have lunch with Kara who will be leaving the UK to go back home tomorrow.
40. Watch videos about the Cleveland, Ohio kidnap-rescue.
41. Laugh about the awesome interview given by Charles Ramsey.
42. Feel remorse for eating so much food.
43. Listen to Scottish music.
44. Freak out about the assignments.
45. Decide to actually write…
(….to be continued.)
