October 12th, 2013
First Niagara Center
Buffalo, New York

Setlist. . .
Pendulum/Low Light/Sometimes/Corduroy/Lightning Bolt/Mind Your Manners/Do The Evolution/Immortality/My Father's Son/Even Flow/Swallowed Whole/Sirens/Once/ Comatose/I Got Shit/Infallible/Present Tense/State Of Love And Trust/Porch
Encore 1. . .
Off He Goes/Yellow Moon/Future Days/Elderly Woman/Rats/Got Some/Rearviewmirror
Encore 2. . .
Go/Alive/Baba O'Riley/Indifference

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Woke up the morning after Pittsburgh, quite honestly, not ready to get in the car and drive to Buffalo. I think both Mike and I felt like a truck had hit us. Both of us had horrible sleep and were awoken by a bunch of kids playing hockey in our hotel hallway. We meandered onto Buffalo. Stopping at Whole Foods and a TJ Maxx along the way.

We arrived at our hotel around 3 in downtown Buffalo. Worst time to arrive. A bunch of other PJ fans arrived around that time as well as a bunch of people staying for a wedding that night. It was pure chaos at the hotel but we did discover that we could take a train down to the venue instead of paying for parking at both the hotel and the venue. We drove down to the venue to scope it out (amazingly the only thing that sparked a memory for me is where we spent the entire day at the box office outside in the freezing cold back in 2003.) We decided to head back to the hotel, chill for a bit, find some pizza to eat and then head to the venue.

We found a pizza place that was rated relatively well near our hotel (Lovejoy) and also near the train station. We walked to the pizza place, placed our order and was told it would take 30 minutes...which totally stunk because I was starving and there was nothing to really do with our time as we waited. So we waited and then grabbed our pizza and hopped on the train (which was weird because we had to switch trains I think due to some maintenance). It was kind of torturous...steaming hot pizza...waiting to eat it. Good news is we did not have to wait too terribly long. Made it to the "backside" of the venue where Rich and Marcia were waiting in what we thought was the GA line. We started eating our pizza and discovered this relatively short line was the line for everyone...so we moved and finished eating in line. Shortly after we polished off our pizza, they let us in the "entry" to the venue where we waited for about another 20-25 minutes to have our tickets scanned. The air was filled with intensity of all the GA people. I totally felt stupid waiting in line until I noticed the merch booths...a gentle reminder that waiting in this line and being at the front was not a bad thing at all.

TJ had just so happened to message me before doors opened and I told him we had a good line of sight to the merch booth, was there anything he needed. Then they let us in and I was first in line for merch. Score! Mike and I had to buy one of the stupid sheep in wolf's clothing figurines (suckers and sheeps we are) and then we got some stickers and I bought the "slim fit" Lightning Bolt shirt.

It had been awhile since I had been in the venue right at doors so it was refreshing to meander around the halls and more memories of the venue came back to me though there are not many. I think in 2003, the weather was so cold and as silly as it sounds, sitting at the box office all day in the cold took a lot out of me...hence the fuzzy memories.

We did not have fan club tickets for this show (shut OUT!) but I bought some tickets from Tickets.com (non Ticketmaster venue, woo!) and got through relatively easily and got section 118 so middle 100 level, row 5. Since Baltimore was on sale at the same time and it was a Ticketmaster event, I just resolved to take the 118 tickets and check it off our list. The seats were not horrible. Not the greatest and quite honestly it is nice getting some different perspectives. Though I did note to Mike I think our view at this show was better than our view at Wrigley :-)

Band started a little earlier than the night before...and I got one last bathroom break before the show started (which worked out perfectly because I didn't need to pee again until 1st encore and at that point I was like...I can totally make it!)

While on paper, one might be disappointed with the fact they opened with Pendulum for a second day in the row (hell, that was my initial gut reaction) but I quickly realized this song sounds SO great live, there should be zero complaining. Low Light came next...early in the set, I totally loved. The big surprise, though, was Sometimes in the three spot. Wow! Very very cool! Crowd was very loud and into the show right from the bat and you could see Ed was pleased. Once Sometimes ended it was totally obvious that Corduroy was going to come next. Was weird it was not played the night before (but ok) so it was great to hear it enter the set once again.

A little bit of a Lightning Bolt broke into the set with Lightning Bolt and Mind Your Manners. Do The Evolution followed, early in the set (ROCK!) and then things switched up even more and Immortality was played next. Great version.

My Father's Son debut - kind of a weird song for the crowd (not sure if they were buying it.) Ed messed up the lyrics at the beginning and it totally looked like he was trying to blame Mike or Jeff on his mess up but then he kind of shrugged it off and said it was their first time playing it (whatevs, Ed, you mess up all the time as we were reminded in a short time.) Even Flow was sandwiched in between another debut Swallowed Whole. Sirens came next and sounded great. Once into a Comatose where Ed screwed up the lyrics...again.

Before I Got Shit Ed told a little story about writing the song and Neil asking him to write a song for the album and Ed said, "I Got Shit" and Neil said, "That's it! There's your song." True or not, it was funny. But don't worry, Ed fucked up the lyrics on I Got Shit, too. Oh, Ed...

Infallible came next and I really realized how much I like this song and it sounds great live. Everyone in the crowd seemed super amped and thrilled to hear Present Tense --- and how could you not be? That song is so kickass!

Set closed out with a great version of State of Love and Trust (lots of energy) and then Porch.

This is where I fess up. I may not have used the bathroom at this show but my back was killing me almost from the very beginning and as much as I didn't want to, I know I needed to sit during the sit down portion of the encore. So I rocked out in my seat :-( during Off He Goes, Yellow Moon (which sounded killer) and Future Days. Prior to playing Future Days, Ed mentioned that he missed his youngest daughter's first soccer goal today but said the crowd was making up for it but dedicated the song to his family.

Elderly Woman finished and it appeared there was a setlist switch-up and Rats! was played. Did not expect that. Got Some and Rearviewmirror closed out the first encore.

Encore 2 was really nice...opening up with Go, a strong version of Alive and then Baba O'Riley. Show closed with Indifference (I remember thinking, wow, Immortality AND Indifference? This was a great show!)

And then we were done. A but of tour depression but the pain is dulled by the fact we have more shows in just two more weeks. Cannot wait!
 
 

10.13.13

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