Excerpts from Meg’s personal blog. View full blog.

So, I went to see some band this weekend…

I left the house a little after 2:00, and arrived at Summer’s place in Oakland at nearly 4:30, after getting stuck in traffic for a brush fire and then for the stupid Bay Area traffic that just happens randomly on a Saturday afternoon.

The point is, I arrived safely, and Summer and I did our usual motormouth catch-up while driving to downtown Oakland and Rudy’s Can’t Fail Cafe.

Behind the Fox (tour buses!)

We had dinner, meeting up with my friend Meghan and her friend Sutton, and then joined the queue for Keane at about 6:00. It was already around the corner.

Thanks to my quick feet (I didn’t run, but there was some definite power-walking going on), we got the spots we wanted–right in front of the first “tier” on the floor, where we can see but not be part of the crush at the very front. I bought some merchandise and a rum and coke, posted some updates to Twitter, texted a friend about my rum and coke, checked in on Facebook. (Have I mentioned I love my new iPhone?)

Summer and Meghan really dug the opening act, Kiev, but I was too impatient for my boys.

My flash is bright. Also, Cali was beside himself with excitement by now.
This was his first Keane gig!
Finally, my boys came out.

And oh…they were incredible.

Here’s the thing–I know Keane are amazing live. I know it from 2009. I know it from 2010. But last night was amazing. There was something in the air. Maybe it was because the crowd was loving every minute (seriously, I’ve never seen the Oakland crowd so excited). Maybe it was Keane’s relief that this is the last date of this tour and they get a little time off before setting off again for more mad touring to see their wives and kids and cats and homes.

Whatever it was, last night was incredible.

In 2010, I was so focused on getting good pictures that I sort of forgot to truly get into the music. So last night, I did something novel among my fellow Keane fans–I made myself put the camera away. I sent out a few tweets on my phone, but otherwise I spent most of the gig just rocking the hell out of each song. Singing, dancing, whooping, clapping.

I had asked a friend yesterday, “Do you know how many calories I’m going to burn at the concert?” He just grinned and said, “A lot.” Yep.

Took this with my iPhone…

Jesse (bass), Tom (vocals), Richard (drums)

I kinda dig this shot–the silhouettes, the hand in the shot…

The Mighty Quin!

Tom blowing us all away with his huge voice and Richard on drums.

Tim on the keyboards (this man is a genius).

The highlights are many…they opened with “You Are Young” from the new album, and played many, many new songs, which I loved. Finally hearing “On the Road” live (I was dancing like a fool) and then the near-religious experience of singing along with “The Starting Line” was huge fun. By the time they got to my all-time favorite Keane song, “Somewhere Only We Know,” I was in a state of euphoria. I leaned over to Summer and said, “I will never not love this song.” There are Keane fans who are tired of hearing it live…not me. It’s the song that brought me to Keane. It’s the song that pushes me through difficult runs. It is magic live. As far as I’m concerned, it is composed of fairy dust and unicorn farts.

The band was in top form last night. They’ve been winding across the United States for a couple of weeks, and they have to be exhausted, but they gave 110% out there last night and sounded amazing.

After the show, Summer and I waited for a bit outside. Tom came out but only for a moment and people were being really pushy. I grabbed a quick photo of him but couldn’t get closer.

What makes me sad is that in this picture, he looks rather like the ole deer in the headlights. People really were being quite pushy.

A very cute deer in the headlights, to be sure. And tall. Dude is TALL.

We went back to Summer’s place after this, and it was now apparent to me that I had overdone it all day. I crashed but had a hard time sleeping because of a nagging bit of coughing. I ended up getting about four hours.

I try not to stress out over Keane and their gigs, but I admit I had a little angst this morning over the Amoeba gig. There were to be a limited number of wrist bands for the post-gig signing line, and I really wanted to at least get 5 seconds to talk to the guys because I didn’t get to after last night’s gig.

I left Summer and Ben’s place at about 9 this morning, and drove straight to the Haight.

What can I say about the Haight? Home to the infamous Summer of Love, and the long-lingering residuals of that, it’s colorful, it’s about free love and self-expression, and it’s a sign pic collector’s dream.

Parking in the Haight can be a nightmare but I got a spot right across from Amoeba! Princess parking for the early bird!

I walked up to Amoeba a little after 10, to find someone already queuing for Keane. I kept walking, muttering to myself, “I love Keane, but COME ON.” I did, however, want to stay nearby, because I was concerned about that wrist band. I went back and ended up queuing with her. Shortly thereafter, we were joined by two other ladies, die-hard Keane fans I saw at Oakland last night. We all started chatting, and before long, a guy standing nearby was asking us about Keane and saying, “I’m totally coming to this gig!”

The store opened at 11:00, and I happily bought my Keane CD and got my wrist band. (I already owned the CD. I now have two copies. I’m going to give one to my buddy M. the Reasonable because he has awesome taste in music and I think he’ll enjoy it.) We were told we could stake out our spots by the tiny stage. I looked–the audience area was tiny. If I didn’t stake out a spot right in front, I’d end up behind the racks of CDs…unable to see because come on, I’m 5’2″ when I get out of bed in the morning and everyone knows gravity pulls you down all day.

So I did the fangirl thing and stood. For three hours.

My newfound friends and I took turns saving each others’ spots so we could get food, run to the nearby McDonald’s for the bathroom, etc. But mostly I stood, or perched on the edge of the stage, running my phone battery down checking in on Twitter and Facebook.

It’s Colin TMTTS!! Richard dubbed him TMTTS (Tour Manager to the
Stars).

When the boys arrived, we all cheered. I was star-struck, so I only managed
to get a pic of Richard (the rest had gone in already).

Someone put out the set list. We all started taking pics. I snuck Cali up there.

Someone behind me said, “I don’t know what all these mean!” I started
reciting them all until he (snottily) said, “Okay, okay!” Just trying to be
helpful, dude!! He had to ask, “Are they playing Somewhere Only We Know?”
Obviously a total newbie. What do you think SOWK stands for?

Finally, it was time. Tim and Tom came out alone first to perform “This Is the Last Time.” Moved by the moment, I took a video.

A few minutes later, I took a video of “The Starting Line,” because it’s just so lovely and moving.

But mostly, I just listened and enjoyed. My voice, shot from this stupid lingering cold and, *ahem*, overuse last night, was left to rest as I lip-synched along. I didn’t want to croak in Tim’s ears or anything. I was close enough that I could have reached out and caressed his leg.

We all have our favorite Keane guys, but Tim is widely regarded as being
the most classically gorgeous. Not pictured: his infamous Laser Eyes
of Doom.

Drummer in motion, crap camera.

Finally, the controlled chaos of the signing line started. Because I was up front, I happened to be the third person through. I had all kinds of wonderful witty things I wanted to say in the five seconds I’d get in front of each guy…and I failed in a burst of starstruck, nerdtastic glory.

If it’s not Tom’s posterior, it’s some random lady’s elbow. Poor Jesse!!

Richard was first. I walked up, looked right at him, and said, “I’m LadyMegSoprano…I just wanted you to know that.”

*sigh* Oh, Meg.

Richard was lovely. We have interacted a bit on Twitter, so the name is familiar to him. He smiled and said, “Oh, yes! It’s nice to put a face to the name.” I mumbled some other starstruck something-or-other, but I am rather happy with myself that I managed to tell him, “I hope next time you visit California, it’s a death-penalty-free state.” That got a happy response: “Yes! I hope so, too.” In all of this, I sort of flew by Tim–the thing about signing lines is that you are sort of rushed through and I didn’t want to be accused of holding things up–and I smiled at him but otherwise completely ignored him (I blame his Eyes of Doom. Seriously.) as I moved on to Tom.

Tom is the only Keane guy I’d never actually interacted with face-to-face. I met Tim and Richard after the 2010 Oakland gig, and Jesse before the 2010 Mt. Desolation gig. Tom was the big mystery to me. I found myself standing in front of the front man, ready to dazzle him with my clever wit and I said,

“I have to be idiotic and tell you your voice is incredible.”

By now I was feeling rather like Baby Houseman after she famously uttered, “I carried a watermelon!” to Johnny Castle. But Tom just smiled and said, “Thank you! What a lovely thing to say.” We were interrupted by Jesse, who also said, “Thank you!” Tom laughed, threw an arm around Jesse’s shoulder, and I giggled and said, “Well, you, too, Jesse!”

I told them both, “I’m a singer, and my friend and I were both so impressed by you.” Tom repeated his thanks and I hurriedly aimed a “Thank you! Last night was awesome!” at the table as a whole and turned and walked away.

I was handed my CD back, of course:

Yes, I do know which one is which. Top left: Tom. Top right: Jesse. Bottom
left: Tim. Bottom right: Richard
Also: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

I was shaking and giggling like a fool, and I was also exhausted. I mean, giddy with exhaustion. And I had a long drive ahead. Getting out of San Francisco is a depression-causing series of twists and turns, then, when you finally get on the freeway and the signs are pointing towards the Bay Bridge, you find yourself slowed to a crawl, with an obnoxiously large SUV riding your tail and looking at you like you are single-handedly responsible for the twelve hundred slow-moving vehicles in front of you.

I love San Francisco. I hate driving in San Francisco.

All in all, it was an amazing and fantastic weekend. I went into it hoping for good music and I more than got what I paid for. The Keane guys are truly talented musicians who make some great songs that I relate to. They also happen to be really lovely guys who appreciate their fans, support charities, and try to leave the world a better place than they found it. They’ve worked hard to get where they are, and they don’t rest on their laurels, but continue to go out of their way to give their all to the fans and each other. I admire them.

While Keane flies back to their own country (I know that San Francisco-London flight very well, myself, as back posts in this blog will tell you), I start another busy week. I have a job interview first thing tomorrow, regular workouts (yes, despite the cold, I will continue to work out and don’t worry, I’ve learned my lesson this weekend and won’t try to be Bionica the Triathlete Nimrod this week) and one of my favorite holidays to celebrate–Mom’s birthday! Also known as Independence Day.

So for the moment, it’s time to hit post, slap the link to this puppy up on Facebook and Twitter, and then crawl into bed.

What a weekend!

My Keane adventure really started a few months ago. I ditched two classes to try and snag tickets during the presale. Imagine my excitement when I found out I got dead center of the fourth row! My luck was incredible. This would be my first real concert ever. Seeing my favorite band for the first time in seriously amazing seats would only make things better.

Fast forward to June 25th. I fell asleep very late out of both nerves and excitement. I was asking every Keane fan I knew for advice for the concert and only willed myself to try to sleep when I realized it was three in the morning! I set my alarm for 11, since I had no plans and no need to get up early for the show. We all had assigned seats, so I didn’t have to line up for general admission.

At 4 in the afternoon, I began to get ready. I packed up a little bag with things I thought I’d need: phone, camera, iPod to videotape, money, and my ticket. On a whim, I put in my copy of Strangeland and the only functioning permanent marker I could find. Just in case. Realizing I had nothing Keane-y to wear, I threw on my Hopes And Fears and Under The Iron Sea necklaces that I had made when I first became a fan.

At 5, my mom and I left for Denver. I don’t like driving on the freeway much, plus I was going alone to the concert, so I figured it would be good to have someone accompany me to the show at least. Little did we know a baseball game was about to start a few miles from the venue. We got stuck in traffic for the game, which concerned me that I wouldn’t make it on time.

But, in perfect timing, we rolled up to the Paramount. I got out of the car and, nervous as I was, stuttered my way through asking a lady “Is this the line for Keane?” I got into the line waiting to enter. The people around me seemed nice. I didn’t get an opportunity to chat, though. So instead I took a couple photos of the building and smiled my way through 15 minutes of excitement. My hands were shaking and I had to keep moving to keep calm.

At 7, a lady opened the doors and called out “Okay, we’ve got 4 doors so come on in through any of them!” I chose the farthest door and walked in, ticket in hand. Another lady was scanning the tickets and her scanner was malfunctioning. Eventually, though, she scanned in my ticket and let me in.

Immediately to my left was the merchandise table. I’d been needing a Keane t-shirt, so I bought the grey Strangeland sun one. As I finished, I looked behind me to see a huge line forming for the table. My luck was holding out again.

I squeezed through and to a door to the actual seats. The door person told me to go to the next door, so I walked over and asked if the guy needed to see my ticket. He said “Sure, I’ll show you where your seat is, too.” So I followed him to my incredible seat, where I sat down by two very nice girls. We still had an hour before Kiev came on, so I got up to look around. This was the first time I didn’t mind walking through a bunch of people, because I felt so cool for having such amazing seats.

A few minutes later, I came back in and took some pictures of the inside of the building. While I was looking at the stage, I noticed the shiny legs of the CP70 and a glimpse of the background. I sat back and listened to the preshow music.

At 8, Kiev took to the stage. They played probably 5 or so songs, and from the moment they started I was bopping along and tapping my feet. It was kind of loud, but I really liked their songs.

When they left the stage, workers began to covert the stage for Keane. I saw a guy tape down the setlist for Tom, and I strained to try and see it but I was too far away. When they took down the black sheet covering the Strangeland sun background, many of us began to cheer.

Other preshow music started up. I heard some Helio Sequence, that song “Aaaah, push it,” what I believe was Kanye West, and then The War On Drugs’ Baby Missiles started up very loudly. The lights shut off, and simple white lights backlit the stage as Keane came on. We all stood up and started to cheer. I love the song Baby Missiles and I’ll never see it the same again.

Keane played great. Tom’s voice was fantastic despite “the altitude getting to [him]” as he mentioned after the first song. It’s true that they really do sound almost better live than in recordings. My only disappointments were that they only played one Perfect Symmetry song and didn’t play We Might As Well Be Strangers or a few Strangeland songs I wanted to hear… There’s always next time though! They all rocked. I loved watching the interactions between all of them. During A Bad Dream, Jesse walked up to Richard and they were talking as they played, for example. I loved the light effects, as well. The “sun in your eyes” and white light during Bedshaped made me tear up, for some reason. Overall, like when Tom said seeing the Great Wall of China made it real, seeing Keane made me actually realize they were real live people, not just songs and interviews. It’s surreal.

After the show, I followed a small group of people out a side door on a whim only to find it lead to right next to the stage door. I remembered how they all come out to chat sometimes, so I decided I’d stick around. A few of us mulled around, wondering where they’d be. Eventually, we gathered around some barricades and watched the stage guys pack up the show. I said to myself that if they weren’t there in 15 minutes, I’d leave. 15 minutes later, I kept hoping they’d show up, so I decided I’d wait another 15. Fourteen minutes later, Tom came out, followed by Tim, Richard, and finally Jesse. I got a picture with Tim, Tom, and Richard and got all of them to sign my copy of Strangeland. My luck was really with me thorough this whole Keane adventure, and especially now. They were such lovely guys, even though I was a bit starstruck and didn’t get to say any of the things I was hoping to. Oh well, there’s always next time…

Overall, I had a blast. Perfect first concert, perfect first Keane concert. And, needless to say, the first of many Keane concerts I will be attending.

Keane Show #7

Having seen Keane the night before in Chicago(Awesome!) and not getting home until 1:30am we decided to sleep in Saturday morning. The next morning I have to say my throat was sore and ears were ringing but feeling good otherwise.

We packed our bags and hit the road around 1:00pm. It took us less time to get from our house outside of Chicago to Milwaukee(90 Miles) than it did to get from our work to the Vic in Chicago(20 Miles) the night before.

It was nice that the hotel we were staying at was connected to the venue. We checked in and went down where the Keane faithful were already in line. Met the folks from @Keaneshine and @anne_nyc. Nice to meet people who are into Keane as much as I am. After awhile we took our spot in line. It was not long after that the tour bus arrived. Richard was out first. He was out there for a while signing autographs and taking pictures with fans. I was able to get a picture with him and autograph.

Tim was next off the bus, I was able to get his autograph but no picture. Tom and Jesse came off and went right into the venue as sound check was about to start. Jesse came out a little later to talk with fans and take pictures and sign. I was able to pictures with 2 of the 4 and autographs of 3 of the 4. I was very happy. I was planning to bring my Strangeland book to be signed but I forgot it. Stupid!! So I had them sign the ticket receipt. I did have the foresight to by a sharpie at the hotel store.

Kim went up to the room to rest and stayed in line. By then the line was getting long. It was funny to see people walking and driving by looking at us with these looks on their faces like…. What are these people doing? Since we had to get our tickets at will call Kim came down and took our place in line and I went to pick up the tickets. The line within the line. Then I thought what if they need to keep the receipt when I get the tickets….? I have the autographs on the receipt!! I think there is going to be a problem. Luckily they only needed to see my ID. At this point the line outside the theater was about 2 blocks long and people were starting to get excited about the door opening. They did at 7:00pm. We got inside the theater and guess what? Another line… They were letting people in the lobby but not in the theater. Since this venue had seats but it was GA there was some pushing and shoving. They finally let us in and there was a mad rush to the front. There was a open space between the stage and the seats were people could stand. We snagged seats 2nd row center. I was happy to have a seat. After the night before, having to stand for about 6 hours I was happy to sit through the opener. Keane hit the stage and there was no sitting. Once again the boys brought it. A very good set list. The thing about seeing them two nights in a row is there is a chance of seeing the same set. Not that is a bad thing but you would like to see some changes. They did change it addingIn Your Own Time and Black Rain two songs they have not play much on the NA tour. Tom said IYOT has not been getting a good reactions. I think Milwaukee thought differently, there was a big cheer at the end of the song. I think the band liked that. They also added Leaving So Soon? to the encore it was Atlantic the night before. Speaking of the encore it seems there was going to be a second encore of My Shadow but it did not get played. I read the next day it was not played because they could not play past 11:00pm. Bummer. There was a short period of time after CB the house lights did not come up and the fans were cheering very loudly when we thought hey there will be another song… not so much.

As we were walking out my great wife Kim saw a set list sitting on the mixing board and grabbed it. That is when we saw My Shadow as the second encor. The crowd waiting for the band after the show was very large so we headed across the street for a beer and some food.

This was my 7th time seeing Keane live and I have to say they get better every time. They give it their all every night and I know the fans see that and know they will never be disappointed when they see Keane live.

Overall a great weekend, got to meet some of the guy’s, got to see two great shows and meet some great Keane fans.

Can’t wait to do it all again.

Tim

This is more a concert review than a blog entry. Both Derek and Melani added their experiences from the weekend and I’ve added a bit of my own, however I didn’t get as detailed on the actual weekend. It was nice seeing Melani and Derek again, plus meeting Kelsey and Derek’s brother Alex, Simona, Annie and Shar.

The trip to Milwaukee for my 5th Keane show was a great one. Not only did I enjoy the carpool with Melani and Kelsey, but I got to meet more Keane fans and add new friends. The trip to Milwaukee was quite fun. It was filled with tunes, Keane’s of course, vlogging and lots of giggles. Waiting in line on Saturday was just half of what made Saturday such a great show. The running joke of the day was the inquiry into who we were all waiting in line to see. Keane. Who???? The KS team had made PLAY MYTH shirts to let the band know how loved that B-Side really is with the fans. Hopefully, they will take this into consideration and play it live. It is such a great song. The show itself made the rest of the day a blast. The set was really great and the crowd had a lot of fun. There was so much energy coming from the band but also radiating from the fans. Keane fans are the best!

Things got quite exciting once the band showed up for soundcheck. There was a special radio contest where only people who won entry could go in, see the soundcheck and then meet the band. What had most people outside excited was hearing In Your Own Time and Black Rain. They were among the top two songs mentioned as hopefuls to make the night’s setlist. We could only wait until showtime to know for sure, but we figured we would be pleasantly surprised.

Melani, Derek, Alex, Kelsey and I ended up front and center for the show, so we were able to see the setlist as it was taped on stage. Simona did the honors of taking a photo for us, so we could all read it. There was no barrier at this show, so it was easy to see. All of us were really pleased with the songs that were chosen for this show. Smiles all around.

The opener was Patrick Watson. A band from Canada that had some nice tunes and one awesome light show! They had light bulbs strung all around their piano and drums, plus the band members themselves had cool finger lights for those playing guitar. Their sound was nice; it was a bit like Cabaret meets Americana. The use of the musical saw was a highlight for most. I would recommend checking them out, especially if you are into music by Nick Drake, Devotchka and Andrew Bird. Melani also noted that Patrick Watson also has worked with The Cinematic Orchestra before and had recognized his voice.

The time came for Keane to take the stage and they opened with You Are Young, which seems to be the usual opener for this tour. Though I did hear fans mention that Atlantic was the opener for Chicago. Once the house lights came down, the crowd erupted with excitement. Day Will Come was one song that got most of the fans on the floor on their feet and fist pumping. It was a crowd pleaser and sounded great live. There was just so much energy and it only got better as the night went on. Most of the set contained songs from Strangeland, as the band were promoting the new album. But the UTIS songs that made it on the list included Nothing In My Way, A Bad Dream, Is It Any Wonder?, Leaving So Soon and Crystal Ball. However, Hopes & Fears represented quite well with the usual crowd pleasers: Bend & Break, TITLT, EC, SOWK and Bedshaped. Perfect Symmetry was the only song to make the setlist from their third studio album. However, the most anticipated songs of the night were In Your Own Time and Black Rain. Tom announced they were skeptical to play them as they played IYOT one other time and it “tanked”. There was not disappointment. They played both songs very well and the crowd loved it. Silenced By The Night, Disconnected and Sovereign Light Café also got the crowd going as well. Probably the most emotional songs of the night were The Starting Line and Seas Fog. Tim was actually tearing up as he played The Starting Line and Sea Fog is such a beautiful song in itself. Tom has such a wonderful way of portraying emotion with his voice, but his voice coupled with Tim’s piano makes it that much more potent. I was personally quite pleased with the set that was chosen. I would have really liked to see Neon River live, as it is one of my favorites on the new album, but Black Rain and IYOT made up for that. Unfortunately, Tim was having some difficulty with the CP70. It would come in and out of tune at times and you could tell it was frustrating him. But he kept calm and played on. The song I was most anticipating was Sovereign Light Café, as that is my favorite from the new album. And Crystal Ball will always be my favorite Keane song, so naturally I can’t help but jump around when I hear that song. After the show, we were able to chat with Richard briefly. We made sure to mention the PLAY MYTH initiative. He was a bit surprised why we love it so much, but we’re going to keep on trying. SO, those of you who are making it to the West Coast, PLEASE make your shirts and wear them!!! We just might get it played.

The night was a blast. I enjoyed hearing all my favorites again live, seeing ¾ of the KS team and making new Keane friends too. I don’t think it is possible to get sick of this band. They are my favorite and will remain at the top for many reasons. The meet & greets after the show were quite short this time, as they had 24 hours to make it to Denver. But I still got my cd signed and got yet another picture taken with Richard. Please keep up all your great work guys! You really are great at what you do. PLEASE PLAY MYTH!!!!

It only felt like my eyes were closed for a few minutes before the alarm clock went off signaling that it was now 5:30am. I had slept eight hours away and was up and out of bed fairly quickly. I got showered and put on my homemade “PLAY MYTH” shirt that our team had decided to wear to the show as part of the fan-wide effort to get the band to play their song “Myth”.

I was all ready. I had my bag with every essential that I would I need right down to an emergency change of clothing if needed, but as most of you probably know, there is always something to forget. I was sure I had everything – I had my piano hammer from my very own CP70 (that cool piano Tim has been playing forever!) for the band to sign along with a back up CD in case anything happened to the hammer.

The drive to Milwaukee went by quickly it seemed.

Once we were in town we found a parking garage only two blocks away from the venue. I drove in, parked the car my grandmother let me borrow, organized our pockets in case we got the chance to see the band before the show, and headed out.

We walked to the venue and as we crossed the street we saw fellow Keaneshine team mates Melani and Brenda along with another Keane fan-friend Kelsey approaching us from up the block, we had all arrived at the same time! The time was 8:10am and we were the first to arrive so we set up camp in front of the venue doors.

The bands crew was already there setting up for that nights show. It wasn’t long before the crew bus door opened. I gasped hoping to see a band member, but it was only a crew member and I gave a disappointed groan. This would become one of the few jokes of the day amongst our group. At one point Keane tour manager Colin came out of the bus. We didn’t want to bother him as he has a very important job.

Maybe it was crazy to start a queue at 8:10am, some may say, but we weren’t the only ones waiting after to long. Shortly after we arrived a few other dedicated fans who had been to the Chicago show the day before had arrived to wait as well. By 9:30am a small group of fans had shown up to wait.

Then one of the Keane roadies came off the bus holding a plastic box filled with small muffins and offered them to us! It was such a nice gesture so we gladly accepted them. They were very good!

Soon after that Annie, fellow tour blogger and Keane fan-friend (well known for touring with the band as she has been to nearly every show this tour and previous tours) came walking up. We all greeted each other with lots of enthusiasm. For me, it had been almost four years since the last time we saw each other in Chicago at the Aragon Ballroom.

As the day went on we all found this queue experience to be one none of us had ever had before. There was an enormous sense of family amongst everyone. We all had our spots reserved, but we didn’t need to worry about holding them as we all trusted each other around us. Many times we’d all adventure out around the queue just talking and getting to know one another. Some folks even brought fold up camping chairs to sit in and even offered a few to us and others to sit in while we waited.

A few hours in a fan brought his iPod and docking station and began playing Keane songs for us all. We were all so into it that a group of us formed a circle on the sidewalk and began singing in harmony together with the music. We sang Leaving So Soon and A Bad Dream. I knew many of the harmonies that Tim normally sings so I was happy to provide them! It was so much fun! I’m sure we’ll find video of it posted somewhere soon! Not a single person was off key, it sounded amazingly perfect in my opinion.

As the day wore on and we had met and chatted with many new people, I began to notice my feet were hurting from wearing sandals. It was okay though because I had my shoes in the car. Then it dawned on me that I had no socks!! Well it was okay because there was a Walgreens only a few blocks away. Brenda and I headed back to Walgreens. We had gone earlier in search for a permanent marker that would not bleed through the wood of my piano hammer when it came for signing, but forgot to get socks.

We got back and I was able to put my socks on and my shoes. My feet were feeling much better.

It was about 3:20pm when the second tour bus rolled in.

Richard was first to come out. He greeted the crowd of fans that had been waiting with signatures and photographs. He took a picture with us and took notice in our “Play Myth” shirts. He liked them and asked “why is Myth such a popular song?”

Then Tim came out and signed and took a few photos with fans as well. Jesse and Tom both headed right inside.

The band had to get ready for a soundcheck mini show for a few lucky people. We ended up listening to the soundcheck from one of the stage doors along the sidewalk.

Finally 7pm had come and we were let inside. We quickly made our way to the front stage. There was no barrier so we were literally resting our arms on the stage.

At 8pm opener Patrick Watson toon the stage with his band. In my personal opinion I rather enjoyed them. There was piano, violin, cool delay effects and the MUSICAL SAW! It was very cool to hear the saw played live! I had heard mixed reaction about Patrick from the Chicago show. Some of it was that some people were even talking through his set which I found sad.

Then at 9:15 the band took the stage! It was very exciting hearing the new songs played live in person. As anyone who’s seen them live will tell you, it’s simply amazing!

I love how Tim gets into it with the head banging and left handed fist pumps and kicking. He does this to get energy going in the crowd and out of Tom and vice-versa. The highlights for me were “In Your Own Time”, “Strangeland”, and personal geek out favorite “Everybody’s Changing”. I put so much energy into singing and rocking out to Everybody’s Changing. I’m sure I looked insane, but heck, I only get the chance to see them every 1-2 years when they come through the states so nothing is going to stop me from rocking out!

The show went on for nearly two hours before they left the stage after playing the encore of “Sea Fog”, “Leaving So Soon?” and “Crystal Ball”. We could see the setlist had a second encore on it with “My Shadow” being the final song, so we chanted “one more!” but the venue would not allow them to play past 11pm so they did not come back to the stage.

We waited around by the stage in hopes of getting some goodies from the stage, but this crew was different than the past crews. They were hesitant about handing over any picks, set lists, or anything. I saw a crew member taking down Tim’s mic and I asked if I could at leafs have one of the bottles of water Tim had not opened yet. He handed them over! Part of me wanted it because it was meant for Tim, but mostly because I was insanely thirsty! I drank nearly all of it in one gulp!

I went to the merch stand and got my Strangland shirt and headed out to meet the band. I ended up missing Jesse, but got Richard, Tim, and Tom’s signature on my piano hammer. I also got Patrick Watson to sign it as well.

Richard did come back out after the crowd began to thin out. We went over to talk with him again.

Another person mentioned we were the Keaneshine people and Richard remembered us! He said that he even had our flag we made for them from the Night Train Tour up on his wall at home! That made us all very excited. (so if you signed that flag, your signature is on his wall at home!)

Photo of the Keaneshine flag being presented to Richard at First Ave in 2010.

Now the night was complete. After the signing was over and everyone cleared out a large group of us headed out to find an open restaurant. We found one and had ourselves a meal!

I found myself becoming much to tired to drive so Melani, Brenda, and Kelsey offered to let my brother and I stay at their hotel room for the evening.

I was so tired by the time we got there that I crashed almost right away. It would have probably been a good idea to shower since I was all sweaty from the show. When I woke up in the morning I realized that I really should have. My hair was in dire need of a wash.

After a nice brunch with our group from the hotel we all headed our own way. It was, as Brenda said, “Time to Go”.

-Transcribed by Alex J.

My journey to Keane began early Friday morning. I left my house around 8:30 to pick up Brenda at her house, and then we drove down to Decorah, Iowa to pick up Kelsey. At this point we started the video blog of our trip, which you can view below in two parts.

We arrived in Milwaukee around 8pm, checked into our hotel and went in search of food. We found Millertime Pub a couple blocks away from our hotel and had some of the best burgers and cheese curds any of us had ever had, as you’ll see in the vlog!

After eating, we decided to finish making our Play Myth shirts for the show, and we think they turned out really well.

On the day of the concert, I kept waking up at ridiculously early times- 5 am, 6 am- and finally at 6:45, my alarm went off so I finally had an excuse to get up and start getting ready. Kelsey, Brenda and I met fellow Keaneshiner Derek and his brother Alex at the Pabst Theater, and we were delighted to find that we would be first in the queue. After an hour or so, we were joined in the queue by Simona, and after that by Annie, Shar, and a few others whose names escape me right now (sorry! I’m horrible with names!) It was so great to finally meet people that I had ‘known’ through the board and through the fandom for years. It was just our group for a couple hours, but finally others started to arrive. At one point a guy showed up with portable speakers into which he plugged his iPod and played Keane on shuffle. This inevitably lead to one of the highlights of my day: a queue sing-a-long. We spent the rest of the day chatting like we had been friends for years and singing along to Keane songs.

It’s crazy how quickly Keane fans bond with each other, even when they’ve never met before. There’s some instant connection made that I can’t even begin to explain. I’m usually a very shy person, but when I’m queueing, I just want to talk to everybody, probably because we all share something that has to be experienced and can’t be verbally expressed. We’ve all had that ‘moment’, that (for lack of a better term) ‘religious experience’, which only those who have had one will understand.

The band arrived at the venue fairly late in the day, right before they were due to do their soundcheck and a small gig for a few fans that had won a radio contest. Most people in our ‘group’ had won, so they all went in, and we were stuck outside holding our spots in line (I’m only a little bit bitter ). Before that, we cheered the band as they got off their bus and went into the venue. Jesse, Richard and Tim stayed out briefly to take pictures and sign things, so I got pictures with the three of them:

Richard said that he appreciated our shirts, but wondered why Myth had become such a popular song. By the time Tom came off the bus, it was almost time for the sound check, so Colin was ushering him inside and he only had time to smile and wave at the small group who had come over to greet them as they went in.
We did get to hear the soundcheck through the doors, and were all ecstatic when we heard both In Your Own Time and Black Rain. We knew that they had been sound checking IYOT for the past few gigs, but that they hadn’t played it on this tour yet. By the time our friends got out of the radio gig, the line had grown exponentially. It almost stretched to the bridge a block or so away from the theater.

We made our plans about where we wanted to stand once we were in, and not long after it was time for the doors to open. I planted myself in the center in between Tim and Tom, and just to the right of Richard. All of us managed to get front row, right against the stage, as there was no barrier.

The opening act was Patrick Watson. Throughout his entire set I swore to myself that I had heard his voice before. So between sets, I googled him and lo-and-behold, I discovered that he had done some work with the Cinematic Orchestra back in 2007, out of which came one of my favorite songs- To Build a Home.

Before I knew it, the stage was set for Keane. I knew it wouldn’t be long until my nearly two year wait would be over. Suddenly the lights dimmed and there they were! A photo of the setlist had already been tweeted, so we all knew that In Your Own Time and Black Rain were going to be played- which had us giddy with excitement.

Memorable Gig Moments:
*Getting spit on by Tom, because I was so close to the stage.

*Tim tearing up during the Starting Line. I just wanted to jump on stage and give him a hug.

*Potential CP-70 problems? There were a few moments where it sounded like Tim’s piano briefly modulated down by a half step.

*Both In Your Own Time and Black Rain (#spoiled)

*After Sea Fog, Richard came out to take the photo for the Photo Blog, so I lifted up my shirt a little bit so that “PLAY MYTH” was visible above the stage. Tom saw what my shirt said and pointed at it, giving his nod and smile of approval. (This was probably the highlight of the gig for me.)

My Shadow was listed as the second encore, but as I found out later, the venue’s curfew was 11 (they finished at 10:58 or something), and Richard had hurt his wrist somewhat, so it wasn’t played. We did our best to get them to come out though, don’t worry! We screamed “one more song!” for a good 30 seconds after the lights came up.

The security at the venue shooed us out immediately, so nobody was able to get a set list. After buying my shirt and getting a quick picture with Patrick Watson, I went outside to go wait for the guys. I was surprised to see that was Jesse already out. He signed my album, and disappeared soon after that. Richard was out a few minutes later, and signed my album and a picture that I took of him and Tom in 2010. He made his way through the entire crowd, and I got a picture with him later (which is when he told us about hurting his wrist, and also that they haven’t even played Myth since recording it in the studio). Tim was out next, and people sort of crowded him- which is something I hadn’t really seen before (I think it’s because they came out so soon). Tom came out for a few minutes, but wasn’t taking pictures with people (because they had to get going in order to drive to Denver for the 6/25 show), so I decided to get creative. I first took one myspace-style (hah) of me with Tom signing other people’s stuff next to me, and someone offered to take one for me (thanks whoever you are!). He told Tom to say cheese, which he did, and while he’s not looking, he’s still smiling, which is good enough for me. He did say that he liked my shirt, and I told him that even if they don’t play it on this tour, that it would be really awesome to hear on any upcoming tour (at least make it part of an acoustic set? Please?!?)

After everyone had finished talking to the guys/getting things signed a few of us went out to eat, and we met up again for breakfast the next morning, before heading out in our various directions. I spent all day driving, and finally got home late Sunday night, still exhausted…but I would do it again in an instant. Thank you everyone for a fabulous day!

There is a warm, fuzzy, and proud feeling when you walk into a live music venue knowing that everyone around you has impeccable taste in music. More importantly, you know that these folks are discerning and can objectively distill quality from the rest of what people consider “pop music”. I can vouch for the superior musical tastes of the audience since they are here to enjoy and support a band that has been routinely ignored by terrestrial radio in the US despite being Grammy nominated and selling out arenas in Europe and South America. The audience clearly does not limit their musical spectrum to the monotonous garbage that corporate-controlled radio has subjected us to since the passing of the Telecommunications Deregulation Act back in 1996. It is a privilege to be a part of a 1400-strong crowd that has come together to enjoy the purest interaction they can have with a rock band – and that is the live music experience. These were some of the thoughts that rushed through my head as my business school buddy and I walked into the Vic Theatre in Chicago on Friday evening (June 22) to watch Keane – one of my favorite bands of all time.

It had been six years since I last watched Keane at the Axis Nightclub (Lansdowne Street) in Boston while they were promoting the “Under The Iron Sea” album. “Strangeland” was undoubtedly the musical twin of Keane’s milestone debut “Hopes and Fears”. Hence, not much thought went into deciding whether or not I wanted to go to the show. It was an easy decision.

My friend and I managed to get pretty close to the stage despite not having lined up earlier outside the theatre like the rest. We literally showed up AFTER the doors opened. It was a matter of minutes before we started getting chatted up by the rest about our favorite songs on the album and our Keane favorites in general. It was a nice feeling – not one I generally get to have in business school (where sadly most of my classmates have not moved beyond the confines of over-the-air radio). The opening act came on promptly at 8:00 p.m. but did not introduce themselves. They just started playing. Hence, I am embarrassed to admit that I still have no idea who they were. All I know is that their sound was a mix of Travis, Arcade Fire, and Mumford and Sons. While the music was rich, it lacked the hooks of the band (i.e. Keane) that they were opening for. All I remember doing was counting the minutes for the ACTUAL show to begin.

At around 9:00 p.m., the wait was over. The moment I had been waiting for had come. The four most humble dudes in pop/rock music came on to the stage and opened the amazing evening with “You Are Young”. In the past, I have noticed crowds showing a lukewarm response to a new song – especially if it is the first song of the evening but the crowd here sang along almost instantly. The evening’s first high-adrenalin moment (and trust me, there were several of those) was with the second track of the evening – “Bend And Break”. The next pivotal moment of the evening came with a snippet of the new Keane album’s title “Strangeland”. I am embarrassed to admit that this might be the first time I have really been cognizant of the beauty of lead singer Tom Chaplin’s voice. His voice brimmed with an innocent youthfulness on “Strangeland”.

The second wave of adrenalin hit me with a set of tracks in the middle of the setlist. This section began with “Silenced by the night”. It was followed by “Bad Dream”, “Neon River”, “Everybody’s changing” (singing along to this one almost made me lose my voice!) and finally the musical moment I had been waiting for – “Disconnected”. “Disconnected” is the soundtrack to that feeling of being lost and sinking into an abyss of confusion and self-doubt when a relationship ends. Hearing that song live evoked a flood of memories and emotions for me. I guess I was not the only one in the audience to feel those – judging by the reaction the song got. The crowd cheered loudly at the end of the song. It was a while before the band could even dream about moving on to the next song on the setlist. Lead singer Tom Chaplin was very cognizant of the emotional response he evoked. I don’t recall the exact words he said to the audience right after that song but he did recognize the unique chord he had struck with the audience with “Disconnected”.

The third wave began with “This is the last time”. It was followed by Keane’s first hit single “Somewhere only we know”. The crowd sang along to every word. This was clearly a defining moment of the evening for the audience. It was followed by “Is it any wonder”, “Bedshaped” and “Sovereign Light Cafe”. The band extended a heartfelt “thank you” to the crowd as they walked off the stage. It was very obvious that lead singer Tom Chaplin was overwhelmed by the audience response throughout the evening. He claimed that of the few times the band has played in Chicago, the response had never been this strong. There is something inherently beautiful about an international popstar being surprised and appreciative of the mass adulation he receives. This beauty and humility is accentuated by the fact that Tom Chaplin still has the face of a baby. The overall picture painted on stage was heartwarming.

The crowd continued to scream demanding that the band return for an encore – which they graciously did. They started with “Sea Fog” and then in a rather unconventional move, Keane took the audience back to a darker creative period in the band’s history and ended with “Atlantic” and “Crystal Ball”.

This is hands down one of the best shows I have been for (and that is a huge compliment considering that I have watched international superstars such as Michael Jackson, George Michael, Madonna, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, and Duran Duran in concert). Keane exceeded my expectations for an emotion and adrenalin-driven evening.

My biggest epiphany of the evening relates to lead singer Tom Chaplin. I have published several articles online about Keane and in each of them, I have always attributed the brilliance of the band’s music to the band’s songwriter Tim-Rice Oxley (one of the music industry’s most valuable gems). Not once have I truly acknowledged Tom Chaplin for the stellar vocalist that he is. It is funny how despite the songs being the same, our sensitivities to musical elements are so different when we listen to music on our iPods or CD players than they are when we listen to music in a live setting. Tom Chaplin has the lungs of a superhuman. I would go as far as saying that his vocal horsepower far exceeds that of rock icon Freddie Mercury. The vocal delivery and energy required to bring Tim Rice-Oxley’s songs to life is of an order that very few vocalists can rise to. I cannot for the life of me imagine how Tom Chaplin goes through an entire setlist of songs pushing his lungs to their maximum capacity. It is a musical feat that must be acknowledged and celebrated.

My business school buddy and I walked out of the theatre completely blown away and were singing “Crystal Ball” while driving away to “Burrito House” for a late night dinner and Horchata. There are few artists/bands in the world that I care to see in concert. Most of them are from yesteryear’s music scene. I am humbled by Keane’s dedication to their superior song-craft and tenacity to churn out music at a time when the music industry’s incentives are so tragically misaligned. They are one of the few rays of hope for our music industry. I hope they shine forever.

Before I get into the events of the day let me just say first.. Thank you to my beautiful and understanding wife Kimberly who joyfully puts up with my Keane obsession.

Keane Show #6

The plan was to leave work early 2:00pm so we could beat the traffic…. Well that did not work out very well. We ended up leaving work at 2:45pm. We then endured a painfully slow car ride into the city. 2 hours to go about 20 miles. Friday afternoon traffic in Chicago is the worst.

When we finally made it I was a little surprised to see the line was not that long. There were about 50 or 60 people in front of us. After getting some bagels we settling in for the wait chatting with other Keane fans in line.

A little while later people started moving around.. Hey there’s Richard!!!! I took a few shots with my phone and was able to shake his hand and tell him how much I liked the new album. He said ‘ Thank You Very Much’. Then I turn around there is Tom walking down the ally on the way to the bus. I was able to shake his hand. No time to say anything before he ran across the street to the bus. Still a very cool.(not trying to sound like a teenage girl or anything).

Our friends showed up right before the doors opened. I tried to get in with my good camera (SLR) Busted!! Damn!! I had to run it back to car. Kim, Dan and Donna went in and got us a prime spot. I got back in to a cold beer waiting… Nice.
Talking to some people standing near us, it became clear to Kim and our friends I know a lot about Keane. This what Kim posted on her Facebook.

· “So cool to see Tim talk to the other uber-Keane fans. Tim is Mr Know-It-All when it comes to this band. Its almost another language – Keane-slang. ”

The openers started right at 8:00pm. I thought it was going to be the Mystery Jet’s but it was some other band. I never did get the name. Patrick something….Band. They used a musical saw!! The guy’s in Keane must of liked that.

They were good, the singer had a cool voice. I said if they gave Grammy’s for light shows this band would win for sure.

Keane hit the stage at 9:15 with You Are Young. It was clear to Tom this crowd was ready to ROCK!! It was a very loud and energetic crowd all night. There were times when the crowd was louder that Tom.
The set was 22 songs a great mix of old and new. They hit most of my favorites. Bend and Break, A Bad Dream, Atlantic. The new songs sounded great. The Strangeland into On the Road was really cool way to do that.

Tom was very funny in his between songs banter. Right before the last song Tom said “We have time for one more song” I instinctively look at my watch and Tom points a me and starts laughing say ‘ this guy is looking at his watch’ I said there is time for more than one more song….. Crystal Ball to end the night. A really great show.

The plan was to wait after the show for pictures and autographs but we were all tired and hungry so we went a bar down the street for a few beers and some food and really bad Karaoke(not by us). I will wait after in Milwaukee.

A couple things did stand out to me.

1. No guitars at all. That surprised me a little
2. Tim did not seem to be jumping around as much as he normally does.

Overall I think one of the best Keane shows yet.

On to Milwaukee.
Tim

Hello all, Keane in Nashville tonight!
I’ve enjoyed reading the other concert posts and tweets and blogs and I know we all wish we could go on tour and see every show (boo hiss to reality!)
Nashville, Tennessee marked the exact middle of their 13 date North American Summer Tour. We are having a heat wave on the US east coast and it got to 95°F, 35°C here today! I hope these English guys stayed inside.

(On a side note: I do have to compliment the wonderful people at De La Warr Pavilion @dlwp for bringing the Keane queue coffee and tea in Bexhill in the cold of March during the shows there. Unfortunately there wasn’t any bottled water brought out here at Marathon Music Works @MMusicWorks. Isn’t hospitality a Southern thing?)

At some point, Richard and Jesse came out to mingle with the appreciative crowd, graciously taking pictures, signing stuff. Very sweet. If I had an English accent I’d never stop talking. Their accents are delicious. No sign of Tom or Tim. Oh well, like the elusive unicorns …

There was a soundcheck listening party around 4.30pm attended by winners of a radio station contest. Went and asked the guy letting those people in whether there were any ones that didn’t show up and he let me in! The venue -Marathon Music Works- is gorgeous : brick walls, high ceilings, polished concrete floor, industrial urban – love it! Venue capacity about 1500. Very intimate. The band sounded amazing – ♫ Silenced By The Night, Somewhere Only We Know and Sovereign Light Cafe. ♫ They were in good spirits, as was the small crowd. What a special experience! You want to pinch yourself. It’s those times that make sitting out on that hot sidewalk worth it. After soundcheck, we took our pictures with the band (Tom held my lucky shoulder!) by the radio station people and we were ushered back out so that supporting act Patrick Watson could do his soundcheck, etc. Excuse me while I breathe. Really, I could have left then and been happy. Little did I know how prophetic those thoughts were …

As if Nashville wasn’t hot enough … The crowd was ready for some sizzling music!
Once doors opened, we all couldn’t wait to get out of the heat, get a drink and secure our prime spots. At this point, things were still humming along nicely. I was positioned right in front of where Tom would eventually be. I was much looking forward to possibly hearing ‘Atlantic’ live and all of the great new stuff from Strangeland.

Patrick Watson took the stage and halfway through that’s when it hit me. I became dizzy, nauseous, cold (none Tom related) and all sorts of yuck! Heat exhaustion! (bartender/doctor diagnosis) I had to give up my front row spot! It got worse and I had to stumble outside for some fresh air. I never did see Keane take the stage. *sad face*

Then the tweets started. Lots of tweets! A transformer on the street had overheated and shut down power to the street and the building! I swear I had nothing to do with it. People were being evacuated. Such insane news for my spinning head. Not sure which songs Keane did perform but I heard it was about seven? *sad faces for everyone*

The only thing that did save me from not throwing myself off of the venue roof was that I did get to see/hear/experience the soundcheck. That was such highlight and, if having to choose, I think I might have taken the intimate soundcheck over the concert. Maybe.
My next Keane concert is the beer festival in Hastings on July 6. Hopefully no meltdowns by me or the power.

Enjoy Strangeland and the rest of the Keane tour where ever you get to see them!
xxx Andi xxx

I’ll start off from the very beginning I suppose. So, I woke up at 9:00 am yesterday and I was feeling a little sick to my stomach. I was very nervous about the trip and the concert. The trip from Syracuse to Toronto is not a short one; it’s about a four and a half-hour long drive. With that in mind, we left at about 10:30 am and headed west. We made a few stops along the way but I could barely eat or drink anything as my stomach was flipping around with excitement and nervousness. We crossed the Canadian border, and made our way through ‘the Strangeland’ as my mother called it.

It was about 3:30 pm when we finally arrived at the Sound Academy and there were about twelve or so people in the queue. Making sure I had my tickets, phone, money, and camera for the hundredth time, we parked the car and raced up to the queue. We sat down for quite some time and chatted with a few fans. Every now and then the doors would open and you could hear the sound of the band sound checking. I heard a few bits of Silenced by the Night and In Your Own Time—which sadly, they did not play in the end.

A few moments later, two women that looked very familiar to me joined the queue and sat down next to me. It took me a moment to place them but finally I remembered where I had seen them. After the Brixton gigs, they had been interviewed and oddly enough, I had only watched their interviews. My mom asked them where were they were from and they answered they were from New York. I asked if they had been interviewed after the Brixton gig and they began laughing, they had!

From then on, we got a long great! We talked about Keane a lot while we were waiting. I learned that the pair had been to sixty-six Keane gigs and actually had been very close friends with Scott. They had come from the Montreal gig to Toronto to show their support and I can’t imagine the pain they must have been going through when they arrived in Toronto. I am sending my deepest sympathy and love to the girls and of course to the band, the crew, and Scott’s friends and family. They shared very nice stories about Scott and he seemed like a genuinely nice man. It’s such a terrible loss.

So finally, around 6:00pm the doors were about to open. With my ticket in hand and advice to book it for the barrier, I excitedly skipped to the front because running wasn’t allowed. I know I am a rebel! When everyone filed in, it finally hit me that this was it, I was about to see Keane! I had made it to the front row right between Jesse and Tom!

Before the Mystery Jets went on, I chatted with some of the security guards. One of them was a man from New Zealand and was very nice. He asked me how much I had paid for my tickets and I told him I paid about forty-five dollars each but that the girls next to me had gotten them on Stub Hub for about twenty each. He felt bad that I had paid more to be in the same spot and promised if he had found a guitar pick or a drumstick, he would give it to me. He didn’t find anything, but it was the thought that counted!

The Mystery Jets finally went on and I thought they were fine. I didn’t know any of their songs but I was polite and cheered for them when they finished their songs.

By the time Baby Missiles came on, I knew Keane were coming on and sure enough, the band climbed up the stairs on the left hand side and entered the stage. I’m pretty sure I had to pinch myself a few times because it felt like I was dreaming! They were real people! It also was a bit funny seeing them life sized because I have only watched the band on my laptop and TV screen.

They opened up with You Are Young and when the song had finished, Tom had explained how this show was dedicated to Scott and that Scott wouldn’t have wanted the mood to be somber, he would have wanted us to be swept away in a wave of enthusiasm. After he said it, I think we all understood that the band would need all of our love and support and the mood became a bit more energetic and positive.

Here’s the set list, I’ve bolded out all of the songs that stood out IMO:
You Are Young
Day Will Come
Leaving So Soon?
The Starting Line
Spiraling
Neon River
Bend And Break
A Bad Dream
Strangeland/On the Road (From this point on, the concert was nonstop!)
We Might As Well Be Strangers
Disconnected
This Is The Last Time
Somewhere Only We Know
Is It Any Wonder?
Bedshaped
Sovereign Light Café
************************
Sea Fog
Silenced By the Night
Crystal Ball

As soon as I made it back home, I wrote down all the highlights of the night and would love to share them with you.

At one point Tom was saying how lovely it was to be back in Toronto with a new album and a rude man who we met in the queue shouted, “You don’t need a new album to come back!” Tom laughed and said something like, “Well we’ll play a mixture of old and new.”

When they started playing Neon River, I went absolutely nuts. I was just telling my mom how much I loved that song. When it began, my mom excitedly shook me and I began clapping along to the beat. All of the sudden, everyone followed my lead and began clapping in the beginning of Neon River! I didn’t mean for that to happen but it was exciting! When Tim began playing the ending riff Tom shouted, “Take it away Timothy Rice-Oxley!” I laughed and began clapping again!

When they began playing Strangeland, I was surprised with the amount of people who knew the song, since it was a bonus track. It seemed like everyone knew it and we were singing it so loudly together like a hymn or something. When it led into On the Road, we went absolutely crazy! We were jumping around and throwing our fists into the air! When the song finished we cheered and cheered and cheered for the longest time. After that song, the gig was kicked up a few notches.

From then on, everything was over the top and exciting! Even Tim was getting into the concert after that song. He was throwing his hands off the keyboard and kicking/pounding his feet throughout the rest of the night. Especially in This Is the Last Time! Tom shouted, “MAKE SOME F*CKING NOISE!” during that song and we all went wild!
Somewhere Only We Know, of course was loud as ever and the crowd were really going for it, singing it on the top of their lungs! A few times Tom pointed the microphone at us and we got to sing a few lines, classic Keane! I loved it! At the end Tom thumped the mic stand on the ground and the microphone went flying! It was pretty funny.

The band must have really been pumped for ‘Is It Any Wonder?’. Tim, Tom and Jesse were all jumping around the stage madly while Richard drummed equally as mad! I think Jesse really was enjoying himself, a little too much perhaps. I saw him drop his black bass with the buffalos on it to the ground and a chunk fell off. He looked pretty upset. Sorry about that Jesse!

Bedshaped started and even though I know they don’t close with this song anymore, it still felt like the end for some reason! It was very sweet and in the very beginning a girl shouted, “I LOVE YOU!” and Tom giggled! Tom hasn’t been doing the whoa-oh-oh parts lately but I could hear a lot of people in the audience doing it, including myself.

They finished Sovereign Light Café and walked off stage for a bit. We continued clapping and all the sudden everyone began chanting “KEANE KEANE KEANE KEANE!” It seemed like no time passed at all and they were back on stage.

Three of the four members hopped back on stage and began playing Sea Fog. It was amazing, very chilling, and haunting. It gave me goosebumps. Richard returned to the stage when Sea Fog finished and took our picture for the photo blog. I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to see me, unless Tom is blocking me!
Let’s see, they went into ‘Silenced By the Night’, which everyone was singing along to. I surprisingly enjoyed that song; it’s not usually my favorite but last night all with all the energy in the room, I couldn’t help but join in belting it out.

Finally, they began Crystal Ball and what an awesome way to go out! The strobe lights were going off and the band members were putting everything into that song. The audience began jumping around and it was great! When the concert was over the band all walked to the front of the stage and clapped back at us. Richard dangerously stooped down on a box with lighting equipment on it and gave one of the girls who knew Scott his drumsticks. I thought that was very sweet of him.
The gig was over and I had to decide if I was going to try and find the band. It seemed like the Sound Academy were not going to allow people to go and meet them and I think the band were going through a hard time anyways so I decided against it. I am sure I’ll have many opportunities to meet them someday. But for now, I am very happy to have been able to see them live!
So with my adrenaline buzzing, my mom and I drove 4 ½ hours home and got back to Syracuse at 4:00am. I wanted to fall asleep right when I got home but I couldn’t stop thinking about the gig! Now that I’ve been to one concert, I know this won’t be the last time! I couldn’t have picked a better first Keane concert to go to. It certainly will go down as one of the best nights in my life and it was worth the long drive and sore throat! I hope to see them again soon!
-Katie