Operator at House of Blues October 31, 2007
November 10th 2007 00:52
So earlierlast week we made the trek up to Vegas to hit the House of Blues on Halloween to see Operator. As always, I am especially stoked to see all the boys and of course, Johnny. This time, however, I was even more excited because I have my very best friend in the world visiting from Holland so, even though I have exposed her quite religiously to Operator, she was going to get the full effect. I was super excited for her to see Johnny in all his glory as well as watching Wade, Dorman, Rikki and Paul do their thing because there is one thing that is completely undeniable about Operator and that is that ALL of those boys have such an amazing stage presence.
We arrived in Vegas and stayed at a fantastic hotel, Silverton, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is planning to stay in Vegas. The hotel is amazing. The jellyfish are gorgeous. The slots are good. The staff is friendly and helpful. We arrived, checked in and took quick showers and then it was off to meet up with Pam. I seriously love this woman. It was our first of what I hope will be many many meetings. We had lots of fun and laughs. She has the best laugh. It's so infectuous. You can't help but laugh when she does. I lost Tim somewhere because he met up with Charlie and they're like two peas in a pod! Which was good cause at least he wasn't bored while us Girls chatted and played.
We went over to the venue and I was a little bit disappointed that we weren't allowed to hand out stickers and put up the posters, but I did give out a lot of my tour cards. I also snuck some stickers inside and gave those out as well. I'm rotten like that
When we got inside the venue it was utterly packed. I couldn't get anywhere near the stage and so we hung back on the left side bar behind the seated area for those folks who had back-stage passes. There were two boys (I say boys because they were younger than me and I always refer to guys younger than me as boys...) standing in front of us and one was really tall and since I lack in the height department I asked them if they would mind sitting. They said they couldn't for Avenged Sevenfold cause that's their band and I said that was fine, but I only wanted them to sit for Operator because that's the only reason I came. They asked where we came from and I said my friend came from Holland and we came from AZ. They were shocked that we came "all the way" from Arizona to see Operator, but I explained it wasn't that far and I'd go farther if I could. They said they'd surely sit for them so that we could enjoy them and I said thanks.
The first band that came out was Black Tide and they weren't too bad. The music was good, didn't care too much for the singing though. But, the sound was awful for them so it could've been that. After their set, the boys in front of us asked if Operator was next and I said no, it's the confession and they asked about Operator and so I, obviously, told them they were the most bad ass band around.
The next one was The Confession and I didn't like them at all. They seemed to scream a lot and I'm not down with that. I tried to ignore them. Oh, before I forget too, the venue was damn amazing. I loved House of Blues. And it was Halloween so the waitresses were dressed up in some smokin' hot outfits.
So then it was time for THE band. By the time Operator took the stage, it was standing room only. The House of Blues was packed from front to back and side to side. It was so hot in there as well and the water was $5 a bottle, but totally worth it. Operator opened with Coldstomach and the crowd went wild. I went wild. I was screaming and cheering and yelling like usual. Every time I see these guys, they just get better and better. After Coldstomach they played the only one and then went into Walk and the boys in front of us completely flipped out. After Walk they did Live Your Way and near the end when Johnny asked the audience for help on the count of three to say nothing pays off for pussy motherfuckers... they did and the boy in front of us turned to his friend and said "I fuckin' love this guy!" and so I made it my duty to hand them off the tour cards, the video download cards and stickers. They were happy campers. I definitely think they won over those two. They totally won over the crowd with Walk and next was Soulcrusher. The crowd was behind them. They played What you get, It's so easy and closed with Nothin' to Lose. This was the first time that I'd heard them do nothin' to lose live and seriously, it was amazing. There was one section where Johnny stripped it down beautifully and I was completely overwhelmed. The man has the most amazing voice ever.
Oh, which reminds me, speaking of amazing, they all looked good but somewhere around the second or third song, Paul stripped off his shirt and I think half the girls in the house of blues had a stroke..... Johnny was already topless so I had long since checked out.
I am always amazed at how much of a stage presence they all have. Everyone is so amazing on stage that you get completely sucked into them. I always have the biggest grin and the sorest throat from yelling along.
I wasn't feeling real well by Avenged Sevenfold because every single band, except Operator, including Avenged Sevenfold had been using the fogging machines and my lungs started to ache when I was breathing in so around the third or fourth song of A7X we headed out to the waiting area and let the concert finish. Somehow, since the hospital stay I still can't handle the foggers so I needed some cool air by that point. We sat down and did some people watching. Vegas on Halloween is quite fun. The outfits were spectacular. There was a dude dressed up like Prince and he was totally short and everything. He rocked. There was a ton of Rainbow Brites and a smoking nun... how cool is that??? But the best was back at the Silverton some guy dressed up as Richard Simmons and totally rocked the sweat band on his wig...
At the Operator merch table, there was a younger boy with a sign that said "Nothing Pays off For Pussy Motherfuckers... BUY A CD" and he was trying to get people to buy one... he was rockin' the merch table hardcore. Quite the little salesman. I seen Dorman go behind the counter and spotted Wade standing in the crowd in front of the merch table so I walked up behind him and stuck my knees into the back of his knees... he turned around and I got the biggest hug!
He didn't know we were coming up to Vegas, but I was glad to see him. We talked for a few and I asked him if Johnny was coming out, he said he wasn't sure because he was sick. Evidently he'd been sick for a few days and I really had no clue. It wasn't even obvious in the performance.
Wade told me the younger boy pimpin' the merchandise was in fact Rikki's little brother. He was pretty damn cute and one hell of salesman. He also mentioned that they filmed a TV interview after their set for one of the local Vegas stations so hopefully that got a lot of rotation. Those boys have some good gene's. Paul took a sharpie and wrote Lil' Rikki on his white tank top. Dorman made a sign that said "Ninja's stole my family, need money for Karate Lessons." I got a quick hug from Rikki and then Johnny came out. He was sitting in a chair sort of behind Wade and Rikki and I could tell then that he wasn't feeling well. He looked tired and flushed, but he still looked good (Yes, I realize that I'm quite bias on this subject and no I don't care ).
After a few moments he spotted me standing there and I got the best smile! I asked him to come to the table and he did so I gave him the shirt I bought for him, which I hope he loved as much as he seemed to, and gave him all the cards that I collected. He seemed pretty happy that everyone had sent stuff in for them. I asked him how he was feeling and said okay but he was trying to get over a sinus infection. He told me that he loved what I was doing with the Sinners & Saints website and I told him that I am so busy because of him and I love him for it, he laughed. He has a great laugh by the way... I told him he was too good to me and he responded that we're good for each other. He wanted to hang out after they were done at the merch table, but got pulled into a meeting and I wasn't feeling well at all so I didn't really stick around too long.
We headed back to the hotel and relaxed a bit. Claudia absolutely loved the show and she is now an even bigger fan. She got to meet everyone and they were all so great to her. Not that I'm surprised at all, but they're just amazingly personable guys.
The next morning we got up, had breakfast with good friends and milled around a bit before we had to head back to AZ. It was a long trip, but totally worth it. Operator is always worth it and seeing Johnny, Wade, Rikki, Paul and Dorman is never ever a disappointment. They definitely give it their all and pull everyone into their show. Something I noticed is that Johnny spends some time putting the songs into real life situations, bringing a real perspective to it and I think that's part of the reason that the crowd reacts so strongly to them. You can imagine yourself in those situations and it makes the song a little more meaningful. It definitely worked on the crowd in Vegas.
The ride home was a long one, but the whole experience was worth every second and I can't wait until December so that I can see them again. And have pictures again because we weren't allowed to have cameras anywhere near House of Blues. Boooo!
I also got told that I need a new picture on myspace because I look ten years younger in person... that was quite the compliment. I guess I'll just have to take millions with Johnny in December and see if I can get one that looks more like me I want one of him in the shirt I bought him anyways.... (It's black with a green clover and the clover says I'm Irish and under the clover in green text it says Wanna Fight? Fits him no??)
All in all it was a good trip, productive and it was filled with fun, laughter, happiness and a great show. I can't wait to do it again! The highlights of my trip were definitely getting to spend some time with new friends, seeing how much Claudia enjoyed her first Operator experience, seeing Johnny again and of course I adore him for saying we're good for each other... but I still think he's too good to me. I can't wait for December!
We arrived in Vegas and stayed at a fantastic hotel, Silverton, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is planning to stay in Vegas. The hotel is amazing. The jellyfish are gorgeous. The slots are good. The staff is friendly and helpful. We arrived, checked in and took quick showers and then it was off to meet up with Pam. I seriously love this woman. It was our first of what I hope will be many many meetings. We had lots of fun and laughs. She has the best laugh. It's so infectuous. You can't help but laugh when she does. I lost Tim somewhere because he met up with Charlie and they're like two peas in a pod! Which was good cause at least he wasn't bored while us Girls chatted and played.
We went over to the venue and I was a little bit disappointed that we weren't allowed to hand out stickers and put up the posters, but I did give out a lot of my tour cards. I also snuck some stickers inside and gave those out as well. I'm rotten like that
When we got inside the venue it was utterly packed. I couldn't get anywhere near the stage and so we hung back on the left side bar behind the seated area for those folks who had back-stage passes. There were two boys (I say boys because they were younger than me and I always refer to guys younger than me as boys...) standing in front of us and one was really tall and since I lack in the height department I asked them if they would mind sitting. They said they couldn't for Avenged Sevenfold cause that's their band and I said that was fine, but I only wanted them to sit for Operator because that's the only reason I came. They asked where we came from and I said my friend came from Holland and we came from AZ. They were shocked that we came "all the way" from Arizona to see Operator, but I explained it wasn't that far and I'd go farther if I could. They said they'd surely sit for them so that we could enjoy them and I said thanks.
The first band that came out was Black Tide and they weren't too bad. The music was good, didn't care too much for the singing though. But, the sound was awful for them so it could've been that. After their set, the boys in front of us asked if Operator was next and I said no, it's the confession and they asked about Operator and so I, obviously, told them they were the most bad ass band around.
The next one was The Confession and I didn't like them at all. They seemed to scream a lot and I'm not down with that. I tried to ignore them. Oh, before I forget too, the venue was damn amazing. I loved House of Blues. And it was Halloween so the waitresses were dressed up in some smokin' hot outfits.
So then it was time for THE band. By the time Operator took the stage, it was standing room only. The House of Blues was packed from front to back and side to side. It was so hot in there as well and the water was $5 a bottle, but totally worth it. Operator opened with Coldstomach and the crowd went wild. I went wild. I was screaming and cheering and yelling like usual. Every time I see these guys, they just get better and better. After Coldstomach they played the only one and then went into Walk and the boys in front of us completely flipped out. After Walk they did Live Your Way and near the end when Johnny asked the audience for help on the count of three to say nothing pays off for pussy motherfuckers... they did and the boy in front of us turned to his friend and said "I fuckin' love this guy!" and so I made it my duty to hand them off the tour cards, the video download cards and stickers. They were happy campers. I definitely think they won over those two. They totally won over the crowd with Walk and next was Soulcrusher. The crowd was behind them. They played What you get, It's so easy and closed with Nothin' to Lose. This was the first time that I'd heard them do nothin' to lose live and seriously, it was amazing. There was one section where Johnny stripped it down beautifully and I was completely overwhelmed. The man has the most amazing voice ever.
Oh, which reminds me, speaking of amazing, they all looked good but somewhere around the second or third song, Paul stripped off his shirt and I think half the girls in the house of blues had a stroke..... Johnny was already topless so I had long since checked out.
I am always amazed at how much of a stage presence they all have. Everyone is so amazing on stage that you get completely sucked into them. I always have the biggest grin and the sorest throat from yelling along.
I wasn't feeling real well by Avenged Sevenfold because every single band, except Operator, including Avenged Sevenfold had been using the fogging machines and my lungs started to ache when I was breathing in so around the third or fourth song of A7X we headed out to the waiting area and let the concert finish. Somehow, since the hospital stay I still can't handle the foggers so I needed some cool air by that point. We sat down and did some people watching. Vegas on Halloween is quite fun. The outfits were spectacular. There was a dude dressed up like Prince and he was totally short and everything. He rocked. There was a ton of Rainbow Brites and a smoking nun... how cool is that??? But the best was back at the Silverton some guy dressed up as Richard Simmons and totally rocked the sweat band on his wig...
At the Operator merch table, there was a younger boy with a sign that said "Nothing Pays off For Pussy Motherfuckers... BUY A CD" and he was trying to get people to buy one... he was rockin' the merch table hardcore. Quite the little salesman. I seen Dorman go behind the counter and spotted Wade standing in the crowd in front of the merch table so I walked up behind him and stuck my knees into the back of his knees... he turned around and I got the biggest hug!
He didn't know we were coming up to Vegas, but I was glad to see him. We talked for a few and I asked him if Johnny was coming out, he said he wasn't sure because he was sick. Evidently he'd been sick for a few days and I really had no clue. It wasn't even obvious in the performance.
Wade told me the younger boy pimpin' the merchandise was in fact Rikki's little brother. He was pretty damn cute and one hell of salesman. He also mentioned that they filmed a TV interview after their set for one of the local Vegas stations so hopefully that got a lot of rotation. Those boys have some good gene's. Paul took a sharpie and wrote Lil' Rikki on his white tank top. Dorman made a sign that said "Ninja's stole my family, need money for Karate Lessons." I got a quick hug from Rikki and then Johnny came out. He was sitting in a chair sort of behind Wade and Rikki and I could tell then that he wasn't feeling well. He looked tired and flushed, but he still looked good (Yes, I realize that I'm quite bias on this subject and no I don't care ).
After a few moments he spotted me standing there and I got the best smile! I asked him to come to the table and he did so I gave him the shirt I bought for him, which I hope he loved as much as he seemed to, and gave him all the cards that I collected. He seemed pretty happy that everyone had sent stuff in for them. I asked him how he was feeling and said okay but he was trying to get over a sinus infection. He told me that he loved what I was doing with the Sinners & Saints website and I told him that I am so busy because of him and I love him for it, he laughed. He has a great laugh by the way... I told him he was too good to me and he responded that we're good for each other. He wanted to hang out after they were done at the merch table, but got pulled into a meeting and I wasn't feeling well at all so I didn't really stick around too long.
We headed back to the hotel and relaxed a bit. Claudia absolutely loved the show and she is now an even bigger fan. She got to meet everyone and they were all so great to her. Not that I'm surprised at all, but they're just amazingly personable guys.
The next morning we got up, had breakfast with good friends and milled around a bit before we had to head back to AZ. It was a long trip, but totally worth it. Operator is always worth it and seeing Johnny, Wade, Rikki, Paul and Dorman is never ever a disappointment. They definitely give it their all and pull everyone into their show. Something I noticed is that Johnny spends some time putting the songs into real life situations, bringing a real perspective to it and I think that's part of the reason that the crowd reacts so strongly to them. You can imagine yourself in those situations and it makes the song a little more meaningful. It definitely worked on the crowd in Vegas.
The ride home was a long one, but the whole experience was worth every second and I can't wait until December so that I can see them again. And have pictures again because we weren't allowed to have cameras anywhere near House of Blues. Boooo!
I also got told that I need a new picture on myspace because I look ten years younger in person... that was quite the compliment. I guess I'll just have to take millions with Johnny in December and see if I can get one that looks more like me I want one of him in the shirt I bought him anyways.... (It's black with a green clover and the clover says I'm Irish and under the clover in green text it says Wanna Fight? Fits him no??)
All in all it was a good trip, productive and it was filled with fun, laughter, happiness and a great show. I can't wait to do it again! The highlights of my trip were definitely getting to spend some time with new friends, seeing how much Claudia enjoyed her first Operator experience, seeing Johnny again and of course I adore him for saying we're good for each other... but I still think he's too good to me. I can't wait for December!
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Comment by Angela 3
on June Weekends with Operator
It was great. I'm looking forward to the next shows.
My contacts came with a lot of hard work, but hopefully I can put them to good use to bring you all some good stories!