By. Chris R.
2:55 AM. No better time to sit down and empty some thoughts onto a piece of paper.
When I woke up on the morning of August 23rd, 2011, I had no idea of what my evening would be like. I knew that I had won 2 tickets and a photo pass for my friend Liz and I to see My Chemical Romance at the Marcus Ampitheater in Milwaukee, but as excited as I was for this event, I still had some nervous thoughts looming in my mind: "Will I find my tickets and my seats alright?" "Will her and I get separated?" "Will the photo pass work and flow smoothly?" Well, what unfolded was a memorable night filled with many good times and irreplicaple moments.
We got to the box office an hour before the doors opened and we got our tickets, no problem. There were tons of Blink 182 fans gathered near the doors. But for what the MCR fans lacked in numbers, they made up for in spirit. Killjoys gathered around slowly but surely, standing out with many original and colorful outfits. Before we knew it, we were in - and ready to rock.
Now here's where things got really interesting: Manchester Orchestra had just finished their set, and I was very excited to take my place up by the photo pit to digitally capture my four heroes. But venue security would not buy my fully certified authorization to the pit and were dead set on keeping me out of it. I made a few phone calls, dropped a few names - but they wouldnt budge. I made my way back to my seats, bummed that this opportunity was being taken from me. But nonetheless, I was fortunate to be here and eagerly awaited MCR's set.
After a BL/ind spokespeson gave the countdown, MCR rip, roared and rolled through "Na Na Na" and then went right to "Vampire Money". All of a sudden, one of MCR's tour managers motioned for me to come to the security gates. I was finally going to get my chance at this once in a lifetime opportunity! ...but there was one stipulation: I could only take pictures for the rest of the song, and it was already a minute in. I had to work fast. I hurried to the front and started snapping away at the boys. Their high energy flailing around combined with my excitement did not make capturing photos of them easy, but I think I did a good job. Three times in the 2 minutes I was up there, security guards tugged at me, pulled me away, and tried to bust me - thinking I jumped the rail or something. But the sticker on my chest and the onlooking manager gave them their answer: This was my moment. This was my time. And I can honestly say that when it was just me and the band for that minute and a half/two minutes, my favorite MCR song blasting in my face without any interruptions - that was THE best moment of my life. Not everyone can say that they get to stand within 3 feet of their heroes. And if it meant me having to deal with some turbulence to get to that place, it was a miniscule price to pay compared to the photos I received in return.