Reviews 

Ian and I tripped from Balto/DC. Greg tripped from Balto. Sara and Jenn came from somewhere not too far away. Jay and his son Colin flew down from Rochester!

Jay and Colin bought an acoustic guitar at the local pawn shop, and brought it to the show. All 3 prezzies signed it!!!

We all got to meet/chat with the boys. They played most (if not all of S/T), Mach5, Lunatic 2 Love, Some Postman, Problem (Sex Pistols), Highway Forever, Jilted on the Tarmac.

Mucho evidence will come forth soon. Video/pics/etc. For those who missed it.

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Hey everyone......WOW last night was sooo great!! you'll probably get a better review from the others, but here's what i have to say: (there are going to be a lot of !!!!)

 

*the stickers were a great idea!! i took my best friend jennifer (jenn) and we spotted "the others" right away....Jay and Greg, and Jay's son. then insane ian and john came, and we all hung out the whole night!! everyone was great, very nice, it was awesome meeting some people from the list!! if i come up to maryland, or any of you come down to richmond, then we'll have to hang out!! but anyway sharing the pusa excitement w/ya'll made the whole thing even better, since you all understood exactly how i was feeling!!!

 

*the opening bands were alright. i liked them, i didn't think they sucked, but if i'm into a band, i'll buy either their cd or some merch, but i didn't even get up to get a free sticker...

 

*there were some hidden pusa fans there!! we spotted a couple of pusa shirts ("i'm with lump") that i wanted to rip off the people bc i really want a pusa shirt, and i tried to yell after one to join our cult but he just kept walking. anyway, i also looked around at the crowd a little during the show, and i was surprised to see a good number of people singing along to songs that they wouldnt' have known unless if they were dedicated fans....all those people need to join the list! and someone make allison join, she was really nice!! anyway the whole crowd was completely into the show, there were a lot of people there and everyone was roking out, lots of crowd surfing and random running on stage and a couple of guys skanked on the stage, haha. i think some of it entertained the presidents, i saw jason laughing a couple of times when security took some people out.

 

* the president's performance: did it live up to my (high) expectations? of course, it's the presidents!! it was PERFECT. well, they didn't play all of their songs, THEN that would have been perfect, but the ones they did play were GREAT!! i'm sure someone will have a setlist up, i think john already said everything they played, but they really did an awesome job. they know how to get the crowd hyped, too, and they (esp chris) did lots of cool/funny things during the show....chris did the splits (kinda?) twice, and some crazy dancing. and at the end of every song, jason would hit the drums right as chris jumped in the air. i tried to get good pictures every time they did something cool, but i would always take it right after it happened so i think i'm going to have a lot of pictures of them just standing there...haha oh well.

 

they brought out the "angry chef" who works at the wendy's in los angelas but commutes all the way from arizona every morning....(thats what chris told us...) haha... anyway he played the guitar and had some good solos. what else? chris made some funny comments but i forgot what they were. dave and chris played their guitars almost touching each other at one point, i took a picture of it. the crowd went wild when chris screamed "fuck you kitty..." haha. the crowd also consisted of a lot of young goth wannabes (why do i think they were fake? i don't even know any of them, they just seemed fake for some reason...) but the crowd response to the presidents was awesome, i definitely seeing them making a comeback....

 

i think the presidents had a really good time playing and performing again. at one point chris got them to turn off the stage lights completely and got everyone to get out their lighters and wave them around. it was really cool.

 

*we met them beforehand, like john said. well, i only met chris and dave, but they were both really really nice. i got some pictures with them and their autograph, it was so cool!! i didn't get to tell them in detail how much i liked them, but maybe i'll see them again someday. i hope all of you get a chance to see them sometime, i know it was one of my life goals, and its weird i got to do it. presidents better keep touring!! i wanna see them again (i wish fairfax was like a month from now instead of next weekend cause i can't go :(  ).

 

*my only regrets: not going onstage when they asked for a female during kitty...i'm such a pussy (that was beyond lame), and not being able to hang out w/the boys afterwards (my friend wasn't feeling well) but it's all good, it was still a completely incredible and unforgettable night.

 

*john, thanks for getting jason's autograph for me!!! i really really appreciate it!! and for the stickers :).

*insane ian, you were hilarious!! your comments made the wait for the presidents to take the stage more bearable.

*jay, good job raising your son...he knew all the words :P.

*greg, thanks so much for being such a gentleman and protecting jenn, she told me that you saved her from crazy crowdsurfers the whole time (until that one inevitable one at the end). i really appreciate you looking out for her!

 

ok i think i've covered everything?

 

i should get the pics back within a week or 2 and i'll scan them for you, or maybe someone can put them up on a website? cause i took almost a whole roll....i dunno i'll figure it out later.

 

this is the longest e-mail the list has ever seen.

 

ROK ON,

Sara

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Well you all I just got in, after a wonderful nights stay in oh so lovely Roanoke Va.  It was amazing!!!!!!!!  I gotta say I've been looking forward to that show since I've been a presidents fan, this was my first time to see them live and it was everything I could have hoped for and more!  I actually got to meet them, they were so awsome and down to earth you could tell that what their fans thought was so important to them.  I got all three of them to sign my lucky hat :-D now it is offically for ever my luckiest of lucky hats.  Any one who has a chance no matter the drive should most definitly take it, the five hours of driving alone both ways was well worth it.  You can ask Ian I was like a kid in a candy store as I think we all were, it was awsome.  On a side note the night was made so much better by the people I got to meet from this list.  and I think I need to take after sara and give a couple little shout outs here.

Ian - dude sara had it right you made the wait for the presidents so much less painful then it could have been.  You'll definitly have to keep in touch and let me know if you're doing any stand up or gigs that I can get to.  FRODDER!!!!!!

Q - The man with the hook ups what can I say if it wasn't for you I'm not sure if I would have meet them.  Thanks man

Jay and Colin - Well all I can say is I better not see that guitar on e-bay! I'm glad I got to meet you both it's always good to see a youngin who's rocking out as hard if not harder than everyone else there,  Btw colin with those ups I saw while you were pogoing you should consider playing some basketball

Sara and Jen -  It was really nice to meet you, I'm just sorry that the one guy got through, stuff like that can really ruin the experience for everyone.  I've got allison's e-mail and I'm gonna talk to her about joining the list cuz you're right she should, she showed up only knowing a little bit about PUSA and i think she did join the cult and will be as bad as the rest of us from now on :-D

Neways that's it everyone, I can't wait to see the pictures, and Q let me know what I gotta do to get a copy of that tape, same to  jay, I'd love to have both of your guys recordings.

Peace,

Greg

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Ok, here it is, a few days after the fact and i'm finally able to get online and post about the coolest show i've been to in a LOOOONG while. Some of this has already been said, but this is my version of the recap, so...uh...deal or something. Yeah.

Met Jaq in Bethesda and we treked to VA at around 2pm, made it there by 6 (i drive kinda fast). Soon after arriving we met up with Greg, Jay & his son Colin and Sara and her friend Jenn. It was so cool to finally meet you guys and get the different stories of what songs you dig, how long a trip you took to get there and the like. You guys deffinatly made the experience of my first PUSA show that much more memorable.

After about an hour of sitting through bands called HANDJOB or whatever and FROTTER (sounds like something you scream when you're on fire)the guys finally showed up and we all traveled backstage to meet and greet. Chris spotted Jaq immediatly and recognized him on sight! Lucky bastich. I introduced myself and Chris recognized my name from our correspondence and told us that he had passes waiting at the front gate for Jaq and I and if we had gotten them. Since we didn't even know about them we didn't, but the gesture was still awesome that he thought of us like that! Chris mentioned that they're going to re-release the self titled album sometime in the summer with new tracks, then a possible DVD with the videos to LUMP and PEACHES as well as a making of docu, and finally a brand spanking new album. Awesome. Colin got his guitar signed (genius idea) and Greg got his hat signed since he didn't think to bring anything for them to sign. I didn't either, and my camera's batteries had died the nigt before, so i brought NOTHING but my scrawny self and i'm still kicking my own ass for that one. If anyone managed to get me in a shot they took send it my way (I know Jay took a pic of Greg & CB with my head showing up in the bottom corner like some demented leprchan or something...that'll do for now).

After much starstruck-ed-ness, we finally left the guys alone to work on the setlist and waited for the show. After one more band, Georgia Avenue (who sounded like John Mayer beating the crap out of the Goo Goo Dolls for fucking up a Counting Crows cover) they announced that PUSA would be on stage soon. Cue the mad rush of PUSA fans to the front of the stage. We got all the way to the front and stayed there the entire show while Jaq & Jay stayed a bit back and taped the show. Colin and Sara at the very front (as they were the shortest) and Greg and I hanging back just behind them with Jenn and Greg's friend Allison whom he met at the front gates. We were joined by a little junior PUSA fan named Logan who had to be about 6 years old.

His dad wanted him to get as close as possible so we got him to the very edge of the stage and surrounded him, in case any "festive dancing" decided to partake in the crowd. We took it as our charge to keep an eye on the small fry and keep him out of harms way so he could enjoy the show, and his father seemed appreciative. The show began. Chris came out ready to rok and they started playeding some tune we hadn't heard before. I guess you could call it "Cool Time", a sort of newer "Ladies & Gentlemen", but with Chris making up the lyrics about the current venue, and all the stuff at the Festival (funnel cake and turkey legs). Despite it's slow start, it became a good roker to beging with, then they kicked into "Kick Out the Jams". The show pretty much took the same setlist as the early shows, which roked. Some newer tunes were "Jilted On The Tarmac" (Chris & Tad, with Jason singing Tad's verse) "Some Postman" (which totally roked despite Chris saying he fucked up the words) and they brought out the Angry Chef for the guitar noodles in Naked & Famous. I don't know who this guy really was, but he looked ike Neil Young on speed. But man, can he wail. Too cool.

The show ended far too soon, but an encore was eminent. The guys came back out and roked "Problems" (a Sex Pistols cover) as well as "Highway Forever" (totally new tune, it seemed) with the Angry Chef returning and Dave and he having some sort of Guitar Battle with Chris stomping around the stage like some demented bald Godzilla. I can't wait to see this on the vid.

The show ended. Greg was a hero for the whole evening for keeping the crowd surfers off the girls, except for a few who had decided to use Jenn's head as a landing pad. Logan skipped out after the first 4 songs which was just as well since he prolly would have gotten crushed anyway, despite our best efforts. I had a huge headache since i was standing RIGHT in front and i hadn't eaten anything since noon. The evening still wasn't over, however, as we learned earlier that the band was going to hang with whoever wanted at some ritzy bar called THE METRO just up the street. Sara and Jenn had to leave since Jenn was about to pass out from a near concusion (i hope she's ok) so it was just the few of us remaining.

We get to the club and BOY is it hoity toity. $20 a plate, and that's without any FOOD on it. We decide to head up the street for gub, as the band won't be there for another 45 minutes anyway. We eat at the CORNED BEEF, named since...uh, since they serve corned beef, i guess. Salty corned beef too. Anyway, now fed, we trek back to the club. We head upstairs to where the guys are and see Chris tearing up the dancefloor like a madman. A full rok show and he's still pumped as ever. There's a bachelor party at the next tabel, and Chris is interacting with them like he's known them for years.And somehow, he doesn't seem like he fits in with them totally (mainly b.c they're all HUGE black guys who look like football players) but he still slides up to them without a care in the world, making them laugh and get down with their bad selves. We chill with the guys for a bot, Jaq is mistaken for Chris no fewer than 5 times in the entire evening, and we finally have to get back on the road.

Before we leave, we say goodbye to Jason, Dave & Chris. Then, the coolest thing happend. At the last moment, Chris puts his arm around Jaq and I and says "I'm glad i have you two here in person to say this to. It's because of you guys that we still do this. I just want to thank you."

Wow. To say Chris and the guys are appreciative of their fans is an understatement. I was so psyched then. All i could do was grin back and say "thanks". Despite my pounding headache, it was the coolest moment of the whole day.

Thanks to all who made the trip fun, and we'll deffinately have to do it all again, assuming they head this way soon ( i wish i could make it to the show on Sat, but alas). Now, to copy some, my shout outs...

Jaq - Great to finally meet you after all these years. I don't think that without you we would have gotten as far with meeting the guys as we did. Thanks for ZF and driving the leg back to Bethesda.

Greg - You're an Ace dude. A total roker who watches out for the ladies. You seriously need to rent yourself out as crowd control for shows, you could make some serious coin (as well as picking up a few numbers)

Sara - Thanks for putting up with my mindless cornball jokes. Glad I kept you, Jenn & Greg entertained before the real stuff happened. Hope Jenn's ok and your trip was safe.

Jay & Colin - We'll trade shows soon. Cool to finally put a face to the name on the list, as well as meeting the coolest mini roker there is. You're trained your son well, Jay. Now get him to more shows so he can get Chris' moves down and all will be well.

Whew. Long e-mails from me are few and far between. Time to do something else for a while and not post for a few months.

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Awesome show! Don't miss PUSA if you get the chance. If you are a fan you won't be sorry, no matter what else you miss. We were lucky enough to see them in Charlotte(in the rain) & Roanoke. I love it!

John Q., sorry we missed hooking up w/you & the gang. We didn't arrive till about 7:30. So we didn't get any stickers. Can I still get some? We did talk to the guys after the show & got autographs & pictures. Too cool!!! I am mad that I didn't find out about the after show party at the bar, though. We just went back to the hotel, instead of driving 4 hours home. But at least we did make the show & hopefully got some really good pix. I am slso interested in the video. My computer is a piece of junk, so I can't really down load anything. It can bearly handle this group stuff. So please keep us up to date. Let us know how to get our hands on these stickers, audio & video cd's, tapes etc.

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