I've listened to Valencia for about two and a half years now. Which isn't a lot for kids on the east coast, especially in this area, but in early '06 when I bought their first CD I didn't know anyone else in California that listened to them, let alone anyone that had ever even heard of them. I wore the shit out of that album, I remember the day I bought it really clearly, and how from that time until the end of that summer when I moved to Delaware it was pretty much the only thing I listened to. 3,000 miles will forever be MY song, based solely on the fact that they came into my life at that specific time and it hit me so very hard. Now, I've seen them perform numerous times, but for some reason tonight out did all the rest. It was their Album Release show for their second album, at the Troc Balcony (which is easily the smallest venue I have EVER been to..aaammmmaaazzinnnggg) and being right up front, the moment they started playing that song, I completely lost it.
Over the past year or so I've realized how much bigger they've been getting, how the venues have been getting bigger, how I hadn't liked any new songs they were releasing, and when I found out they signed with Columbia records I was feeling so distant from them. Despite how vast my music taste is, and how much it varies at any given time when it comes to what I'm currently obsessing over, theres a few bands that I will take to the grave. mewithoutYou, Thursday, Saves the Day, and Circa Survive to name the main ones. Up until recently Valencia was always on that list, but due to me realizing those few things. I kind of forgot that. Well tonight, I remembered why I love that band and why I always have and always will.
No matter how good a show makes me feel, every one of my favorite bands leaves me with a different kind of feeling. I couldn't possibly live without the feeling Valencia's shows give me, because it's different than all the rest. So tonight, feeling unexcited for their show, the minute I realized how much it actually meant when they were playing..I can't even describe it. So after realizing that, when they started playing 3,000 Miles I completely geeked. I've never felt that emotional during a song, I've never held back tears so hard. Then George grabbed my hand during the first part of the chorus, "3,000 miles from the place I once called home.." and I don't think anything has ever so strongly made my night. The show was fucking amazing over all, and I'm so glad I got to have the chance to remember how much they mean to me. Lauren and I also definitely lost it during From the Second I Wake Up, like always..but tonight felt different. It's so strange that I've seen those songs live so many times now, but they effected me so much more tonight than ever before. Later Lauren mentioned that they don't only hit her so hard because of the people she's lost, but because of how much I'VE gone through and lost as well, it made me love her so much more. I'd be no where with out that girl, I would have nothing here. Tonight just meant a whole lot, obviously.
The rest of the day was really good too. Lauren and myself left Delaware around 11 in the morning, so we could also go to the free acoustic show Valencia was playing in the afternoon at the FYE on Broad St. We made it on time, ran into Bryan Calvetti, and then they played about 5 songs. We walked around a bit, got followed by a short, white, and screaming obviously crazy and potentially homeless man who stood on the corner singing, "JOY TO THE WORLDDD" and then got some food and had a picnic in a park near Walnut St. We went to South St. for a bit, walked around, I bought a scarf, we went to a few thrift stores and condom kingdom hahah, and then headed up to Chinatown where the Trocadero is, to sit outside in line for awhile. During the next hour or so I spent way too much money on vegetable fried rice and while I was sitting on the ground extremely depressed when I realized I wasn't even hungry, some random black woman exclaimed she needed help, proceeded to look around at everyone and then her eyes went back to me. She marched on over and told me about how she couldn't get her bag of cotton candy open and that she knew I could help her. (Honestly, I'm so not fazed by the fact that I will always attract weird shit anymore) and I eventually got the bag open and she walked away saying, "now THATS what I'm talking about!" We waited in line for awhile, went inside, talked shit on everyone around us, two other bands played, I was completely grossed out by and freaking out about the 400 lb black girl next to me who kept touching me, and some girl in front of us told me I looked really familiar and was trying really hard to figure out how she knew me. (This happens so much, I really don't get it. People who I've never met or seen in my life somehow know who I am. It king of freaks me out, because it's in the most random situations.) The show was amazing as I previously may have mentioned, and well worth the $10 it cost for not only the show but also a free new album, a sticker, and some pins. Afterwards, while Lauren thought she was dying and I couldn't feel my knees, we went to Wawa and then some how got away with out having to pay the $10 we should have for parking..simply because I lifted up the guard rail haha, seriously perfect almost ending to the night.
And that would have been the perfect ending, if that's how it had ended, but it got even better for me. Now, if you know me really well, you know about my fucking obsession with city lights and how I can't seem to explain what they do to me..but they make me feel so many emotions at once I feel like my heart is going to burst right out of my chest. Well, I love Philly..but I'm always the one driving so I never really get to look around at everything, especially on the drive home, but Lauren drove today. So I turned around, literally gasped and scared Lauren, and really got to look, I mean really look, at the Philadelphia skyline in the night sky for the first time. I couldn't control myself, I rolled down my window and stuck half my body out and stayed that way starring at all the lights until I couldn't see them anymore. And I was a fucking girl and cried my little eyes out because I can't tell you the last night I actually felt that alive.
Despite all the shit that's been going on in my life, despite the fact that I have no idea what I'm doing or where I'm going, despite how fucking discontent I feel with not living the way I know I need to, and despite not knowing anything at all really..Tonight was a night that's gonna be in my heart forever and really defines the kind of life I need to live. I loved it, and I need to feel like this so much more often, if not every day for the rest of my life. And believe me, I will make it happen.
"I'm making my way, through cities and towns. Just trying to lose myself in skylines and forget.."
"So let's go back down to the back of that river where we we can dive right in and forget about the worries from the world outside, 'Cause you know my world, my world's not over, Because I have an angel on my shoulder."
