Clean your computer screens, polish your mouses, and dust your keyboards, 'cause the Princess Of Darkness and her site are back, motherfuckers --- And neither of them take kindly to sloppy workspaces upon their long awaited returns. =_=

Don't give me those blank looks, you buffoons, you know very well who the Princess Of Darkness is and which site she holds command over! ><;

... o_o

;She sighs most heavily as she is given even blanker looks by her Court Of Darkness.;

FFS, it's me, you idiots! I'm the freakin' Princess Of Darkness, and mallorymaloney.com is my site! Y'know what, I'd better try and simplify things for you ... I can tell that the only thing I'm doing is confusing your small minds even further. -_-;

I'm back. mallorymaloney.com is back. I'm going to start posting new Updates/Blog entries every Wednesday once again. mallorymaloney.com's Hiatus is officially over. You may now rejoice via removing your shirt and shoes and attempting to casually enter as many fast food facilities as possible.

And before anyone chides me on being gone for so long, I'll have you know that the longest I've went without posting a new Updates/Blog entry has been eighty six days --- And it's only been eighty two days since mallorymaloney.com's last entry. So there! >_>;

Now then. Seeing as how I very lazily haven't properly bothered to assemble any updates for the Updates half of this entry, we're gonna jump right into the blog half ... Which, as regular visitors will already know, is going to revolve entirely around the Green Day concert I attended on 18 August 2010 in Toronto, Ontario's Molson Amphitheatre venue! >w<;

It all started with me getting up nice and early at 8:30 AM to eat breakfast, ((A fibre rich bowl of cereal, if you must know, 'cause poopin' on a regular basis rocks,)) To drink quite a bit of water, ((Because passing out during a show put on by your favourite band in the entire Universe is über lame ... Unless that band happens to be the Beatles, then it's totally acceptable,)) And to begin getting ready straight away, ((As I literally take no less than three hours to get ready for pretty much every single 'big' outing in my life,)) Because my Dad and I were planning to drive to Toronto around noon to insure a good place in line --- And thus a good place on the floor when the show started, as we both had General Admission AKA pit tickets. ((Which, as I'm sure most everyone knows, is first come, first choice.))

After I finished getting ready, ((I took even longer to get ready than I thought I would, and had to scarf down a hastily assembled lunch uncomfortably close to noon whilst simultaneously straightening and teasing my hair,)) My Dad and I both headed out back to have photographs taken of the both of us in our insanely extravagant concert attire. ^o^

Me wearing the tops and skirt that my friend Amber helped me purchase from two 'Payment By PayPal Only' eBay auctions, along with two pairs of layered socks I purchased from SockItToMe.Com, a pair of black monochrome Chuck Taylors I purchased from BagginsShoes.Com, and a multitude of carefully chosen accessories that I had already owned, save for the ridiculously large amount of colour coordinated Silly Bandz on my right wrist. ((That's right, along with the other ninety five percent of the world's population, I, too, have been bitten by the Silly Bandz/Zandy Bandz/Rubba Bandz/Loony Bands bug --- And I wouldn't have it any other way! *o* Although I will admit that the sheer size of my 'Bandz collection would probably shock even the factories that produced them in the first place. >_>; But I'll save that for another entry!)) And, of course, everything I was wearing matched perfectly, right down to my makeup, nails, and hair, as you'll see in the photo below. ^_~

And my Dad wearing a near identical outfit to the one Billie Joe Armstrong wore to the Green Day concert we attended last summer, from the shoes, to the jeans, to the skull patterned handkerchief, to the polka dotted tie, to the militaryesque shirt, and, most exceptionally, to each and every one of the fourteen badges on said militaryesque shirt. And trust me, how we managed to acquire such badges was no easy feat! x_x; No premade badges even slightly similar to the fourteen Billie Joe wear are available for purchase anywhere, online or off ... And so we had to make them ourselves, with me recreating each of Billie's badges one by one in PhotoShop, and with Dad getting them manufactured by a badge making company he uses when he needs personalised items made for The Association Of Ontario Locksmiths, of which he's the vice president. It was no cheap shirtly endeavour, that's for sure, but the outcome was totally worth it, as I'm sure you'll agree upon comparing the two photos below!

And just for good measure, here's one last photo, this time with both of us in the same shot. I'm sure you'll agree that my Dad's expression is made of one hundred percent win ... In a mentally disabled sorta way.

After we had a sufficient number of photos taken of our ridiculously fantastic outfits, ((More of my own will be added to my Photographs page next week, along with a new Updates/Blog entry,)) We grabbed what concert essentials could fit in our pockets, drove to a nearby gas station to load up on minutes for our cellphones, ((So we could text or call each other in case we were separated in any crowds,)) And then we were blasting down the highway toward Toronto! >w<;

Before I knew it, we had arrived at the Molson Amphitheatre, ((Which is located within Ontario Place,)) And secured a place in line, with only about one hundred people ahead of us. Considering most of them had actually started lining up a day or two before us, and considering we didn't even show up until around 3:00 PM, I'd say we did a pretty Goddamn good job! ^u^

For the first hour or so, the lining up part was seriously boring. x_x; And hot. Granted, it could have been a fuck of a lot hotter than it was --- It was probably only about seventy five to eight degress Fahrenheit out that day, which is actually pretty low for Summer weather in Ontario --- But there was no shade to take refuge in whatsoever, so for awhile, the heat was a little annoying.

However, after that, the line up became a lot more fun, as I started recognising and meeting various members from a Green Day fan forum called GreenDayCommunity.Org I myself am also member of! A photo shall follow of just a few of the members I met. ^^; ((Four thousand and nine apologies ahead of time for the fact that my closed eyes ruined the only posed group shot that was taken with me included. I'm seriously so fucking embarrassed that I ruined an otherwise perfect photo.)) From left to right is Val AKA beachbum, Veronica AKA greenday41, me, Mallory, AKA mallorymaloney, and Jessica AKA jmax21.

After a few more speedy hours of fun filled line uppage, the blockade that marked the beginning of the line was suddenly opened up, and we all instantly began to surge forward like a school of fish pushed by a river's current, pushing, crushing, and shoving each other in the process ... Because as we quickly began to realise, our places in line did not necessarily reflect our later places in the pit. It was only about who could get their tickets scanned first, and who could run the fastest to get to a somewhat hidden second line without the security stopping you or accidentally giving you the incorrect directions and sending you off to the seated area as opposed to the pit. No one's really sure as to why things were organised this way, ((Or, rather, unorganised,)) But such is always the nature of live shows and their venues. You never truly know what to expect, no matter how many shows you've attended in your life.

As a result, my standing place and my Dad's standing place were less than perfect --- Way over on one side of the stage where Mike Dirnt would later play his bass, and one person behind barrier. I had wanted a centre piece of the barrier, myself, but that clearly wasn't going to happen for me, as the centre barrier was already five or six people deep by that time. x_x;

I shouldn't complain at all, though, because I could have very easily been stuck with a pair of shitty seat tickets if I didn't have such good luck grabbing a pair of the very limited number of pit tickets in the first place!

After my Dad and I claimed our mostly decent spots in the pit, a bunch of the GreenDayCommunity.Org members came and stood with us after a short while, and as we waited for the roadies to set up AFI's equipment, ((As they were going to be opening for Green Day,)) We got to talking about the different types of fansigns that people often hold up during Green Day's shows. I offhandedly mentioned that I had been thinking about creating a whole bunch of 'It's Ho As Hell!' signs to hand out to people in line to all hold up in unison at some sort of predecided time, but that I hadn't wanted to risk the possibility of offending Billie Joe with them, and thus hadn't bothered.

For all you non Green Day fans out there reading this thinking, 'What the fuck is she on about?!' I shall explain as simply as possible: Green Day have a Twitter account, and Billie Joe often updates it with random loltastic tidbits, usually riddled with typos that us fans find endearingly hilarious. One of those Tweets spawned the now infamous 'Ho As Hell' meme amongst Green Day fans, which went as follows:

Thrift store shoppin in chi town.. Its ho as hell! Getting ready for Atlanta!

--- Billie Joe Armstrong via Green Day's Twitter.

Billie recognised the error two days later, ((Likely due to an overwhelming amount of fans teasing him over it,)) And addressed it by Tweeting:

Just looked at an old tweet that said, "its ho as hell?" I can't text worth a shit.. Oh god please give me sympathy!

--- Billie Joe Armstrong via Green Day's Twitter.

So, now that everyone's familiar with the Ho As Hell meme, I'm sure you understand why I didn't really like the idea of making and handing out signs reading 'It's Ho As Hell!' to concertgoers, but when I said it aloud, all I got were gasps of approval and various cheering sounds of encouragement from those who were listening in around me! O_O; I figured everyone would agree with me in thinking it'd be too offensive of a sign to hold up at a show, because who likes people constantly teasing them about typos they make online, right? Apparently I was wrong, because Val AKA beachbum from GreenDayCommunity.Org, ((Who also happens to be a wonderful realism artist, as you can clearly see upon visiting her online portfolio,)) Whipped out the sketch pad and pencil crayons she brings wherever she goes and announced that we would make a single 'It's Ho As Hell!' sign right then and there.

I still wanted no part of it, thinking only of Billie's feelings, but after everyone refused Val's paper and pencil crayons due to the fact that their handwriting was 'terrible', I ended up volunteering for the task --- After I was assured by everyone that I wouldn't have to hold up the sign, only create it. I still wasn't entirely fond of the idea, but hey, I figured sitting down and resting up for a bit before I was gonna be standing up for the next three to four hours wouldn't do me any harm!

I was just putting the finishing touches on the sign when the opening chords of AFI's set rang throughout the amphitheater, so I leapt clumsily to my feet, thrust the pad of paper and the pencil crayons into Val's hands, jammed a pair of the Etymotic ER20 Hi Fidelity Musicians' earplugs I had bought ahead of time on this online store for my Dad and I into my ears, and watched as Davey, Jade, Hunter, and Adam all ran out onstage and began Medicate. This was the first song in their brilliant setlist --- Which I have a photograph of here, as held up by a lucky fan on the barrier who managed to get her hands on it:

For most of AFI's show, I attempted to get Jade's attention, mostly because my good friend and massive AFI fan Kayleigh had told him ahead of time online that I'd be there, but my word, the boy was absolutely riveted to his guitar, and, for a bit of occasional variety, the floor! His gaze never once rose to the crowd, and I admit I was a little disappointed that we were unable to catch his eye, but then again, that was the first time I've seen them play live, so perhaps that's just how he always acts?

Davey, on the other hand, was absolutely obsessed with staring directly into the eyes of seemingly each and every audience members' eyes individually --- Mine included! Later on in their set, during I think Miss Murder, Davey came over to my side of the stage, caught my eye, and then held it as he sang nearly an entire line of the song to me.

It probably would have been longer if I hadn't looked away first, having been completely unnerved by how magnificently intense his stare was. The energy I saw in his eyes was too strong for me to handle, and I had to break contact before he did, a fact of which I'm not exactly proud of. ><; I also sort of felt that I wasn't a big enough fan to experience such an exchange.

Still, even though I turned into a total pansy the instant Davey settled his eyes on mine, the important thing is that he did, and for that I feel quite special and honoured. *^^*

Another amazing event during AFI's set was about midway through, when my Dad noticed someone way to the left side of the stage wearing a wrestling mask that looked suspiciously similar to a wrestling mask Tré Cool of Green Day wears when he's attempting to conceal his identity when playing in a band called The Network. The Network is made up of every member of Green Day and several of their onstage bandmates and close acquaintances --- And although Green Day themselves have never admitted to being members of The Network, it's plainly obvious that's who they are ... And here's an ((Albeit extremely grainy)) Photo my Dad took as proof of this fact! ^_~ Look behind Hunter, for a figure with a red head down in the bottom left hand corner.

After AFI, ((And Tré Cool in disguise,)) Left the stage, the roadies immediately started moving aside and packing away all of their equipment and replacing it with Green Day's, and not too long after that, the Drunk Pink Bunny made his traditional preshow appearance to rev up everyone in the crowd even more than we were already.

The Drunk Pink Bunny went about this task by doing everything from chugging beers as we egged him on, to sloppily dancing to YMCA by The Village People and getting us to dance along with him, to getting the entire crowd to endlessly scream Green Day's name. We all happily complied, and I bet I'm not the only one who'll admit that they were a bit sad to see him weave backstage after several minutes of his drunken onstage escapades, bwahaha ... >w<; Below is a photo I took of him that he actually stood still for until I put my camera down by my side! ((And yes, he is wearing a mustache made of electrical tape. Naturally.))

Shortly after the Drunk Pink Bunny made his exit, and quite without warning, Billie Joe's vocals were heard, as the staticky opening lines of Green Day's Song Of The Century were transmitted through the sound system. Everyone in the entire venue was instantly standing up straight as an arrow and cheering, whistling, screaming, hollering in excitement --- And all this was before Billie Joe, Mike, or Tré even made their appearance onstage!

The noise that followed when the opening lines ended and the instrumental build up began was even more frenzied, and when Billie ran out, followed by Mike, Tré, and their three other onstage bandmates, well, it just became deliciously deafening. As always, the shock of seeing them in person as opposed to on a computer or television screen was like the most pleasurable slap in the face you've ever received.

Although I will admit that my shock wasn't nearly as refined this time around as it was last year, possibly because I was so much closer to Billie Joe then compared to this year ... Because despite the fact I was technically closer the entire time this year as opposed to last, ((Last year I was anywhere from four to six people behind barrier, and it varied,)) There was a catwalk that was installed to the front of the stage last year, which I was at the very end of. This time, though, there were no catwalks --- Just a blunt stage, straight across the front of the venue, and I was way to one side of that stage.

Again, though, I'm not going to complain about this, because as I already mentioned, I could have very well have been stuck with a pair of seat tickets so far back that you had to squint to make out anything onstage ... That, or be stuck watching the giant monitors installed high above the right and left of the stage.

Plus, if I wasn't standing where I was, I might not have gotten the chance to tick an important item off my mental Things To Do Before I Die list. Y'know, the item which reads, 'Make eye contact with one or more members of Green Day'?

... That's right.

I finally did it, you guys. I did it, I did it, I did it, I fucking did it, oh my God, after years of wanting to make it happen I finally fucking did it! Even now, even as I type this I can hardly believe it, but it happened. It happened, and it was unbelievably amazing. It's actually bringing blurry tears of happiness to my eyes just thinking about it, but I'm gonna blink them away so I can see the keyboard properly and tell you guys all about it.

;She blinks frantically for several moments, followed by loudly blowing her nose into a tissue and taking several deep breaths.;

Okay, I'm good. Vision cleared.

... Mostly. ;_;

The first exchange of eye contact happened midway through Green Day's set, but during which song, exactly, I couldn't tell you, likely due to the fact that I was --- And still am --- In such utter shock it happened at all. Mike, having been almost directly in front of me for the duration of the entire show, seemed to almost look over me or past me any time I tried to catch his attention. This upset me somewhat, as I clearly saw him interacting with multiple other people in the crowd. It started to seem that he was almost avoiding me!

This, of course, is absolutely ridiculous, as you have to know someone exists to avoid them. -_-; However, the fear that I might be an avoidee only made me even more determined to be seen ... And so the next time it appeared that Mike was about to look in my general direction, I leapt high into the air and flashed him a peace sign with a giant grin plastered to my face, and holy fucking shit, d'you know what Mike did ...? He looked directly into my eyes!

Not only that, oh, man, not even slightly only that, he then proceeded to grin right back and wink at me in trademark Mike fashion! O_O

After he grinned and winked at me, he quickly looked back down at his bass ... Like you do when you smile at a stranger as you pass them in the street, and then quickly look away, due to the fact you suddenly feel a bit bashful for having momentarily exposed your inner self.

The eye exchanges didn't stop there, though, because during Boulevard Of Broken Dreams, Billie Joe came over to my side of the stage and caught my eye for the smallest fraction of a second. It was more of a passing glance than anything else, but it was so profound to me, that other fans would have reacted the way I did if they had an entire private conversation with him.

I was reeling. My eyes were open wide, my mouth was agape, my heart was aflutter --- And all this from only a passing glance. I should have been happy with just a passing glance, but I wanted some serious eyelock action. And although it happened twenty one songs later --- During the fourth to last song of the night --- It happened, and that's the only thing that matters.

It was during Jesus Of Suburbia, just after the Dearly Beloved segment of the song started. As the cheerfully mournful tune kicked in, Billie started walking over to my side of the stage while singing into his microphone, 'Dearly beloved, are you listening ...?' As the second line of the segment kicked in, he stopped right in front of me. Keeping his left foot on the stage while placing his right foot on the massive amp in front of me, he leaned closer, and sang the the first half of the second line, which goes, 'I can't remember a word that you were saying,' before looking at another audience member.

The exact words Billie sang to me before he looked away were, 'I can't remember a word', and, fittingly enough, I couldn't remember a word he was saying, either. Five seconds after it happened, I couldn't even remember during which part of the song he had looked at me. It wasn't until I watched videos of the entire Jesus Of Suburbia performance on YouTube afterward that I was able to figure it out, because during the exchange, my brain simply turned to shit. I believe the only reason I managed to sing along as he sung to me was pure reflex from having listened to Jesus Of Suburbia countless times in the past.

Because of this, I'm sure I looked quite the sight. I felt so many things just before and as he looked into my eyes: Wild eyed desperation, intense unsurety, delirious elation and, above all, an irrationally high level of happiness. But I'm okay with that most certainly having been written all over me. As weird as it might sound, I needed Billie to see all of those emotions.

Since I wasn't going to be able to hold a conversation with him, I needed him to understand from just a single glance exactly how I felt about him, how I felt about his music, about how much it means to me, about what he's given me, about how important a role both he and his music play in my every day life ... And I'd like to think that, in return, he understood. I'd like to think that he understood exactly. And y'know what ...? I'm betting he did understand, because Billie Joe always understands me, even if he doesn't know it to such an extent. His understanding's written in every one of Green Day's songs.

I'm pretty much Justin Timberlakeing a river after writing all that, though, so I'd better get back to somewhat more neutral ground before I force the Earth to be composed of one hundred and ten percent water as opposed to seventy percent.

The setlist of Green Day's show, was, as usual, absolutely stellar --- But many fans claimed it was their 'best setlist ever', due to the fact that they played loads of their older material. In fact, to most everyone's surprise, they played more older material than they did newer! Said stellar setlist is as follows:

1. Song of the Century.
2. 21st Century Breakdown.
3. Know Your Enemy.
4. East Jesus Nowhere. ((Which featured an impromptu Tom Sawyer guitar riff.))
5. Holiday.
6. ¡Viva la Gloria!
7. Give Me Novacaine.
8. Letterbomb.
9. Are We The Waiting.
10. St Jimmy.
11. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams.
12. Nice Guys Finish Last.
13. FOD.
14. Burnout.
15. Dominated Love Slave.
16. JAR. ((Jason Andrew Relva.))
17. Paper Lanterns.
18. 2000 Light Years Away.
19. Hitchin' A Ride.
20. When I Come Around.
21. Iron Man/Eye Of The Tiger/Sweet Child O' Mine/Fly By Night/Highway To Hell/Ain't Talkin' Bout Love. ((Medley.))
22. Brain Stew.
23. Jaded.
24. Longview.
25. Basket Case.
26. She.
27. King For A Day.
28. Satisfaction/Hey Jude/Shout. ((Medley.))
29. 21 Guns.

30. Minority.

First encore:

31. American Idiot.

32. Jesus Of Suburbia.

Second encore:

33. Last Night On Earth.
34. Wake Me Up When September Ends.

35. Good Riddance.

Yes, m'friends, Green Day played a whopping thirty five songs during their set, which clocked in at just over two and a half hours long. In comparison to most live shows nowadays --- Which only run for a considerably shorter hour and a half at most --- This made it unusually lengthy, a fact which delighted me ... And most every other fan in the venue, I'm sure. >w<;

Now, in the Updates/Blog entry I posted after last year's Green Day concert, I went through, in order, the list of every single song Green Day played and wrote a paragraph or two about each. This ended up making the finished entry possess a word count of nearly ten thousand, and, while this is certainly an number impressive to mention, it's not exactly something that many people are going to read straight through. In fact, aside from myself, I believe a grand total of zero people read the entire entry from start to finish.

With that said, instead of writing up a rundown of what happened during each and every song, I'm simply going to list the highlights of the show in a somewhat orderly fashion. But before I begin, here's a fuckload of photographs to break up all the wordage! Click any of the three thumbnails below to be transported to a massive image gallery filled with photographs my Dad and I took before, during, and after the show. ^o^

Now, onto the highlights! I'll start with that Tom Sawyer guitar riff I mentioned in the setlist: That took place when Billie Joe pulled a young fan of probably about eight or nine onstage midway through Know Your Enemy to 'save his soul' --- In a parody of Benny Hinn and other laughably fraudulent televangelists --- And asked his name. When the fan told him his name was Sawyer, Billie Joe busted out the riff without any warning whatsoever ... And then proceeded to tell the utterly dumfounded child, 'You've just given me a gift. Now get your Tom Sawyer ass the fuck off my stage!' The poor kid complied just as fast as his pudgy legs would carry him, the baffled look never once leaving his face.

Another highly notable segment took place just as Are We The Waiting was about to start. Billie Joe was wandering over near my side of the stage, when he suddenly saw the sign I had made before the show started with Val's papers and pencil crayons --- Which I assume both Val and Veronica, ((AKA greenday41,)) Were both holding up the sign together, but I couldn't be sure, as I couldn't clearly see both of them from my vantage point --- And began laughing as he realised what it said. He then added in an amiable tone, 'You're right, it is ho as Hell, isn't it?!' Look no further than thirty seconds into the YouTube video below for proof of this delightfully giggle worthy exchange:

And yes, you'd better believe that I was kicking myself afterward for not holding the sign up along with everyone else. e_e; Still, though, I'd rather deal the disappointment of Billie Joe not speaking directly to me over a sign I made than risk the possibility of Billie Joe being hurt over a sign I made, however slim the chance of the latter may be.

I'm not sure which song this took place, but at some point nearer to the end of the show, a monarch butterfly suddenly began gracefully yet awkwardly weaving all about the stage in the shafts of smoky lights. Loads of people kept pointing to it and going, 'Oh my God, look! Look! A butterfly! A monarch butterfly!' It was definitely a magical moment in my opinion, as the butterfly looked not dissimilar to a haltingly fluttering fairy.

Another fantastic moment was when Billie Joe suddenly held up and then donned a Canadian flag as a makeshift cape, after a fan in the audience threw it onstage to him. What made this moment so fantastic, might I ask ...? The fact that I myself signed the flag in black sharpie --- Along with loads of other fans --- In the line up before the show!

Even more exciting was the fact that my Dad said he saw Billie Joe place the flag in a box to later take backstage, which means he would have most certainly looked it over afterward, and, quite possibly, saw my name! *-*; The only thing I regret about that is not writing both my first and last name and only sketching 'Mallory' onto it, heh. However, since, at this point, my cup of Green Day Interaction Juice was near to overflowing, I didn't dwell on it too much. ^^;

Another awesome moment, in between Paper Lanterns and 2000 Light Years Away, Billie Joe asked the crowd, 'Who wants to come onstage?' and let as many people as the security would allow onto the stage at the same time. I, myself, momentarily considered attempting to join the quickly growing crowd onstage, ((In the end, there had to have been at least thirty five to forty people up there,)) But the people in front of me on the barrier didn't look like they were planning on moving, and I didn't fancy the idea of attempting to climb over their heads to get to the stage.

Plus, I was worried that I wouldn't end up getting my spot back afterward, although I shouldn't have worried about that --- Every one of the fans onstage got their exact spots back when they rejoined the pit. Another thought on my mind was, 'If I go onstage now, hardly anyone'll even notice me in that massive crowd --- Band members or audience members!' So, in the end, I stayed put in the pit, but there's quite a few awesome videos of the glorious spectacle on YouTube, if anyone's interested in taking a peek or two. *^^*

And I've saved the very best for last, darklings ... A story of how I managed the unimaginable. I couldn't have done it without my GreenDayCommunity.Org friend Val AKA beachbum, though. I owe her something close to my soul for what she did for me. @_@;

Allow me to back up a little and explain, first. In the pit before AFI's set, as Val and the rest GreenDayCommunity.Org crowd began to form around my Dad and I, I noticed that Val was holding something out to me with this huge grin on her face. I took it with I'm sure a rather dimwitted expression on my face, looking blankly from her face to the item in my hand and back again, until I finally asked numbly, 'What's this ...?'

'It's an Access Pass to Green Day's after party!' Val squealed in excitement, motioning to a matching pass around her own neck. I stared at first her pass, and then the one in my hands for another moment or two of silence, unable to react, until I ((Mostly)) Snapped out of it and began squealing incoherently back, 'OH MY FUCKING GOD, FOR ME?! THANK --- OH MY --- OH MY GOD HOW DID YOU GET THI --- WHERE DID YOU GET THI --- THANK YOU --- IS THIS FOR ME?! THANK YOU!'

In between my squeals of joy, disbelief, and confusion, Val explained that while they didn't guarantee a meet with Green Day after the show, they were for Green Day's after party, and because of that, there was a possibility they might show up. As to how, exactly, she got the passes in the first place, she went on to explain that a few people behind a table were giving them out just before the second line up, and all you had to do was both not be in any hurry to make it to the pit, and to also know what you were looking for ... And, in a magnificent gesture of random and unselfish kindness that even I myself do not possess, she also asked for an extra one just for me.

And no, I still can't quite get over the enormous amounts of epic of which Val is made.

So, after carefully guarding my pass throughout the entirety of the show, ((By slipping it under my mesh shirt and constantly checking to make sure it was still there,)) And feeling slightly guilty throughout, as none of the other GreenDayCommunity.Org group got a pass, not even my Dad, and the show had ended, Val came up to me as I was still wiping tears from my face and said, in an urgently excited tone, 'It's almost time for Green Day's after party to start --- Let's go!'

I turned to my Dad to let him know that I was headed to the Molson Amphitheatre's American Express Lounge, where the after party was to be held, but before I could say anything, he asked me, 'So, like, should I just hang around until after you guys come back out ...?' When Val and I sort of shrugged mutely in reply, he thought it over and then burst out with, 'Aw, screw it, I'm gonna try to come in with you guys! The worst they can do is to tell me to fuck off, right?' When Val and I again nodded in mute unison, he locked his arm through mine and we followed Val as she led the way to the 'Lounge.

As we were approaching the metal railing that blocked the entrance to the 'Lounge, an unfamiliar girl's voice calling my name suddenly forced both me and my Dad to slow down. I turned, not knowing what to expect, and I was greeted by a girl grinning at waving at me as if I were celebrity. Not having a clue who she was, I blinked in surprise. 'Yes ...?' I asked her hesitantly.

'Oh my God, Mallory! Mallory! Are you Mallory Maloney?!'

'Yeah, I am!' I replied, beginning to warm up to her, as she was absolutely oozing delighted happiness.

'Oh my God, I recognised you from your site and from GDC! Hi!' She, of course, was referring to GreenDayCommunity.Org.

'Oh my God, seriously?!' I asked her, flabbergasted, and then thanked her for lack of anything else to say. It was alright, though, because she continued to babble happily about me, my site, and how awesome the show had just been for several more seconds until I got to the entrance of the 'Lounge ... And then she cheerfully bid me goodbye and disappeared into the crowd as quickly as she had appeared, as I waved at her suddenly invisible back and my Dad tugged my arm to turn my attention to the somewhat aged female bouncer guarding the entrance to the 'Lounge.

As I showed her my pass and she pushed aside the metal railing to let me in, my Dad stayed glued to my arm and asked her, in a rather pitiful 'worried parental figure' tone, 'Can I go in with her ...? I'm her Dad!' The woman looked him up and down and then nodded, adding, 'Sure, honey,' and simply let us both through at the same time!

After we got to the 'Lounge and found Val and a few others, and my Dad finished bragging to them about how the bouncer let him in easy as pie, we quickly realised that none of the members of Green Day were in the entire 'Lounge ... And after almost an hour, when we snagged a table and had finished all our drinks, ((None of them alcoholic, 'cause really, who the fuck's sad enough to need an alcoholic drink after something as intoxicating as a Green Day show?!)) And eaten a bunch of various free peanuts, chips, and Wasabi peas placed in bowls on all of the tables, I think it's safe to say we all began to feel rather disheartened by the lack of Green Day's presence.

I had just begun to believe that the whole thing was a sham, and that none of the members of Green Day aside from the few roadies we saw hanging around were gonna show up, when suddenly, Val's eyes went wide, and her face went pale as she looked at something --- Or someone --- Who had just walked into the 'Lounge from the entrance behind me. I pushed away from the table and spun around in my mile high bar stool to see what --- Or who --- She was looking at, and when I realised who it was, I instantly leapt to the sticky floor, almost falling on my face in the process, and rushed forward to none other than ...

Tré motherfucking Cool himself.

Beside myself with excitement, I ran toward him with a simple call of his name, 'Tré!' And as I got within a foot or so of him, I slowed down, congratulated him on an awesome show by saying, 'Awesome fuckin' show, man,' and then, as he was in the midst of replying, 'Hey, how's it goin'!' and quite before I even fully registered what I was doing, I wrapped my arms around him in a hug.

It would've been awkward had Tré not been Tré ... But Tré, being Tré, made everything, well, tres cool. As I moved my arms around him, he suddenly stood ramrod straight, thrust both of his arms out to his sides not unlike a farmer's scarecrow, and uttered the phrase, 'Don't hurt me!' In a faux terrified tone. I grinned at him as I moved back after my almost awkward and sudden hug, and as I did, he noticed Dad, who had hung slightly behind as I was manhandling Tré.

Not only did he notice Dad, though, he also noticed the shirt he was wearing, and instantly recognised it as a copy of Billie's, and complimented him on it. 'Hey, nice shirt!' he said in a surprised tone, while nodding his head in approval.

'Yep --- Custom made!' Was all my Dad could manage in reply as he displayed a little awkwardness of his own as he patted the badges sewn to his shirt.

Soon after that short yet rather life changing bit of interaction, Tré announced that he had to get going, and exited the 'Lounge with a wave and many goodbyes following him out the door, but Val, who hadn't even had the chance to say hello to him herself, was determined that he sign a true to life drawing she had made of him that's rather famous on GreenDayCommunity.Org, only because it truly is a work of art.

So Val, unable to follow him out the same door he had both entered and exited himself, as it was some sort of VIP door we didn't have access to, went out the normal entrance and onto a sort of concrete patio, and there was Tré Cool yet again, up a short flight of concrete stairs, talking and laughing with a few of Green Day's roadies and security guards. I hung behind as Val tried to catch his eye, pointing to her in an excitable way until he noticed and ambled over. When Val asked if he would sign her drawing, a small group of other fans also beginning to form, Tré hopped over to the stairs and sat down, and answered in a cheerfully resigned sort of way, 'Welp, I guess I have time to sign an autograph or two!' Val was pretty damn happy when she got her drawing signed with a signature and a very Tré Coolesque message, which read, 'I like to eat bugs.' Feel free to check out the scan of the signed drawing by clicking the thumbnail below if you'd like to witness the loltastic message yourself!

After that, I noticed that a female fan was attempting to get Tré to sign her arm for lack of anything else lying around he could sign, but Tré was hesitant until I convinced him by saying 'Tré, she wants to get it tattooed!' Upon hearing this, he suddenly became more accepting of the idea. 'Oh, she wants to get it tattooed!' And autographed his name on her arm in Sharpie with a flourish. I had heard her mentioning this to a friend beforehand, but I wasn't sure if she was serious or not. I figured what the Hell, though, right?! ((That same fan and I stumbled across each other's YouTube accounts a few days after the show, and we're now Friends on there. Said fan's name is Keny, and she's actually an amazing Green Day cover artist. Her YouTube's filled with top notch videos of said covers, so be sure to click here and check it out if you're interested!))

And after he signed her arm, along with a couple of other items from other fans, he really did have to leave, and he disappeared shortly after that. My Dad managed to snap a few shots before he escaped, though --- The first one from when he was exiting the 'Lounge, and the second and third when he was outside on the concrete balcony --- As you'll see by clicking the thumbnails below!

As for any photos of me and the actual meeting of Tré, there aren't any. For one thing, it happened so quickly that Dad didn't even have the time to access the camera function of his cellphone and take a shot, and for another, even if he did, it just seemed so rude to set off a blinding flash two feet from the guy's face when he was clearly doing a favour for all of his fans by even showing up to begin with. Same with why I didn't try and ask him to sign anything for me ... Just meeting him was enough.

I didn't and still don't need any sort of real 'proof' it happened, for myself or for anyone else. I've got my memories. Both the ones in my mind and the physical ones displayed in the photo below, in the form of the blue and white confetti I caught out of the air, as it jettisoned from the confetti cannons near the end of show; The Access Pass; The purple paper wristband the venue strapped to my arm; My ticket and ticket print out; And the random fliers that people gave out to everyone standing in line. And y'know what ...? All those memories are more than enough. *^^*

And I do believe that's all the most notable super special events that took place during the show, so I shall now post several paragraphs filled with multiple fangasms over how dicking good the actual show was! *-*;

There are so many things that make a Green Day show as good as what they are. For one thing, each and every one of the band members sound just as good --- If not better --- Onstage as they do in the studio. For another, they all have such insanely high levels of energy during the entirety of their shows that it's enough for each of them ten times over and enough for the entire crowd, to boot.

And for several more things: There's always interaction from the band, from each of them always encouraging the audience to sing, clap, dance, jump, or wave our arms along to the music, to the fact that they constantly invite audience members onstage, to the fact they interact directly with individual audience members via winks or smiles or eye contact or spoken word, to the fact that they readily accept and show off gifts fans toss onstage.

Another thing that never fails to astonish me is that their shows become better and better as the years fly by, in any and every sense you can imagine. In a musician's sense, in a showman's sense, in an intimacy between band and audience sense, in a sense that they keep the shows fresh by doing at least one thing new and unexpected each tour, just everything, absolutely everything, improves each time I see them.

And that's how I know that, no matter how many more times I might see them perform onstage in my life, they will continue to put on shows that'll leave me with no choice but to become a bigger fan than I was the last time I saw them. Shows that'll leave me no choice but to get totally worked up over for many weeks both before and after. Shows that fill me up with an indescribable happiness. Shows that'll continue to bring a smile to my face whenever I flip through both bright and faded memories.

Shows that'll never fail to leave tears drying on my face as they play their final song of the night, time after time.

♥