* After we watched the Paramore concert, I made a blog entry entitled "I Doesn't Get Any Punkier than This." Well it did get punkier, but during that time I didn't expect Dashboard would come that soon this year. We had a false alarm 2 years ago when we thought Dashboard would play at the Oktoberfest.
* The first Dashboard song I heard was Rapid Hope Loss, way back in 2003 when I was 16 or 17 years old. I heard Hands Down during the same semester, and it instantly became my favorite song. It's still on the top of my list. Hearing your favorite song being played live by your favorite band in the VIP section is something that is very hard to match. That was a moment that I longed for and waited for for a very long time.
* Dashboard Confessional has been a very special part of my life. When I'm in my room or the living room with my acoustic guitar I would play The Best Deceptions, Screaming Infidelities, Hands Down, Stolen, and Vindicated. That was my setlist, be it in San Pablo or Los Banos, or wherever there are instruments (the first thing I would look for in a living room is a piano). I would play it again and again. My favorite song to play is The Best Deceptions, because I can play it with the guitar and the piano, and I memorized the lyrics just by listening to it. I was waiting for the song to be played during the concert, I was a bit sad they didn't play those two significant favorites of mine Rapid Hope Loss and The Best Deceptions. But even without those two songs, the concert and the experience was still amazing. I think I may have passed out if they ended the night with The Best Deceptions.
* My friends and I really prepared for the concert, we memorized lyrics, especially on the more recent albums. We really weren't fans of The Shade of Poison Trees, but we love the new album, Alter the Ending (especially the acoustic versions). As for the older songs, we knew it by heart already even if we just mumbled through some lines. I even practiced Don't Wait on drums (because I'm also a fan of Mike Marsh) and Belle of the Boulevard on piano. And what's also great about this experience is that I was able to watch it with 3 of my best music buddies, Joyce, Jeg, and Eric. We exchange and share stuff and I learn a lot from them.
* I hope the band would come back to the Philippines. Everybody had a great and meaningful time and I know Chris and the guys had a lot of fun too!
