Empires - August 16, 2008 - Ottobar, Baltimore

This Saturday, I drove to Baltimore to see Empires play at the Ottobar. It was wonderful, and I fell promptly in love with this little band of failboats who refuse to take our money and arrive late when they're the first band on the bill and chat with me about James Joyce and give me sweaty birthday hugs and shoot plastic darts at each other and get really excited at a printed version of their own photo and make stuffed hamsters talk to us and play drums in socks and.

Okay, consider that your preview. Let's back up a little bit! I was the very first person to arrive. I parked pretty much in front of the venue and chilled out, eating a poptart for lunch, while I waited for summertea to arrive. I saw a group of girls who were clearly fangirls, and did the whole awkward "Are you here for Empires?" "Yep." "LJ?" "Yep!" thing, and we were immediately fast friends! *waves to the new folks* Some of them recognized my username, which was baffling to me. Hee. Then summertea arrived and we went to Ruby Tuesdays to meet up with more of the internet and have a quick snack.

Then we came back to the venue, met MORE of the internet, and got in line to enter the venue. Suddenly, a big black SUV pulls up with a UHaul trailer, and surprise, Sean Van Vleet is at the wheel! With other bandboys in the passenger seats! We waved hi and they pulled behind the venue to start unloading like fiends because they were - gasp! - late! I'm a little bit in love already.

(Warning! About 70 pictures behind the cuts, decent sized. Feel free to take them and use them for graphics or picspams or whatever, no need to credit! I'd appreciate if you let me know though :) )

( Chapter 1: Empires set )

( Pictures! )

( Chapter 2: Meeting Sean and Tom and Ryan and Al and Max )

( Pictures! )

( Chapter 3: More chillin with Empires and Mark Rose's set )

( Pictures! )

( Chapter 4: Oh the Story!'s set, with pictures )

( Chapter 5: Hanging with bandboys outside the venue, and goodbyes. )

( Pictures! )

Thus ends the tale of my incredible day hanging out with Empires. They are such genuine, gracious, friendly, talented, funny, sweet guys, it was absolutely a privilege and a pleasure to get to meet them and see them play. I only hope I get to repeat the experience soon!