Changing of the guard and your mom

Hey, wonderful world of AP Tour Blog readers! This is Rachel and I'll be your host for all things AP-Tour related for the next couple weeks. If you saw Scott's lovely introduction for me in the previous entry, I just want to straighten out a couple things: 1. The mustache is fake (but I can really pull it off, no?); and 2. Cleveland Indians center-fielder Grady Sizemore is not my fantasy husband. He's my husband-to-be. He might not know about it yet, but these are only minor details.

Anyway, my blog entries will probably not be nearly as entertaining as Tim's, but I will do my best to bring you a behind-the-scenes perspective of our AP Tour. So, yesterday was my first night on the job in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Me and Chris (you know him from his blog entries from earlier on the tour) drove from Cleveland to Grand Rapids (shhh! don't tell our car rental place that we took the vehicle out of Ohio), hauling posters, magazines and enough clothes for me for at least three weeks (what? I like to be prepared). When we got to the Intersection and met up with Tim and the rest of the tour around 1:30, there was already a line outside. Doors weren't until 5, so this was just my first indication of how dedicated the concert-goers in GR are. 

After Chris and I arrived at the venue, it was pretty much right to work. Luckily, I had not one but two people to show me the ropes of setting up our table and hawking our FREE year-long subscriptions (yes, really FREE). I guess they felt I got the hang of it pretty quickly, because they high-tailed it outta there between Sonny and the Matches. To be fair, they did have about 4.5 hour drive home to Cleveland last night. 

I think the rest of the night went really well. It was fun to finally see the bands live all together. I was still kind of getting my bearings, so I can't tell you a ton of highlights of the show, except everyone sounded good and All Time Low do, indeed, cover Rihanna's "Umbrella." In case our tour site and the recent comp Punk Goes Crunk weren't enough evidence. 

I will tell you a little bit about the crowd in Grand Rapids, though: They were pretty awesome. Everyone was super polite and friendly--no one trampled each other, our table or me when they were trying to get to Bryce (who was hanging out at his merch table--about 6 feet across from me--after the show). Everyone seemed genuinely thrilled to get free subscriptions and posters, and one girl even gave me a frosted dinosaur sugar cookie (that girl is awesome). But my biggest props (if you were at the show) go out to YOUR MOM. Because she was probably there. See, at the AP office, we all thoroughly enjoy "your mom" jokes because, well, we're super mature. But in all seriousness, the moms of Grand Rapids, I salute you. I've never been to a show before where more moms diligently stood guard in the back, protecting posters and merch, while their sons and daughters danced the night away to our stellar lineup. I had more moms come up and sign up for subscriptions (moms know a good deal when they see one) and collect posters for their kids, too. Everyone in GR better be planning something great for their mom's for Mother's Day (that's next month) because there are some super great (and patient, and tolerant and OK-with-loud-venues) moms in that town.

So that was Grand Rapids, in a nut shell. We had a fairly early bus call last night, as we are currently trucking it all the way to Rochester, New York, for an off-day. Tomorrow, we'll be bringing the dance party to Worcester (that's pronounced Woost-ah for all you non-Bostonians), Massachusetts. New England, get ready!