Mae @ The Space

Alright, so I'm a few days late on updating my blog. I've been kind of busy and have neglected my blog since Friday night. Better late than never, though.
Anyway...
I went to see Mae at The Space on Friday night, which I was really looking forward to. I started listening to them when I was twelve years old and as much as I love them, they were one of those bands that I just assumed I would never see live. Whenever I went on their website, they either weren't touring or weren't coming near me. It was a pleasant surprise to stumble upon tickets to a show on a Friday night that is so conveniently close to me. None of my friends are big fans of Mae (half of them don't know about them) so I went with my family. My whole family decided to come since the singer of Forget Paris, one of the opening bands, is my sister's chorus teacher. Another card in my favor. Mmm, yes.
We got to the venue at 6:30, an hour before doors were supposed to open, and I thought I was imagining things when I saw there were only five or six people in line. For real? I'm here this late and still going to get front row?
Well, I sure ain't gonna COMPLAIN about it.
They ended up opening the doors early since it was raining pretty hard. The "stage," which was actually a six inch high hunk of wood pushed up against the back wall, was in the basement. It wasn't a dingy basement either. Everything was clean and organized, even if a little bit cramped. There was a couch pushed up against the opposite wall which I almost walked into on my way in. On the left was the merch and on the right a bar/food counter. There was even a few tables with barstools. I was very impressed, considering this place was barely half the size of my house.
Although there were people already downstairs, no one claimed front row, so I had an awesome view. I was literally standing against the stage. Apparently, two of my sister's friends were coming, which I had not found out until after we left the house. I wanted to be angry, but my excitement about the upcoming show withered my anger down to slight annoyance. At least it wasn't her ~boyfriend. One of them was Jessie's cousin/neighbor though...which was a little awkward. I didn't know if she knew about the fallout between Jessie and I, but the looks she gave me implied she might. Or maybe she's always snotty.
The show started 7:30, a half hour earlier than expected. The openers were local bands, the first being The Tired and True. They weren't anything special, but they were also very young. They must have been in high school or maybe not much older than high school students. I realized the drummer was one of the boys sitting on the couch I almost walked into earlier. Hmm. The second band was The Ghost Sonata, who was A LOT better than I expected. I think that's one of the best aspects about shows: when you go for the headliner and end up falling in love with one of the opening bands. My sister said they reminded her of Death Cab for Cutie, which I can sort of see, but to me they sounded like Brand New. I could barely understand what the singer was saying; in fact, I could barely hear the vocals in the first place, except for when he sang loudly. But when he did, he sang well. I hope to see more from them in the future and will be keeping an eye out.
Ironically enough, while Forget Paris was setting up, Brand New's Deja Entendu was playing over the speakers. They played about half of the CD because it took a long time for the bands to set up. That was the only major problem with the show. There were multiple technical difficulties, people missing and having to be called to the stage, and instruments adjusted mid-song. Maybe I noticed all of this because I was front row, because overall, it didn't take away from my ability to enjoy the show. It was just something I noticed.
Now, I'm happy I'm not in my sister's grade or in her school, because then it would probably be awkward for me to say that her teacher is DAMN good looking. Wow-ee. I think I had more fun watching him than listening to their music. Their music wasn't bad, but I've heard the same sound from a million different bands. Join the club, boys. They were enjoyable to see play, but their type of music blends in with hundreds of other bands when put on a disc. But, the fact that Tyler Cohen (my sister's teacher) plays the piano is a definite bonus. It adds a nice touch to their songs.
But it was a little gross when he decided to shake his sweat all over me. :
Anyway, Forget Paris finished after a few songs and Mae started setting things up. I absolutely loved how Weezer's "Pork and Beans" came on over the speakers and everyone setting up was singing along. At one point, Dave grabbed a microphone and started mouthing the words until someone else stole it from him. "Viva la Vida" started playing while they were testing out the instruments and everyone started testing the keyboard and guitars to the rhythm of the song. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person who finds things like that adorable, but whatever.
In a few words, Mae was AWESOME. They did the best they could with such a small space, considering they have six members on stage and screen set up for visuals. It was set up a little awkwardly because the projector and screen were in the middle of the stage, where the drummer is normally situated. So the drummer was pushed off to stage right, with the guitarist and bassist in front of him. The singer was to the left of the projector and the keyboardist pushed all the way to stage left. Their show, along with their sound, was much too big for the cramped basement they were playing in. It's a shame seeing such a talented band receive less than they deserve, but they made it work all the same. They played a fourteen song set, mixing both their new and old music, which made me ridiculously happy. I lovelovelove their old music.
This isn't in order, but here's what I remember from the setlist:
The House That Fire Built
Futuro
Suspension
All Deliberate Speed
Brink of Disaster
Embers and Envelopes
This Time is the Last Time
Skyline Drive
Just Let Go
Soundtrack for our Movie
Rocket
Summertime
Someone Else's Arms
Now, that's 13, so I know I'm missing one, and I think it's Sometimes I Can't Make it Alone. It's either that or This is the Countdown.
Excuse my stupidity. :(
After the show, the bassist gave me a signed guitar pick and I got a picture with Dave. The Space was literally closing in five minutes so there was no time to talk, which sucked. I wish I could have talked to him. I didn't get to meet the drummer, but my sister and I said hi to him while they were setting up and he smiled at me a few times during the show. He seemed sweet and I wish I could have talked to him, too.
That always happens to me, though. I always get into my car or go home thinking, "Oh man, I should have done this" or "I should have said this instead," and I get myself down thinking about it. But this time I'm not going to let myself dwell on the what I wish I could have done. The night was way too enjoyable to focus on the downsides.