My First Rock Concert Rocked: Breaking Benjamin

I was browsing through Facebook one evening when I noticed a friend shared an event titled "Breaking Benjamin with Shinedown in Bozeman." I was so excited at first and then I saw the date. October 29th. A Thursday night in a town 3 hours away. It was a school night and the kid's would have Halloween festivities at school the next day. Not going to happen, but I mentioned it to Perry anyways. A week before our anniversary he surprised me with tickets to go see them.

For those who haven't heard of Breaking Benjamin, they are a considered a hard rock band, though I would reclassify their latest album closer to Christian rock than anything else. I've loved them since high school. Perry was surprised by the fact I didn't own any of their cd's, but I still knew most of their songs. I had literally been playing nothing but Breaking Benjamin, with a little Shinedown mixed in for the last month. Charlotte even sings along now and it's adorable. "This is my song! Dance with me!"

After a month of counting down the days, Perry and I finally packed our things and headed to Bozeman Thurday morning. Perry conned my mom into watching all the kids for the night and getting them to school the next day. Life saver! All the kids were so excited to stay with Nanny (probably because she spoils them!) She was surprised I'd even want to go to a concert, since I do dislike loud noise, bu this was my favorite band!

When we arrived in Bozeman, we checked into our hotel and headed downtown to meet up with a friend Perry went to high school with. I don't know if I've meet him before; if I had it was a long time ago. We had a nice dinner with him and his wife at the Copper. Highly recommended if you're in Bozeman!

I was a little lost on Perry's parking plan. He thought we could park near the campus, where the concert was, and walk downtown for dinner and then walk back. We could leave our car there and walk back to the hotel after. There was so much walking involved in his plan that I had to step in an secure another arrangement. Luckily my sister Robin moved to Bozeman for a few months and was able to take us to the concert AND pick us up so we left the car downtown. I can't tell you how much Robin's shuttle services helped us out!

Robin dropped us off and we walked into the fieldhouse just as the first band, Nothing More, started to play their first song. Neither Perry nor I had heard of them so we instead went to grab a drink. I'm sure I would probably like them, but at the concert all I could hear were drums and guitar. The lead singer, who was RIPPED, was rocking out but I could hardly hear him. He was enjoyable to watch though... At the end of their performance they did a really cool instrument solo where they strapped a guitar on a stand and three of them played it at the same time. Later the leader singer came over and used drumsticks on it while the others played. Super cool.

During the stage re-set, Perry went out to grab us a drink. He was gone for all two minutes before I looked to my left and found our neighbors, Dan and Chrysanthie practically standing next me. We knew they were going also but what are the chances we'd actually see them there?! The four of us spent the rest of the concert together-ish.

We were surprised when Breaking Benjamin took the stage next as we all were expecting Shinedown up second. I loved every minute of it! About halfway through the first song, I had a girl next to me elbow her way in front of me to stand. I was not having any of that, so I'll admit I got a little feisty and elbowed and shoved her back and shouted that she was standing on me. She apologized and moved back next to me. Then I felt bad so I moved over so she could stand closer to me to see around the tall guy she was behind. Turns out she was hammered and could hardly stand on her own, and they ended up going elsewhere. Phew...

When Breaking Benjamin was finishing up on stage, they decided they would bring a few people up to help them with their last song. Obvisously I was screaming "ME ME ME ME!!!!" But I was in the middle and they couldn't see me. They brought quite a few people up before they said they were going to pick one more. At that point Perry and Dan hoisted me up onto their shoulders and I was above the crowd screaming and flailing my arms like a crazy person. Seriously. I did that. I could swear to you, up and down, that Benjamin pointed RIGHT AT ME and said, "The girl up on the shoulders!" I jumped off their shoulders and ran like a bat out of hell to the front pushing and shoving people out of my way. When I got to the front some other concert attendee said something to the effect of, "They didn't pick you, you idiot." I looked up to the stage to see the little 9 year old girl being hoisted onto the stage, who ironically was right behind me up on her dad's shoulders. I'm still mad about it...

In the video above, Perry filmed the stage because he thought I was going to be on it. You can hear him ask Dan, "Where is she?" Then you can hear me come back saying I saw someone I knew. 

I was SO disappointed by not getting picked, though I did consider hoping up there anyways. I should have. As I turned to go back to find Perry, I heard someone shouting my name. I turn around to see my best friend's cousin, who is more like a younger brother to her, and I shout, "KADEN!" Turns out Kaden and Tanner look the same. Whatever. I took a picture with Tanner just to prove I saw someone I knew. I made it back to Perry and told him the "danger zone," as he called the front area near the stage, wasn't as dangerous as he made it out to be...

During the next stage re-set, the four of us went back out to grab a drink and made it back in to see Shinedown start up. They were awesome to see in concert too. Because they were last on the roster, they had more special effects than Breaking Benjamin. Fireworks and Fire. It would have been awesome to have those with Breaking Benjamin, but still very cool with Shinedown. I think I screamed and started jumping every time they the lit off a firework. I was jacked. I might have had enough to drink too. It's hard to say.

Robin picked us up across the street and dropped us off downtown, where we met up with Dan and Chrysanthie and again, along with their son Steven. We had to have been there for at least an hour before Steven connected the dots and said, "Wait, they're our neighbors?" Yeah, the coolest neighbors on the block for the last SIX years! I was very grateful that Dan offered to drive us back to the hotel, instead of Perry's plan of walking the 1.8 miles back to the hotel. It was a lengthy walk back in the morning... I had so much fun!! I'm already thinking of who I might want to see next!