Camden, NJ 2012

[Geki]

Don't read this review until you read my Uncasville review first, and then my Mansfield review, second. It's all one big story.

 

This show took place 3 days after the Mansfield show that I went to. It was my first LPU Summit as well, which took place before the show, the day of the show.

 

A lot had happened in the 3 days between this show and Mansfield. My girlfriend had tried coming to my Grandma's house again and her family harassed me, etc. It wasn't a fun time. I just blew it all off, even though it bothered me a lot. I didn't want to be home alone, so some family members waited with me at my house at times, which was cool. The night before the show, I got hammered, the stress had gotten to me. I had been drinking A LOT that year already, but now that all of this went down, it was even worse. I was drunk when we left for the show, my Grandma drove. Yeah, it wasn't a flattering time in my life. We left at like 1am, since Camden is about 6 hours from where I live, and I needed to be there by 8am for the LPU Summit. I'm not sure if she knew I was drunk on the ride down, but she probably did. The ride down wasn't too bad, I don't remember much of it though, being drunk and all. It was a weird feeling to be driving for 5 hours in the middle of the night, while being a drunk passenger. I played LIVING THINGS the entire way down, I remember that. Powerless was so hard for me to listen to because it fit so well to what I was going through. The entire album did, really. I remember that once we got in Camden, we stopped at a Dunkin' Donuts and I used the bathroom and got a breakfast sandwich. I was basically sober at that point. We checked out the area, which was pretty ghetto (LOL), and I ended up buying a long-sleeve t-shirt to wear to the show that was a pretty cool shirt.

 

Once we got to the venue, people were all lined up and I got in line. Within a few minutes, Adam checked me in. We finally got let in and I met Mark and Jonas and a few others from LPL.That was cool. I signed up for the raffle thing that the LPU was doing, where you could win certain things. I put my tickets in a personal photo with the band, which I didn't win, ultimately. I also signed this art wall that they had. Eventually, we chose whether we wanted to see the backstage area, or check out the tour buses. I chose the backstage area and Pooch was our guide, really cool guy, super nice. It was cool seeing the band's dressing room and everything else, definitely a cool experience. Once that was done, it was time for lunch, which the LPU had planned at the Hard Rock Cafe in Philadelphia for us. We got on these trolley type things that took us there, I rode in the one with Adam from the LPU. It was pretty fun, actually. At one point, our trolley got lost, much to Adam's dismay, which was funny as hell. Once we got there, everyone sat down in the seats that they had reserved. They were playing Incubus and Linkin Park music videos on the TV's there, that was cool. I actually ended up sitting at the bar, which they allowed, and I ordered a Jack and Coke along with my meal. LOL this was such a bad time in my life. I was 21 at the time though, so it wasn't illegal for me to order it or anything. I was just the only dude at the bar. I didn't even care. Not sure if Adam or anyone else knew. Once lunch was done, we headed back to the venue. Then it was time for the band Q&A, special acoustic performance and Meet & Greet. The Q & A was cool, it was funny at times, and cringey at other times with some of the questions. LOL. They played IN MY REMAINS acoustic, which was really fucking awesome and I loved it. The Meet & Greet was great. I told Rob that I loved his drumming and I gave Chester a handwritten note from me, which he said he would absolutely keep, not sure if he ever did, but whatever. I put a lot of my life and my story into the note, telling how much he and Linkin Park had helped me over the years, etc. Once the Meet & Greet was over, the LPU Summit ended and everyone disbanded. My Grandma met up with me inside because she was going to go to the show since it was a 5 hour drive and there was nothing for her to do in Camden. I got some merch and then we headed to the actual concert part of the venue.

 

We went to sit down and eat the food, and Mutemath came on. We could hear them from the place we were sitting to eat. I had lawn tickets at the show, so I didn't need to be in the pit on the bar or anything. It was actually cool because I got to relax for the first time at a Linkin Park show. Incubus came on next. We had moved to the lawn by this time. They put on a great show. I was excited to see them since I missed them at Mansfield due to the Meet & Greet. People around us really seemed to love them and there were a lot of drunk people. Once it was time for Linkin Park to come on, it started pouring rain. A Place For My Head opened the show which was fucking EPIC. I saw the other sets in Uncasville and Mansfield and this was by far my favorite opener of the 3. I rocked out in the rain to the first 6 or so songs and I went to buy a drink during Somewhere I Belong. My Grandma had left by that point too, to go wait in the car. No point for my Grandma to sit in the pouring rain for something she didn't even know about. LOL. Anyways, it was 8 bucks or something for a beer, that was crazy. I ended up getting a 24oz can of Mike's Hard because it was cheaper, fuck it. The band performed really well the whole night, IMO. It was the first time that I drank at a Linkin Park show, too. But the show was definitely a magical feeling. Something happened towards the end of the set that I have never experienced at any other show. It was pouring down rain harder than ever, and people were falling in the mud, laughing, singing, crying, having fun, etc. and it really just clicked with me. Everyone was there out of their love of music, particularly Linkin Park, and something about being there in the pouring rain, with everyone singing, etc. was just really cool to me. It made me tear up. It's something I will never forget. I remember crying during the Ballad Medley, which was strange for me. I think the lyrics really hit me hard, as well as the emotion. I was also leaving behind a huge moment in my life, with my girlfriend ending, etc. And just everything that had happened that week. The set closed with Lying From You/Papercut and One Step Closer and the crowd went NUTS. Really fun. Once the show was done, I remember standing there, SOAKING wet, teary eyed, and I thought about my ex-girlfriend at that point, everything that went down during that week, the show, etc. It was a big moment for me, by myself, that I needed.

 

After the show, I went to the parking lot, after walking around forever to find it, since I had never been at that venue before and I was all the way up in the lawn. I got in the car, soaking wet, and we drove home. I must have DRENCHED the car. I think we may have stopped somewhere, but I don't even remember. I think we stopped at like a McDonald's or something. Overall it was a cool tour, despite all the craziness that went on for me personally. It's a time in my life that I'll never forget, 2012 in general, but Honda Civic Tour and LIVING THINGS defined that year for me with everything that happened around it.

Edited June 28, 2018 by Geki

[RickLPL]

Nice review