I am Your Sunshine

3/13/07 @ the Fillmore, San Francisco, CA


We got to the city around 7:30 and there was already a crazy long line outside of the Fillmore. (Later I checked The Village Church Yard, the die-hard fan site Stephan mentioned on Alice, and found out that some people actually got there before noon. Well, I wanna be hardcore, but I gotta make the money first so that this kinda luxury can be financially supported. I’m talking too much meaningless stuff here.) It took us a good minute or two to get to the end of the line and we saw like a dozen or more people wearing top hats. We wondered. (And I found out about it, later, at TVCY, of course.)

We’ve never been to the Fillmore and it’s surprisingly nice, considering the neighborhood. The set up is sort of similar to the Great America Music Hall but bigger.

We waited and waited, finally the opening band were on. Upwelling? The music was actually quite good but the vocal horrible. (and yeah, they probably just sucked at live. But their music sounded very different, live and recording. I like their live style very much except for the vocal, but their recording is in all pretty nice.)

Around 9:40, Stephan, followed by Tony, Leo and Brad, showed up on stage and the crowd went crazy. They opened with Thanks a Lot, and then Horrow Show. And then Stephan took a break to talk to the fans. “Wait a second, I know what’s going on here, but I’m not feeling it.” Then he took his shoes off and said “No still not feeling it.” I didn’t know until later that the talk was becos people written “Play Gorgeous” on their top hats. Fans at TVCY wanted so much for them to play the song. Gotta dig it out. I wonder what’s so special about it that they don’t wanna squeeze it in and many wanted them to.

Then they sang a series of powerful songs which built up the excitement and people jumped up and down so hard that the floor was rocking with us as well. They sang a new song called A Sharp Knife which was really awesome! And I was 100% positive that during one of the songs, Stephan looked me in the eye for at least 15 seconds! That was so sweet!

Half way through the show, they dragged a couch out and push the piano closer to the center of the stage, and the band sat on the couch (Brad at the piano!), started to play acoustically. It was wonderful. People got to quiet down a bit (or the whole night I’d be listening to the guy standing behind me. He sang so loud that I can barely hear Stephan’s voice ><) playing Deep Inside of You acoustic. Brad on piano!

There were more “old” songs in the second half of the show which were as enjoyable as the ones that I wasn’t familiar with. And Stephan sang Slow Motion in their first encore. It was the BEST ever. It’s got feeling (Panic! in the Disco’s can’t compare at all. Not that I don’t like the kids.) and Stephan managed the guitar beautifully as well. I’m soooooooooooooooooooo glad that he performed Slow Motion.

I hate to say this but I have to admit that I’m not a hardcore 3EB fans. In fact, I listened to their music the most when I was in college and I deeply regret that I didn’t cram their songs in my head before I went to the concert. It’d be 1000 times more fun if I did so. And because their songs are very lyrical (? I mean, their lyrics are usually fast and complicated. Cake’s as well.) it’s even harder to memorize them. (I can’t even sing Semi-Charmed Life.) But still, I’m beyond honored to be a part of 3EB history and be among the true fans.

A concert is extra fun when the band has been there for a while, and therefore has a solid fan base. Rocking with experienced concert-goers, especially the hardcores, has its advantage. They (we) know the concert format better and we sure know an encore or two is expected and how and when to cheer passionately and properly so that there’s an encore. Seriously, we went to the James Blunt concert last year and at least half of the audience there were amatuers, including some “friends” of mine (I didn’t know they’re going too.) They were so green that they allow the concert to end without a single encore. How stupid was that!

Anyways, I love it when people around us knew all the songs (even the most obscure ones that were never released) and the lyrics, and not just yelling the name of the radio hits all the time. (I’m fortunate enough to have been to this kind of concert 3 times or more. Cake, Hoobastank and 3EB.) And I’m really looking forward to the 10th anniversary show DVD. Maybe you’ll find me in it! :)

3EB rocks!!!!

brilliant shot. too bad I couldn’t fit Brad in. (It’s hard to get a good pic of Brad. He’s always in the back or the corner /_\ )

1. Thanks a Lot
2. Horror Show
3. Losing a Whole Year
4. Crystal Baller
5. Narcolepsy
6. Wounded
7. An Ode to Maybe
8. Scattered
9. Palm Reader
10. Now I Don’t Know
11. Campfire
12. A Sharp Knife
13. Graduate
14. The Background

At this point, a couch was pulled out to the middle of the stage, and Brad plays piano for an acoustic set of:

15. Deep Inside of You (Brad played piano)
16. Tattoo of the Sun (Brad held a drum on his lap still sitting on piano stool)
17. Good Man
18. I Want You
19. All Right Caroline

Couch leaves, regular set continues with:

20. Motorcycle Drive By
21. Never Let You Go (w/ Tony’s son on guitar)
22. Jumper
23. Semi-Charmed Life

Band leaves the stage, encores with:

24. Slow Motion
25. Persephone (w/ a guy playing violin)
26. How’s it Going to Be

Band leaves the stage again, performs a 2nd encore with:

27. God of Wine

* back story: Hooman and Emmitt (from the Hooman show @ Alice) were supposed to introduce 3EB but it fell through somehow. (But I don’t think 3EB opened with Graduate as they claimed.)

** Stephan is super cute and fit. Love him!