This was originally posted in my LiveJournal, so it's more of a story, than a concert review...
After some REALLY long line ups, and much confusion, Allison and I finally made our way into the concert area. As we walked in, i got a free bottle of Red Mountain Dew (it was okay, for the first part of the bottle, but it tastes really shitty after you drink enough of it LOL) So then, our first mission was to check out the stage area, and find Lonny. LOL. So, we were walking around, and i see, in the distance, a guy with an orange shirt and brown cords, and a girl. and i turn to allison, and i'm like "uhh, is that guy over there Lonny?!" so we casually walked towards them, until we saw clearly that it *was* lonny! So we went over, and i'm like "hi lonny!" and he's like "hi katie!" and he gave me a hug, and he's like "this is my girlfriend" Then we were talking for a bit about emails, and about...uhh, i can't even remember what we were talking about LOL. Then he and his girlfriend decided to check out the grounds, so we split up, and Allison and I decided to walk around the other way.
As we were walking, i noticed Zoy walking towards us! So i turn to Allison, and i'm like "thats the singer from the mudmen!" So i went up to him, and started talking to me...but he looked like he didn't know who i was, so i told him "I'm Katie...from Ryerson" and he's like "ohh! right! i just read your post in our guestbook" so then we were talking for a bit, and i asked him about the benefit concert...and mentioned that it was 2 weeks before i turn 19, so hopefully he'll help me get in ;) Then Allison and I took pictures with him, and we parted ways.
We then decided to check out the rest of the grounds too... We were in search of some mudmen stickers, because we saw someone in the moshpit sticking one of their stickers on their back. Instead, we got some free stickers and tattoo's (no mudmen) when we filled out a form at some booth, to win something or other LOL. Then we walked around the PlayStation Village, and we got some free Pizza Pockets (actually, allison didn't have any, cause she's a vegetarian...but i did) We walked around some more and found these really cool flame shoes (allison said her boyfriend wanted them, and i told her to buy them) and we got some more stickers.
Then we walked back out to the main stage, and we watched Simple Plan. They were pretty good, i'd never heard of them before. There were lots of little girlie-groupies for them though...they were really annoying (the girls, not the band) LOL, the guitarist had this awesome shirt on...it was black with "Slut" written on it in silver. Very cool. During their set, i noticed all the mudmen in the background, and they distracted me for half of the set LOL. Lonny was holding his *Really* adorable little brother. So cute :)
After Simple Plan left the stage, Allison and I scrambled to get up front for the mudmen's set. I saw this guy, who i thought was brent, setting up the stage, but i wasn't sure if it was him or not, cause he grew his hair. (i learned later that it actually was him, but i didn't talk to him) In between the bands, they had these long stretches with dj's spinning...it was kinda annoying though. It would've been better if there was less time in between bands. So anyway, we watched Lonny set up his guitars, and Ryan with his drums, cause that was pretty much the only excitement happening at the time. Someone came around giving out Mudmen stickers, and Allison got one, but i didn't :( But, finally, we heard the bagpipes being warmed up in the background! it was almost time! :)
So, finally, they announced the Mudmen! Allison and I started out close to Lonny's mic, then we made our way closer to the centre (but still closer to the left) The band began with Mason's Apron, and the mosher's behind us began pushing and jumping! (which really sucked for me, because i hurt my foot on friday night, and i was in lots of pain) The whole time that they were playing, there was this really tall guy behind me, who was friends with the girls in front of me, but i told him "you're not getting in front of me, cause you're too tall!" (i was in second row, the girls were against the gate) So throughout the whole set, this guy tried to get in between Allison and I, but we wouldn't let him LOL
Anyway, the next song they played was Saturday, and after that was a really kickass version of 5 o'clock. the whole crowd was totally energized. At some point during one of those two songs, Zoy came over to our side of the stage, and threw out Mudmen stickers, and i caught 2 of them! YAY! LOL Then they played In My Head...and a REALLY awesome cover of Home For A Rest. The way they played it, you'd swear it was their song, and not a cover...they should really record it and have it as a b-side to a single...it kicks SO much ass. Next they played Coma, and during this song, i got kicked in the cheek, and some mosher tore my glasses off...that definitely was NOT fun. The last song they played was Drink and Fight (yay! i love this song!) i got kicked in the back in this song, and my foot got stepped on, which really sucked LOL...i was limping the rest of the day (well, i was limping before that...but i limped even more after)
Then, most of the girls took off from the front row, so we shoved our way in, so we could get some Mudmen stuff. At that point, we made friends with this guy next to us, Phil. So, the guy on stage (who also looked very familiar...i met him later on that night) Then, the 3 of us are all wanting a setlist, which he had just taken from Lonny's mic, so he bends down, and hands it over, and he goes to me "i love your website!" (So i was all puzzled, cause i didn't know how he *knew* about my website!) The setlist kinda flew in the air, and i grabbed it, and phil ripped off a little piece of it LOL. Then, he went to Ryan's drumkit, and got another set list, and gave it to allison! (Phil was kinda mad at us, i think LOL, sorry man!)
Then Allison and i walked around for a bit...the guys from Simple Plan were autographing in the Chart Tent, i think...but we didn't feel like waiting around. So we walked around a bit, and i noticed Tommy was standing by the gates, so we went over, and he was talking to some people, then he turned and looked at me and he's like "hey! Ryerson, right?" and i'm like "YEAH!" so we talked for a bit, and i took a picture with him, then i took one of allison and him, but i thought that i didn't press the button, so i took another one. and i was like "yeah, i thought i heard it winding in my head after i took the picture, so it's better that i just took another one." then tommy goes "in my head? is that a pun?" and Allison and i were both like, totally clueless, so he pulls my setlist from my hand (which he had just signed) and he pointed to "in my head" and i'm like "OHHHH!" (it was like those cartoon scenes, when a lightbulb appears over the character's head!)
so then Tommy goes back behind the gates, and i see Sarah, Diane, and Monique, who i talk to online sometimes, so we went over and talked to them for a bit. While we were talking, Zoy walked by backstage, and he saw me and waved at me. (hehe, little things like that make my day!) Then Allison and i were starting to feel weird hanging out by the gates, so we left the three of them there, and went for a walk.
Our legs were killing us, so we found a semi-dry piece of grass near the snowboard ramp, and sat down for a bit, and ate our snacks LOL. Then we got bored, and there was nothing interesting happening on stage, so we decided to join the autograph line up, but we didn't know who we were lining up for. We met up with Phil again in line. Then i noticed one of the guys from Simple Plan standing around, so i got him to sign my autograph book. It turned out that the line was for sum 41 autographs, but it was like, CRAZY. they didn't get through the line, and everyone was like, pushing and trampling each other to get to the side gates.
So we decided that we didn't want to bother with that line, and we just lined up to meet the mudmen (who were signing in 45 minutes from the time we lined up LOL) We were talking to these girls in front of us in line, who were also there for the mudmen. They were cool, kinda annoying though - but i'm sure we seemed the same way LOL. Phil came over and joined us in line too, a little later. Then, i started to see some of the Mudmen coming out to sit down - but lonny wasn't there! Tommy noticed me standing in line, and he smiled and waved at me, and i yelled out "where's lonny?!" and he yells, to no one in particular "GET LONNY!!!" (but lonny still didn't show up LOL)
So then, the line starts moving. Ryan was the first one at the table, and he's like "hey! i remember you! from ryerson!" (i must've left quite an impression on them, if they all remember me from ryerson LOL!) I made all the guys sign in red marker, cause the writing on the setlist was already black, and Allison got hers signed in red too (LOL, we must've been annoying, making them switch their markers!) Sandy started to sign in black, and i'm like "no! wait! sign in red!" so there's like, a black S, on top of his red signature. Rob was next in line, and he just kinda signed my setlist, and passed it on. he was the only one that i didn't meet at Ryerson. Zoy was next, and uhh, i can't even remember what we talked about LOL. Then he passed the lists to Tommy, and he's like "sign in red dude" and Tommy says "i already signed them!" LOL, and at the end, sitting in Lonny's place was his little brother, Bailey. He's SO CUTE! Then i asked the band for a picture with them, so i gave my camera to allison (or did phil take it?) But none of the guys were paying attention! then i kinda tapped zoy on the shoulder, and i'm like "picture!" and he's like "oh! right!" then Rob and Sandy brought me in closer, and they're like "you have to get RIGHT in here!" (they squished my tits against the chair! oww! it hurt! LOL) After i took my picture, Lonny came out, and Allison took a picture with all of them. Then i got Lonny to sign my list (he signed in BLACK dammit! ruined the whole red-thing!) Then Tommy turns to Lonny and he's like, "hey this is the girl from Ryerson!" then lonny looks up at me, and looks back at tommy and he's like "who? this girl?! i've known her since forever!" and i laughed and tommy's like "ohh, i didn't know that!" Then i took a picture with lonny (and bailey, who was on his lap!) So, as Allison was getting ready to take the picture, Lonny goes to Bailey "smile!" so Bailey turns to me and smiles! *SOO CUTE!* Lonny told me i have to send him copies of the pictures, but i dunno if my scanner is working or not...Then Allison talked to Lonny for a bit, and i took a picture of her with Lonny and Bailey. And some other girls asked me to take a picture of them with the band...so i became like, the "official photographer of the autograph session"
Then we left the tent, and we were looking at some magazines, and just wandering around...and i DARED allison to ask the lady sitting near the tent if she was Lonny's mom (i thought she was cause i've seen her before, but i wasn't sure) So, finally, Allison did, and it was! Then i went over to her, and i'm like "you have a really great son" and she's like "which one?" and i'm like "lonny! but bailey's really cool too!" and we all laughed. Then she told us some stories about Lonny and Bailey. hehe, it was cute! :)
After they were done signing, i saw Ryan, and i asked him if he had any drumsticks left, and he said he did, but they were packed up, and he'd go get me one...so he told me to stay where i was, and not to move! LOL. So then, somehow, we ended up in the middle of a big mudmen circle. Lonny and his family were behind us, Zoy and Rob were beside me, and there were all kinds of other people around us. I think dj supernatural was on at this point, or maybe it was Rahzel, i wasn't really paying much attention. At one point, Zoy was talking to some fans, and i looked over, and he just kinda grabbed my arm and he's like "so, how are you?" So we kinda talked for a bit. Then they kinda disappeared to go onstage so they could watch Rahzel (i wasn't really impressed by him, but everyone else thought he was cool...i found him a little tedious) At some point during this time i also met Theo from Gob, who had just finished signing autographs in the chart tent, and came out to sign for other people, who didn't get their stuff signed. He signed my cd for me :)
Sum 41 came on next. They were cool...i'd seen them 2 times before (that i totally forgot about) but this was my first time seeing them now that they were all *famous* LOL. They were pretty good, but nothing absolutely spectacular. People kept coming up to me and asking me if i was Katie. it was really weird LOL, everyone knew me! At that point, i pretty much gave up all hope of Ryan returning with a drumstick for me LOL
After Sum 41, i decided that i was hungry, so we went and found a hot dog vendor and i paid 4 BUCKS for a hot dog! jeez! if i'd known they were that pricey, i would've starved LOL. On our way back, we saw Lonny's mom again, with Bailey, and she's like "bye girls! have a nice night!" (aww, so sweet! now we know where lonny gets it from!) Then, i saw the guy who gave me the setlist earlier in the day walking by, so i stopped him, and i'm like "hey!" and he's like "hi!" and i go "how did you know about my website?" so he told me that he posts on the Mudmen's guestbook...his name was andrew. and he told me that he probably saw me at other shows at other times (which really wouldn't be too hard to believe LOL)
Gob went on next, and they kicked ass! Tom's dances are the FUNNIEST. he got the two dancer-girls to dance with him, but i think they must've practiced it beforehand, cause they all knew what they were doing LOL. Allison was hoping that they would play Paint It Black, and they did, either the last or second last song. it was awesome! Gob played most of their singles (if not all of them...i can't remember now!)
After gob, we decided that we should leave, cause we didn't know where to catch the street car, and we didn't want Allison to miss her bus home...so we struggled to figure out how to get out of the CNE. LOL. it was an adventure :) ooh, we also got a free men's razor too! the last of our free stuff for the day hehe :)