Another late journal entry. Sorry, but I've been spending the last three days recovering from over-exertion at my first rock concert.

Yes, was kind enough to take me to see The Offspring on their 'Shit is Fucked Up' Summer tour at the Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion. Of course it wasn't just The Offspring playing.

First, to warm up the crowd, was a little known group called Kelley Morris & The Fallen Tree. These people have a nice blend of classic rock and r&b tones to them. If you ever thought that KT Tunstall's Music needed more balls, these are the people to talk to. Speaking of talking, I got to chat with the band after their show while I bought their album 'The Burning Soul Machine'. They were very enthusiastic and approachable. I even got my picture taken with them.

The official opening act was Frank Turner. You wouldn't expect punk rock and folk music to blend so well, nor would you expect one man with an acoustic guitar to make so much noise. Somehow though, it all seems to mesh nicely together. Just imagine if Al Barr (lead vocals for Dropkick Murphys) took up guitar and went solo and you can imagine Frank's act. He also did a damn good job of entertaining the crowd. Between each song, he'd amuse us with a humorous anecdote; such as how this was the first show of his tour... that he was sober for.

Next up was Sum 41. I don't think there's much to say here. I'm sure most people have heard them and know what their music is like. So I'll just say this: Love or hate their music, Sum 41 knows how to play to the crowd. It seemed like every sixty seconds, they would either be inviting folks on stage or tossing drumsticks, guitar picks, and used water bottles (Seriously?) into the audience. You could tell they honestly loved their fans.

Finally, The Offspring. I'm thoroughly convinced that New Hampshire has the largest Offspring fan base of any state in the U.S. An impressive feat considering that they had never played New Hampshire previous to this (although the eccentric lead guitarist, Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, claimed to have been here before). People were going ape shit constantly. The people were especially moved when Dexter Holland dragged out a piano and started playing 'Heaven is so Far Away'. The production values and lighting were surprisingly good for a humble outdoor pavilion (as compared to our massive Verizon Wireless Arena). But the best part was the infamous 'Intermission' bit, where the band dances, juggles, ETC. while cheesy elevator music plays. It was refreshing to see them just acting goofy.

Overall, I recommend seeing ANY of these people live if you can. You can check them out at the following.

The official Offspring website: [link]
The official Sum 41 website: [link]
Frank Turner's website: [link]
Frank Turner @ My Space: [link]
Kelley Morris & The Fallen Tree's website: [link]
Kelley Morris & The Fallen Tree @ My Space: [link]