Jahaira Hooker, Jun 26, 2012
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| SOYJOY Pineapple in Concert |
If there is one thing I am most passionate about, it’s music. There’s absolutely nothing that fuels me more. That indescribable euphoric feeling of seeing and listening to a favorite band jamming, LIVE, to the very tunes rotating in my iPod... magic! I live for this stuff. Music is an intricate part of my day-to-day and with the summer season it’s even more prominent. There’s just something about summer and live music that go hand-in-hand. It’s the perfect marriage.
Just about every summer I challenge myself to discover and listen to as many indie bands as possible; I have even made this a feature on my blog (NYC music scene) and have as of late been on a high-energy music kick venturing out to see various local acts and even staging my own monthly music showcase. So as you can imagine, Oh happy day, the day I received my second JOYTESTER challenge! It could not have come at a better time or been given to a more appropriate person. The assignment was simple and right up my alley:
Amp Up your Summer Concert Experience with
SOYJOY. Hooray!!!
As I look back, it's really funny how it all transpired. The universe was clearly on my side because the timing was brilliant! Allow me to take you through the full experience:
As I pondered my challenge and began a vigorous Time Out magazine search for the best summer concerts, I receive a text from Gianna (soon to be partner in crime) with the following: "Red Hot Chili Peppers for our birthdays, May 30th, in PA! Let's do it!!! I'm buying tickets tomorrow". Ummm...what?! Yes, please and thank you!
And so it begins.
First thing to note is that a good concert experience can vary from the size of the venue to the acts on the bill. It all really depends on what you are looking for - but the basic preparations pretty much remain the same. And aside from a killer headliner, good company makes for a good time. So be sure to have along friends who share your same love for music and sense of adventure, and who can bring JOY to any situation making it truly memorable. Want to take the experience to a whole other level? Make a road trip out of it. Have a blast!
Here is how four ladies managed a Red Hot Chili Peppers Concert all in 42 hours. The key elements I will take you through apply to the road trip variation.
The Challenge: How to Amp Up Your Summer Concert Experience
The Mission: Surviving a seven-hour road trip, to and from, with four ladies
The Show: The Red Hot Chili Peppers
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
The Occasion: Gianna’s and my Birthday
The Cast: Heidi, Kinsey, Gianna, and yours truly, Jah
Key #1
Anticipating the long drive and all that was ahead of us, I went ahead and packed a little cooler with basic road trip necessities: Water, fruits, nuts, and SOYJOY bars. Healthy snacks really do help when all the choices around you will come from roadside rest stops. No bueno.
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| Ready for the road |
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| We need sleep |
On The Road…
Our day started quite early, 6AM early to be exact, with Kinsey behind the wheel. Seven long hours awaited us so we were quite ready for our car nap… until entering PA we hit our first bump in the road… which brings me to key #2…
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| We are in Pennsylvania!!! Only five more hours to go… |
Key #2
• Always print out the step-by-step directions to your destination.
• Never rely solely on your phone’s GPS.
• Always make sure your phone is fully charged prior to hitting the road.
• Never fully trust Siri as she will lead you into towns with actual forks in the road (see photo below).
• Always make sure your rental car has a working power outlet so you don’t end up wasting money on two phone car chargers only to later learn that the fuse has been taken out. Blasphemy!
• Always make the best of the situation, like Gianna did, and strike up a conversation with a local at the gas station as you wait for your phones to charge.
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| Ummm an actual fork in the road… |
The drive to Pittsburgh proved longer than planned although I was not completely surprised by this. What I did not anticipate was how quickly the SOYJOY bars would go. I was really happy to see that the girls really liked them, especially someone like Heidi who can be quite picky. We almost ran out bars on the drive there.
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| Kinsey enjoying her apple SOYJOY |
After almost nine hours on the road, and once at our hotel, it was all about taking care of basic necessities and going down for a nap. After all we had to be fresh for a concert that was scheduled to start in a few hours and we were tired!
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| Sleeping SOYJOYS. Shhhhh…. |
Key #3
• Rest up and hydrate properly before a show as you will be exuding a lot of energy.
As the hour grew closer to leave for the arena we were suddenly jolted with a burst of energy. Pure adrenaline took over the room and we were now totally amped for the show. So we hooked up the iPod on the stand and loudly jammed to the Chili Peppers as we got dressed. It was just what we needed. Now, as I mentioned, there are four ladies, which means four different personalities and four different styles.
Key #4
Wear what makes you feel most comfortable. A concert is about a good time and not a place for a fashion show.
• Flats, sandals or chucks are the way to go.
• Jeans, shorts, or summer dresses are great.
• Cotton shirts, tanks, T-shirts, bathing suits tops (this applies to outdoor concerts in hot weather).
• No oversized handbags (a small over the shoulder purse is preferable).
• ID and some cash for a quick concession stand run or that coveted band t-shirt.
• Ear plugs (it gets LOUD)!
• A camera to document everything. This will prove handy later and always good for blackmail. Ha!
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| L/R Jah, Kinsey, Gianna, and Heidi |
Note: If the concert is outdoors, the items mentioned above apply as well but I also recommend wearing sunscreen, hydrating a lot, wearing a cap, bringing baby wipes for those outdoor porta-potties (eek), and wearing cheap sunnies.
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| Banana SOYJOY on the golden bridge. We were pressed for time so we were not able to explore the city like we wanted. Fortunately our hotel was right off this beautiful golden bridge. I mean, you stepped out of the hotel and there it was! Wish I had gotten a name. |
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| Here are I am with a Pineapple SOYJOY inside a huge helmet we found once in the arena. We decided to bring Pineapple SOYJOY along as a guest and prop, although Kinsey kept trying to eat it. |
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Once at the venue, it was all about a good time. The Chili Peppers delivered and the vibe in the room was unlike anything I have ever experienced. It was amazing to see that after 20 something+ years in the business these guys still had such intense energy. The entire arena fed off this and it was crazy. I was completely hypnotized by Flea’s bass line. And lets not even get into the audiovisual team because it was gruesome. Sick. Sick. Sick.Admittedly I wasn’t the best Chili Peppers fan prior to this show. Yes, I own their greatest hits and can easily sing along to their tunes, but it wasn’t until after this show that I was completely sold.
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| With Heidi |
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| For the life of me I could not get a good photo of Gianna. She was on 100% the entire time – a tiny blur of energy. |
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| Flea doing his thing |
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| Crazy light show |
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The after-party portion of the concert had to be kept to a minimum as we were scheduled to hit the road early again the next day. We did manage to find a local bar where most of the concertgoers were headed and hung out for a bit, but the lack of sleep was starting to take its toll, so it was soon back to the hotel for much needed rest.
So many great things came from this JOYTESTER challenge. It made my birthday a memorable one, I grew closer to these ladies and proved that we could survive 8hrs + in a confined space without killing each other. It was also the perfect opportunity for an adventure. What else could I have wished for? Gianna is still reeling from the experience. THANK YOU SOYJOY!!! You know just the right way to bring JOY to my life.
Ps. we only had 2 SOYJOY bars left for the trip back. Ha!