Postal Service/Big Freedia - Rose Garden

Years ago, when I first learned of the Postal Service, it was too late to get into their way beyond sold-out shows at the Bottom of the Hill.  Their hit song "Such Great Heights" had a particular special meaning for me, and I was disappointed to not be able to see them.  When Ben Gibbard toured in 2007, Jenny Lewis joined him for some West Coast dates, so I had already sorta seen a few live Postal Service songs (Ben & Jenny, 2007).  So, when the band decided to do a tenth anniversary tour, and play their Portland date at the Rose Garden (an arena-sized venue), I wasn't convinced that I wanted to go.

Postal Service - Rose Garden

However, I caught the band's Coachella set on the live stream, and it got me excited to see them.  I managed to snag a cheap GA Floor ticket on Craigslist, so that made it even better.  I was fairly close to the stage, so the venue size did not bother me too much. And of course, they played all their hits (and every other song they had).  In the end, I was grateful that I got the chance to see them play their full set, and I very much enjoyed the concert.  Music made in bedrooms can sometimes translate surprisingly well to large venues.

Oh yes, the Postal Service loves Big Freedia!

Jimmy Eat World/X Ambassadors - Crystal Ballroom

I was surprised by how young some of the audience members were.  It seemed that I was standing in a part of the crowd full of fans who knew every word to every song (and for whom Jimmy Eat World was their favorite band in the world). The enthusiasm of these fans added some extra excitement to the concert.  The funniest part of the show was a cover of Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together."  My favorite part of the show was the back-to-back performance of "A Praise Chorus" and "Sweetness."

Jimmy Eat World - Crystal Ballroom