Nada Surf at Music Hall of williamsburg and Bowery ballroom (long)

Oh, sweet sweet nada surf. I've been looking forward to their new album, Lucky, since it was announced last year. Sometime during the fall, they announced two shows for Feb, one at Music Hall of Williamsburg, and the other at Bowery Ballroom. I decided on Williamsburg because of the homey feeling that the show would have, and told my friends about it, so they could decide if they wanted to go as well. Well, the friends never did get their own tickets, so I was on my own. I got to MHOW somewhat early on Thursday night, around 830. I never get to shows any more with the intentions of being up front, normally I just enjoy myself in the back with a drink. Somehow, I managed to have the opportunity to be up front, right against the stage, practically in the center of the stage. I'll skip the info about that night's opener, because they were ok but I need to conserve the space. they came on at around 1015, and from that moment, I was just in my own little place. they opened with happy kid, and I knew with the first few notes that I was going to be in for an awesome night. I had already listened to the new album quite a few times, but I was unprepared for how the new songs would be live. I think I had heard a few in July at the solo show, but Matthew really let loose, especially for See These Bones. The encore was fantastic, especially when Lianne Smith came out to perform "The Film Does Not Go 'Round," and I'm still kicking myself for not starting off the onstage dancing for "blankest year", but I was in such a daze at that point. so blah blah, they 'end' on Blankest Year, Daniel gave me an unopened bottle of red stripe, and then they left the stage - we cheered for more nada surf, they came back out, I yelled out "Hi-Speed Soul," and Matthew acknowledged me, and it was the perfect way to end the show. I can go through and list every song and how beautiful and amazing they all sounded, but I won't, I'll just say this - in the 12 ish years (yes, since popular) that I've been a fan of this amazing band, they have reminded me every time I listen to an album, every time I hear a new song, even when I was shocked to hear them in a chase commercial and MOST CERTAINLY, every time I see them live - that this is why I live and breathe for music, this is why I spent years learning to play guitar and piano - for the weak kneed music high that i get when I'm around music. I hadn't walked out of a show feeling that way in quite some time, but I left MHOW on thursday lacking words, and I knew that I needed to experience that again. So when i walked in the door at 5 am (fuck the 35 min wait for the L, fuck missing my train by 3 mins, fuck the LIRR for not having trains between 115 and 315) I went right onto craig's to try and get a ticket. I was successful, so Friday afternoon I was on my way back in to go to the bowery show. The bowery show went pretty much the same way as MHOW, I knew I needed to be up front, so I got there with enough time to get my spot. talked to a couple of girls near me before the show started - one girl (with an awesome nada surf tattoo) had been at the show the night before. we all agreed that dancing, on stage, was a must during blankest year. Lianne Smith and her guitar partner guy were fantastic. I'm probably going to go see them at the living room on the 26th. I LOVED illinois. wasn't expecting much and they put me in such a great mood. Nada surf opened with Hi-Speed tonight, played most of the same songs from thursday, and threw in a few more...do it again...PAPER BOATS...hyperspace...did blizzard in the encore...blankest year...i got up on that stage fast and danced like a fool, and it was the best night of my life. Getting down off the stage, i felt light headed and woozy, and knew that it had been special night again. bought the posters of course, as always. walking down chrystie to the f i ran into Ira and had an awesome convo with him about how wonderful the show had been. he recognized me from being in the front, and i told him about how i had felt leaving the night before, which was why i was there at bowery. yay for april 13 at the troc in philly and to a lesser extent, april 11 at terminal 5.