Greetings Echelon and other Creatures of the Interweb,

Spank is FINALLY here to give you this recap of the Thirty Seconds to Mars show I attended at The Tabernacle in Atlanta on September 27, 2013 with Belle.  I do apologize it has taken this long but I had personal matters that not only kept me writing this but almost kept me from attending the show in the first place.

This was the third time I heard Thirty Seconds to Mars perform live.  I do believe the term "third time's a charm" is applicable here because while they were incredible each time I saw them, this time was definitely the best of the bunch.

I can write a love letter regarding every song they performed because, for me, this isn't just music.  It is a movement that rides on a wave of emotion that is felt in the pounding of the drum, the strum on the guitar strings, and with each and every word sung. That was evident to me when the band opened with Birth:

"I will save you from yourself. Time will change everything about this hell"

  (Not footage from The Tabernacle show)

This Is War is an anthem that speaks directly to the heart of anyone who has felt like they lived through a battle. Life can feel that way for me, and perhaps you, and it was a moment I needed to capture so you could experience this intense camaraderie with me:

The band mostly played songs from This Is War and Love Lust Faith + Dreams with a couple of tunes thrown in from A Beautiful Lie for good measure. Oh, and they performed their delicious cover of Rhianna's song, Stay.  Haven't heard it?  Here ya go:

(Not footage from The Tabernacle show)

You're welcome.

The band's encore began with Alibi (a song with intense personal meaning for me) and closed with their absolutely AMAZING song Up In The Air.  The way the show ended perfectly encapsulated the explosive energy of this night.  I began videotaping it but scrapped that idea due to my unwillingness to stand still, even for the sake of this blog. Thankfully, someone else WAS willing:

After the show Belle and I stood in a ridiculously long line just for the pleasure of having signed by the band a CD of music I already owned digitally.  But it was worth it as I'm pretty sure me and Jared Leto had a moment.  Or maybe it was just 30 seconds.  Okay, OKAY!  It was only 3 seconds.  But still... those were the best 3 seconds of my life!

I will never forget the moment, the moment.

I will never forget this night.

We sing, we sing...

On... on... on...

That's how the story goes......

September 27, 2013
Thirty Seconds to Mars
The Tabernacle
Atlanta, GA

Ever since my first Thirty Seconds To Mars show almost three years ago, I'd been eagerly anticipating their return. After playing an astounding 300+ shows on their last tour, which spanned over two years and earned the band a Guiness World Record for "Longest Concert Tour by a Rock Band," they're now back on the road in support of their fourth album LOVE LUST FAITH + DREAMS, a tour which kicked off with Friday's sold-out Atlanta show at The Tabernacle.

The Tabernacle is probably my favorite concert venue out of all the places I've seen shows over the years. It's historic, beautiful, and magical. Yes...I truly believe the place holds a very special kind of strange magic! But Friday's show almost didn't happen for Spank and me. I set out for Atlanta Friday morning not knowing whether Spank could go or whether I'd go on by myself if she couldn't. But after feeling more optimistic as each mile rolled away, I knew things would work out in the end. And did they ever! We literally found out at the last minute that the show (for us, anyway) would go on.

Thanks to some INSANE traffic in downtown Atlanta, we arrived at the venue a few songs into New Politics' (David Boyd, Soren Hansen and Louis Vecchio) extremely high-energy set. I had heard one song by them and knew that I liked it, but I was absolutely hooked after seeing them perform and have been listening to A Bad Girl in Harlem NON STOP since the show. My review was originally supposed to be only of New Politics' set, but with no set list to go by nor any usable video footage from the show uploaded to YouTube yet, all I can really tell you we heard for sure was "Fall Into These Arms" and "Harlem." And of course vocalist David Boyd did his signature breakdance moves:

(Note: this is not my video. This is not from Friday's show, but it IS from a few months ago at the same venue. You should definitely watch it anyway!)



So I usually briefly touch on the opening acts, but I have to say this is the first opener that I actually want to (and will) see again and again.

Spank will have a review of Thirty Seconds To Mars up shortly. In the meantime, here's a guest review from Catherine, whom Spank and I met at the 2011 Thirty Seconds To Mars show:

"The first time I saw 30 Seconds to Mars, it ended up being the best night of my life. When I saw them again for the second time last Friday, that night became another to remember.

I was once again thankful enough to be able to purchase the Meet & Greet package through Adventures in Wonderland (the last time it was from Golden Tickets though it was much cheaper (plus, I even got to sit on the stage last time, but it was far too expensive now...)). The Meet & Greet was before the concert, and once again I also met many fellow Echelon who are just as passionate and encouraging as I strive to be.

The package also enabled me to sprint up the interior Tabernacle stairs and onto the concert floor in front of the gated barrier (a spot that I had been cherishing the moment I bought my ticket) before the rest of the crowd. I even brought my camera, taking fewer pictures than the last time because I wanted to make sure I saw everything I could of Jared, Shannon and Tomo melting the faces of Atlanta's Echelon.

And melt they did. "Night of the Hunter," "Conquistador" and "End of All Days" were among the best of the performance, in my opinion. I was even happily surprised when Jared sang "From Yesterday" acoustically after hearing a request from the crowd. The show ended with "Up in the Air," as Jared beckoned many from the pit to be uplifted by security guards onto the stage. I was so happy to experience such a great show, but then it got better.

I cannot think of any other band who would stay after a show and be willing to sign CDs bought by ANYONE at the concert venue. Because they did this, my cousin was able to meet 30 Seconds to Mars, and I am pretty sure that made her week. I admit, I bought another CD just so I could meet them AGAIN. I just could not resist seeing more of the members of a band who have inspired and comforted me so much throughout the years.

30 Seconds to Mars only confirmed why I love them like I do with their performance last Friday. There was passion, a variety of musical abilities and an energy shared by all in attendance that I wish everyone could experience. The next time they are in Atlanta, one can bet that I will most definitely be there."

Thank you, Catherine, for sharing your review!

This is a bittersweet post for me, as my concert year has come to a close. This won't be my last post of the year, but it WILL very likely be my last review till 2014. Head out to see Thirty Seconds To Mars on this tour if you get the opportunity; you will not be disappointed. Also try to catch New Politics anytime you can; they really ARE that good. Till next time.....enjoy these great photos Catherine shared with us:

....and the story goes on.....

Friday, September 27, 2014
The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA