I was introduced the the band, Something Corporate, by my friend Anthony. Every time I was around him, he would talk about how much he liked the group. He spoke about their music like it was from the mouth of God. I didn't understand the fascination he had with them, but of course, I hadn't heard their music. After finally giving up on him finding a new group, I asked him to burn me a CD. He did and gave it to me the next time we had class. Almost immediately I was hooked on what Anthony along with other fans called, "Emo music." Something Corporate's ability to infuse piano with rock makes for a beautiful sound. But before I start sounding too much like a reviewer, here is what went down the day of the concert.

Something Corporate would be playing at a venue in Columbus called the Newport. It is the oldest concert hall in the nation, but looking at it, you would never think it had that much prestige. It looks like a normal theatre from the outside, with its marquee proclaiming what band would be performing in the days to come. Anthony and I wanted to get to the front of the place as soon as we could.

The Newport doesn't have seating anywhere. The whole place is standing room, meaning if you get there early, you get to be closer to the stage and if you are late, you either have to stand in the back or fight your way to the front. Now, there is nothing wrong with standing in the back because the place is pretty small. Also, the Newport offers pre-show tickets for about 3 dollars. This means a person can get in 30 minutes before general admission. We didn't have these, but we still got down there early. I knew that Anthony wanted to get there as soon as he could although he said that it didn't matter to him what time we arrived.

Anthony and I ended up heading to the Newport around 3. The doors didn't open for us until around 6. We would be waiting for almost 4 hours before we could get inside. Standing outside in the rain was myself and Anthony. There were about 6 girls who stood in front of us. They would be our company for the next few hours.

As time moved on, more people started to show up. It began to get dark around 5 and I wondered how long the line was. I asked a man and he said it went down the block. I was glad that we got there early. Unfortunately, we still didn't have pre-show tickets so there would be a lot of people getting in before us. At that point, we didn't care. We just wanted to get in.

So the time drew near where they would be opening the door and a rather large crowd came to the front of the line and waited. People began to go crazy, demanding that they go to the end of the line. Anthony and I just sat back and watched as people screamed and hollered. Soon a man who worked for the hall came out and announced that pre-show ticket holders were about to be let in. He also told everyone to form a line on the other side of the building, exactly where the large group of line jumpers were standing. People roared in disagreement. It didn't matter for me, we were going to be standing for a while.

When it was our turn, somehow we ended up second in line. I didn't care about that either because the temperature had fallen dramatically. I had a sweater and a shirt on and I was still freezing. All I wanted was to get into that building and sure enough, they let us in 10 minutes after the people who paid 3 extra dollars.

On the inside, the Newport reminded me of a club. It had what looked like a dance floor and a bar. It even had a balcony. The one thing that made it different was its stage, which sat a few feet off the ground. The entire room was painted back and was only lit by the advertisements mounted on the walls. We had to wait a while before the show started so we just sat back and relaxed. Anthony went and spoke with some of his friends from school and I people-watched. Off to the side, I saw a guy and girl who were dressed in all black, Goth prince and princess. Directly in front of me was a girl who decided not to wear a bra because her shirt was backless. Unfortunately, he breasts were hanging down to her waist. I can't believe her friends let her leave the house like that.

Almost 30 minutes after we walked into the New Port, the show started. The first band, in my opinion, was garbage, so I refuse to even remember their names. They were actually a replacement band because another band called out. They should have just left their spot blank. On stage was 4 guitarist and 1 drummer. They seemed to be more into their music than the crowd was. Like I said, garbage.

After a short break, up came a group called Days Away. Their music, I liked a lot. They were for guys who played the same Emo music that Something Corporate plays. I thought the band was great, even though the lead singer would prance around the stage as if he were mentally handicapped. His voice good for the style of music that they sang and I really wanted to get their CD. I regret not doing it because it was only 5 dollars.

Up next was a group called Mae. After Something Corporate, I have to say that I liked this group the most. They had a bass, guitarist, a drummer and keyboarder (if that is a word). Their music truly took me somewhere, from their soft ballads to their hard rock. I plan to purchase their CD soon.

It was finally time to see Something Corporate and we had moved from the back of the hall to the middle of the crowd. Just a little while ago, they had been doing their mosh thing so I was more than terrified about what was going to transpire. We watched as they set up SoCo's equipment and instruments. There was a huge anticipation circulating throughout the audience. We were all ready for the group to come on and when the lights turned off for the final time, they came. Something Corporate put on quite a show playing a lot of their hits from their old and new album. They also played the ever popular, but non-recorded song, "Konstantine" (tear. I suggest you download it). The audience went crazy and so did I. Throughout the time in the pit, I was forced to touch more people than I have in my life. We were so packed in down there that you couldn't help but to touch someone's butt or ...other parts. That wasn't my focus though. In front of me was one of the best bands I had ever heard.

When the concert was over, we left the theatre. Anthony and I walked back to my dorm where he had to catch the bus. I went upstairs to my room and told my roommates about the whole experience. I had a great time and I am just counting down the days when I can see SoCo perform again.