A whirlwind of a month
Hello everyone! I hope you had a great October and Halloween.
I didn’t get much writing done. My October was full of some much-needed rest and relaxation… or about as much as you can do when you’re traveling. Let me tell you more about it!
If you follow me on Instagram, Threads or Facebook, you’ll have seen my photos from Las Vegas! It was an intense 4 days jam-packed with tourist attractions, food, and music, and I had such a good time.
My main reason for traveling to Vegas was the When We Were Young Festival, an emo/punk festival. The first iteration of the festival ran in 2022 and had My Chemical Romance and Paramore as headliners. Unfortunately, the festival was announced a bit too late for me to budget and organize vacation days, so I had to take a pass. But last year, they announced the 2024 edition in November 2023, and My Chemical Romance was once again headlining, along with Fall Out Boy. As soon as I heard about it, I knew I HAD to go, especially since I’d missed out on it the first time.
When I was younger, My Chemical Romance was on my “bucket list” of musicians I wanted to see live. They inspired my writing and brought myself and my classmates closer together. Everyone was bitten by the MCR bug when I started listening to them, and their music fills me with so much nostalgia for that time. It still inspires me to this day, and I feel some of their lyrics are more relevant than ever as I’ve grown older.
But growing up in New Brunswick, they never went further east than Montreal, and I was a high school student, and later a university student, with not that much money. When they announced their breakup in 2013, I was broken up myself, and it pained me I’d never get to see them live.
But then! In 2019, they announced their reunion and I was able to get tickets to their Toronto shows. It was a surreal experience to hear them live, and to hear them exploring new arrangements of old songs and playing deep cuts.
Ever since then, I knew if I had the means to go, I HAD to find a way to see them. And seeing them headlining with Fall Out Boy, another band I enjoyed in high school (though not to the same rabid fangirl degree), I knew I’d have the best time. I bought a ticket for the festival right away, determined to find a way.
Luckily, my friend Sophie was interested in going to Vegas too. We stayed at Ceasars Palace, which was a surreal experience! It’s such a famous hotel, and so over the top in the best way. Together, explored the strip, saw a Cirque du Soleil show, and ate dinner at the Bellagio. On the day of the festival, we went our separate ways and reunited the next day for more adventures.
The day of the festival was one I was a bit apprehensive about. I’d gone to concerts by myself before, but always in Canada. I’d never been to a show in the States, and I was a bit worried about the crowd and getting shoved around or even trampled. But, at least where I ended up standing for most of the night, the people around me were all very calm and accommodating. I felt very safe there. Despite going alone, I did meet some people along the way and our brief connections made the whole day even more special. The show itself was also great. I mixed up the schedule in my head and ended up seeing some bands I didn’t know much about, but they were all amazing live and I’ve definitely found some new-to-me music to check out!
Both Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance delivered memorable sets as well. Fall Out Boy was flashy and bombastic, while MCR was more understated and contemplative. It suited both their energies well, and I especially loved the new arrangements MCR did for some of their older songs. They also played some songs they haven’t played in years, including two of my favourites! It was a really special experience.
By the time I made it back to the hotel, my feet were practically numb and I was too amped up from all the music and excitement. The next day was certainly… interesting. But I still made it through a whole day of sighsteeing!
I returned home absolutely exhausted and got a really bad muscle cramp in one leg that took a few days to stretch out. But I had the best time anyhow! I feel more confident in going to festivals and even returning to Vegas alone, if no one wanted to go with me next time!
When We Were Young announced their lineup for 2025, but I likely won’t be going this time. Maybe in 2026, I’ll want to go! And to make things more interesting the Warped Tour announced their return, so if the lineup inspires me, I may be making another trip to the US in 2025.
Looking Ahead…
This month, it’s (hopefully) back to business. I want to make good progress on my revisions of my fourth novel, Be True. Ideally, I’d love be done them by the end of the year, so I can send it along to an editor at the beginning of 2025, but we’ll see if I get that far. The holiday season is approaching, and I’m sure I’ll be busy. But as long as I can set aside a couple hours every week, I’ll be happy.
I hope you enjoyed this update! Be sure to check me out on my socials for more from me, though I’ll admit I’m not very active on social media nowadays.
Until next time!