It was raining, and rain doesn't go good with waiting in line outside or mascara. Apparently a lot of people agree with me because we arrived about 5:45 with the doors opening in less than an hour, and there was maybe 50 people in line. I check in with the box office staff to see if there's anything interesting awaiting me. Unfortunately, there isn't...yet. We decided to go grab dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. Bad idea.

It was a bad idea because I see that a line forms from nowhere and remember that the burgers at Hard Rock are $12. I've paid $30 for a meal before, but it was steak, and there was also a girl swinging above the bar in an attempt to kick a bell that was hanging 30 feet in the air. I know, I know, you pay for the atmosphere. So after dinner, it's time to check the box office once again. The lovely lady working the booth informs me that I have to show my ID and sign for my wares. My packet includes 2 tickets, a photo pass, and 2 aftershow passes. We are doing just fine.

I head for the merch booth and purchase a shirt to commemorate this day. I hesitantly walk to the stage to do the "hurry up & wait" thing that rock shows are good for. I've never heard Aiden before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I expected Aiden to come out and do the "RARRWWFRRFAWWAAARRRR!!!!!!!" thing that Finch did last tour.

† Aiden

Aiden was surprisingly good. There was a good number of fans in the crowd, judging by the mosh pit. Also, there should be a limit of three crowd surfs before you're ejected to teen hell. I kept seeing the same people, over and over again. Even some that busted their asses would get back up and ask to be thrown again. Ah, right, we're talking about the band...

As I said before, I had never heard them before tonight. They made a new fan out of me with their show, which included several mic swings, guitar spins and at one point during the show, some fan told the band that they sucked. Wil, the singer, told him if he thinks he could do it better, come up and show him how it's done. Apparently, the guy who said that, didn't take his offer, but his buddy did. It was pretty entertaining to see, and apparently the guy, Matt, is a singer in a band in the Houston area. Check them out here. Credit to helsinkivampire for that, and the set list up top.

Aiden rocked. I've been into that style lately, so I dug it. They were a much better opener than Finch. The only strange parts were when Wil asked everyone to put their arms around each other and become a family. That, and the "it's in our hearts, it's in our heads, the world by storm" chant. The standing in the crowd thing was pretty damn awesome, though.

† HIM

The band came out with a new arrangement to "Soul on Fire" that was pretty fucking sweet. The band was playing the best I have heard. They were full of energy and just on top of their game. I loved that they played "Poison Heart" and "Behind the Crimson Door" once again. Ville talked about the meaning behind "Killing Loneliness" and stated that he'd rather smoke crack cocaine instead of cigarettes. He mentioned of how somebody threw a cigarette on stage once and he smoked it, only to realize that it wasn't a regular cigarette. He said Mige smoked it and passed out.

The Sacrament was dedicated to Aiden this night, and the band seems to be having fun with that "the sacrament is...." thing. In San Antonio, it was dedicated to the parents "ma & pa," but that's a story for next time. The crowd was into the show and pleased Ville enough while singing the break in "Right Here In My Arms" that he decided to do a little jig that resembled a rapper. There was a pretty amusing part in "It's All Tears" that had Burton flipping off Mige, and then Burton flipped off Linde. This was the absolute best HIM has ever played. The rising Heartagram background and chandeliers was a nice touch.

The aftershow was pretty sweet. Burton and Mige were the first two down. Mige was sporting some pajama pants, as was Gas, who came in next. Gas and Mige sat on the couch next to me and my nephew and were chit chatting with each other in Finnish. Everyone was taking pictures with the guys. Ville was the next one in. Burton left soon after, and Mige and Gas disappeared. Linde had opted to go to bed and signed a few things outside before retiring for the night. The guys looked tired and they were leaving for San Antonio soon. Ville spent the most time talking with us and just hanging out. Again, all the guys were generous and signed autographs and took pics with everyone.

Ville appeared to be in good spirits and was playing around with us. I told him I was going to be in San Antonio the next day and he asked if I knew how the venue was. I told him I had never been there, so I didn't know. He then signed another dude's jacket and jokingly told him "You need a shower, bro." Ville had mentioned that he was thinking of getting his right arm sleeved in writer's faces, but was unsure.

The San Antonio review to follow soon.

Mige & Gas † Burton † Ville