Hi, I'm Roe

My Ultimate Saves the Day Experience!

This past Friday, Saves the Day came to Ramapo College to play with Cartel and another band called Lights Resolve.

If you don’t know already, Saves the Day is one of my most favorite bands EVER. I had the opportunity of meeting them at Bamboozle last May and they were so awesome and we talked for about 10 minutes about their album and how much I love them haha. It was awesome. So I naturally freaked out when I found out they were playing my school.

I was pretty much at the event for a majority of the day and was Assistant Stage Manager along with some other people including my friend, Stef.

At around 3, Stef and I were watching Cartel setup for their sound check and all of a sudden I see Arun walk in and glance around the gym (where the concert was being held). I immediately got up and said, “Arun!” and shook his hand. Then I said “I met you guys at Bamboozle in May, I don’t know if you remember me.” He said he didn’t remember my name but he did remember my face. So we talked about the weather and whatnot as they had just arrived and it had been raining all day and they were driving from Pittsburgh. I also told him that if he needed anything just to let me know because I was Assistant Stage Manager.

But I ended up letting him go because he had to help unload the van. So I went back into their gym and watched Cartel do their soundcheck when I saw Chris Conley walk in as well.

Now let me just say, I’m sure I’m not just speaking for myself when I say that Chris Conley is my musical and lyrical hero. The man is INCREDIBLY talented. If you have not listened to Saves the Day before I strongly suggest you listen to ALL of their material. I love how their sound evolves over the years, musically and lyrically. It’s great and each album is amazing it its own way. <3

But after he walked in, I walked out to the loading dock to see if they needed any help unloading. Upon doing this, Stef and I became face to face with Chris. I introduced myself to which he extended his hand and said “Well hey I’m Chris”. And I said, “Oh I know you are. My idol” and laughed. We talked for a bit about me and Stef’s major (Music Industry and Production) and I remember him saying “Well it’s definitely a fun field to be in” and we talked for a few more minutes until he had to go continue to unload. I was ecstatic.

Then they set up for their soundcheck and played “Let It All Go”, ”1984”, (both off their new album Daybreak coming out sometime next year) and ”Driving in the Dark” (one of my absolute FAV STD songs <3). Now I downloaded and acoustic version of “Let It All Go” at the beginning of August I want to say. So naturally I know most of the words from listening to it so many times. So while they were playing it I was singing along. Best part is, Chris SAW me singing along and pointed to me while he was singing. After their soundcheck I walked up to them and said “Good soundcheck guys” where Chris replied, “Yeah, you knew all the words to ‘Let It All Go’” to which I responded (just to be sure) “You mean that point was for me?” Again. Ecstatic.

Then after their soundcheck, Rodrigo needed to go mail something and me and Stef were directed to taking him to the mailroom (which is all the way across campus). So THAT was amazing. Just walking and talking with Rodrigo about music and Saves the Day. Like where they’re recording nowadays, bands Rodrigo’s into, pop music, etc. We just had an amazing conversation. And I ended up telling him how much I respect all of them being so down to earth because that’s the best way to be. Just grounded, not big headed. He ended up not mailing his letter because we weren’t sure when the mail was going to go out. But nonetheless, the walk was definitely not for nothing! I enjoyed it.

So we’re waiting for the doors to open and we’re chillin’ on the side of the stage and Arun come in to warmup/play around on his guitar. So I talk to Arun for what seemed like an hour about music and STD and how he got in the band and what had happened to Spencer (their drummer before Claudio), and his past musical experiences/his time at Berklee, etc. We just had such an AWESOME conversation.

Then the concert began with Lights Resolve who were so sweet as well. They played a good set. And then Saves came on and TORE SHIT UP. Omg. They were so amazing (as they always are) I wish I could remember their setlist but the songs I do remember them playing are “Anywhere With You”, “Bye Bye Baby”, “Firefly”, “Can’t Stay the Same” “1984”, “Driving in the Dark”, “At Your Funeral”, “The End”, “A Drag in D Flat” they might have played “Diseased”, “Third Engine”, “Shoulder to the Wheel” and “Let It All Go”. Actually that might have been their entire setlist, just in a different order. Haha. But before “Let It All Go”, (Stef had previously set this up because it’s my birthday on Monday) Chris starts talking to the crowd and goes “Wow you know, everyone here at Ramapo has been so fantastic. Just wanna give a birthday shoutout to Roe. Who will be turning 22?” He looks at me and I tell him 20. “20! Haha. Yeah so happy birthday to Roe. She been so fantastic today.” (or something along those lines) And then they went into “Let It All Go” and during the song he looked at me and I was completely in heaven <3 After their set I thanked him for the birthday shoutout. And he said “Of course, no problem” He’s so sweet I can’t even take it. So we kind of helped them move their stuff to their van. And afterwards me and Stef chatted it up with Rodrigo and Claudio and had them sign my iPod (which unfortunately the signatures are starting to wear off. I need to invest in a cast haha) and my AP “State of the Scene” Magazine. Arun was talking to some kids outside their van and Chris was MIA. So I finally ran into Arun again and we started talking and I had him sign my iPod and magazine and he didn’t know where Chris was either but he said when he saw him he would definitely let me know…which he did. Gold star for Arun. And he brought me into their dressing room and I said to Chris “Well I don’t know where you were before but…WHERE ARE YOU/AND WHERE AM I” and started to sing “Where Are You” off In Reverie and he goes “Hey I love that jam!” and I go “I love it too!” So he also signed my iPod and my magazine twice. Once on the cover and the other underneath his picture in the article he was featured in. Then I chilled with them for a little while and all gave them hugs and thanked them and told them how incredible they were and that I would see them at Starland and they better remember me! Haha. But yeah. Definitely the best night of my life and a awesome early birthday present <3