The Throw-Aways

We had FOUR DAYS until Warped Tour was kicked off for us. It was the end of June and our entire band was pumped! The crew had worked day and night to pack the bus and today was our last practice. July first was our very first show and my first concert to perform at.

We had been practicing for the past week for about five hours every other day. At first I was nervous-very, very nervous-but as soon as I played my first notes on Second and Sebring, I was entranced with the keyboard. Of course, I had done warm ups, but it was the very first song I played on the electric instrument. It was my first performance in front of people since two years ago.

I nailed every note.

“Told you she was good.” Austin murmured the first time. He seemed so happy that I was with the band. Every practice, he kept going on about how good I was, even though I would mentally cringe if I slipped up, even when no one noticed.

Today, I was locked in the sound proof room, with the headset on, and the keyboard plugged in. While the other boys went and talked in the lounge, I excused myself to go to the soundproof area the boys called the Crazy Room, since you could go crazy listening to nothing for even a few minutes.

My fingers graced the keys, gently brushing over each plastic piece. With a final adjustment to the black head set, I blasted a chord and adjusted the volume. Once everything had been set into place, I started to play Lightning by The Wanted. It was a new piece I had picked up and was happy to warm up with.

“We might as well be playing with lightning!” I sang out, punching in the chords. My left hand thrummed a steady beat, the energy going from the notes on the keyboard to my own veins. Music was my lifeblood and the rhythms were the pulse pounded out by my heart.

My head bobbed to the end of the song as I started going through some rough patches on Feels Like Forever. In part of the second verse, I would always skip over part of the keys. Instead of playing the individual notes, I threw in chords that made sense, but added no flavor to the song. Over and over, I ran my hands over the notes, but they seemed to always evade me. A couple of times, I managed to slow it down and get the notes, but otherwise I would forget to play them. With a sigh, I just let go and started to play the song from the beginning.

I knew that I had skipped the notes, but I felt better about playing the piece now. I didn’t worry on those notes, but rather I felt my mind enlighten from being able to just relax.

“Ready?” A voice popped through the headset. I looked up to the window, seeing Austin stand there. Alan was behind him, setting up his guitar. I grinned. It was time for our last practicing session.

We would get on the bus later today and head off to our first venue in Dallas, Texas. It would be a nice, but nerve wracking, ride to the stop. There would be people there. What would they think of me? There would be other bands there. What would they say? Oh man, the more I thought about it, the more nervous I got.

As soon as I got out of the Crazy Room and got set up, we instantly launched into our set for the tour. My thoughts were a little clouded from the worry that was growing in the pit of my stomach, but after the You’re Not Alone, I just lost myself in a sea of music. Everything cleansed the fear that had been growing on me.

Austin started talking to the band about the other groups performing on Warped Tour. I turned down the volume and started to pack up, but stood with the others as everyone talked. My mind wandered far and wide. I knew that Motionless in White, Falling in Reverse, and All Time Low were touring. As much as I loved FIR and ATL, I was super excited to meet Balz from Motionless. Maybe he could help me get over the stage fright and give me tips on playing in front of large crowds?

“Raven…Raaaven….” Austin passed a hand in front of my face. I blinked and stared up at him. I must’ve zoned out.

“Oh, sorry.” I mumbled. Alan laughed.

“So, are you ready to go to the bus?” He asked. I nodded, knowing my stuff was already packed on there. All I had to do was roll my keyboard bag out there. The new laptop was safely tucked away in my backpack, along with my old laptop, wallet, and other necessities.

“Yep. I can’t wait to get on.” I smiled. One of the perks of being in the band was riding the bus a lot. It was our main form of transport. I took hold of the bag and started to wheel the large cargo down the hall. I trailed after Tino and his drum bags. The windows let afternoon sun pour through to illuminate the halls. Mark was already outside by the bus.

“We’re off to Texas!” He cheered and passed Monsters to each of us. As soon as all our instruments were on the bus, we crawled in. The bunks were freshly made with our backpacks stacked on each assigned spot.

“Are you excited for your first concert?” Alan asked me. I nodded and hopped into my bunk, leaving the curtain open so I could see out. I didn’t always close it all the time.

“Of course!” I replied, soft of truthfully. I was excited, but also nervous. Pulling out my phone, I started to check twitter. There already was an influx of being tagged and followers.

Notes