An Evening With the Sexiest Kids

I have an imagination. I think outside the box. I let my mind wander. I entertain fantasy. I shoot for the stars. I dream. Because of all this, it's difficult to accept my present reality for what it is: it is my life. While I still spend plenty of time dreaming, I am currently blessed to have a few of my dizziest day-dreams come true.

By day I sit in class and learn about electromagnetics and digital signal processing. But by night I hit the town to do music journalism for this fantastic website, Buzznet.com. And this week I got to interview one of the most entertaining bands in the business: Forever The Sickest Kids.

I've been listening to their music since their EP dropped in the summer of 2007, and only in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine I'd have the opportunity to spend one-on-one time with the Kids. Lo and behold, 2010 has been the year for dreams to come true, thanks in large part to Bree and Buzznet.com.

This past Wednesday (December 1) I met up with the loveliest Molly and the fellas who are Forever The Sickest Kids for a night of excellent humor that involved:

All of the performing bands were absolutely terrific. Shorelines End and Secondhand Serenade did well to open up.

Then Forever The Sickest Kids waltzed onto the stage and delivered an A+ performance. Jonathan Cook provided stellar leading vocals (hitting every high note in "Keep On Bringing Me Down") and used the entire stage to entertain the crowd. Caleb Turman showcased his tremendous musical abilities on both vocals and guitar, all the while moshing his gigantic orange afro to-and-fro. Kent Garrison rocked out on his keytar in a manner that would make Vicky-T fear for her current place as sexiest keytarist in the business. Kyle Burns whirled and twirled his drumsticks like a boss and gave the crowd forever the sickest beats. Austin Bello further improved the live performance by adding some screamo-vocal parts to the infectious tunes of FTSK and jumped around the stage like a professional athlete. And last, but certainly not least, Marc Stewart shredded his rhythm guitar and, since he was closest to where I stood backstage, provided the foundation for my entertainment... I loved watching him switch gears and re-tune his instrument to its perfect pitches like the seasoned-veteran he has become. Although I have seen FTSK perform on several occasions over the past few years, this was my favorite show so far! They keep getting better.

The final act of the night was Family Force 5. I'll admit that I had only heard a few of their songs before the show, BUT NOW I CAN'T TURN THEIR MUSIC OFF. Their live performance was so fantastic that I will be a fan for life. The gentlemen of Family Force 5 walked onto stage in matching uniforms of plaid skinny jeans, white collared shirts, black vests, and black top hats. Both as a unit and as individuals, this band has amazing stage presence that everyone can enjoy. Even if you don't care for their music (which, let's be honest, would be silly), you have to give them credit for owning the stage. If this band, or any other listed above, ever comes through your town, be sure to get a ticket for a night of great entertainment.

After the show ended we said our goodbyes to the Kids and parted ways. I had a two-hour drive home (which ended up taking three hours because I drove under the speed limit through the snow) to engrave the night's events in my memory. Because even though this all seems like a dream, it's my life and I want to remember it.