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JET – 3/16/2010 – Baton Rouge, LA – Varsity Theatre


“I can already tell it’s gonna be a great night!”
~ Nic Cester

“Don’t do it for us, do it for your country!”
~Cam Muncey


You ever have one of those nights, where at the end of it you think, “Man, it seriously could NOT get any better than this!” and then six months down the road, you look back fondly thinking how wrong you were? Because this particular night you’re thinking the exact same thing…except that it REALLY couldn’t get better?
SO I get to this city I’ve never been to before, all by my lonesome, as per usual and it’s the burbs and the boonies and the ghetto all combined. But amongst the ruinous outskirts and the dilapidated plantation style homes lies a perfectly modern city and a campus full of hip, ready to rock college kids. They even like the right kind of food – half alive and greasy as hell.


After checking into my no-tell motel, I did the quickest quick change of my life and caught a taxi into the city. Snapped a few photos, nothing major, being a cloudy afternoon and all, and headed to the Varsity Theatre, which is smack dab on the Northern end of the college campus. Right next door to the theatre is a place called Chimes. It’s a local favourite with the students and professionals enjoying it in equal amounts. Happy hour at the bar combined with freshly shucked oysters?? What could be better.


Oh yeah, the 3 pounds of crawfish for like 14 bucks. It comes on a plate the size of a trash can! Of course the bar chick insisted I eat one of these things…head still on and everything. Aside from the dead eyes staring up at me from the plate, I was pleasantly surprised.


All this excitement, and still only 6.30? Yes it’s true. I went outside at about 6.50 to stand in front of the theatre and there were a few people waiting. Then outta nowhere this guy comes up the steps holding a vinyl copy of Get Born and wearing a tour t-shirt (I think from back in the day, but I could be wrong) and we start chatting. We quickly figure out that we’re the two diehards that commented on the event page for the Baton Rouge… It was one of those, ”Are you that girl?” “yeah, are you that guy?” “Yeah!” scenarios. It was nice to meet a fellow JET fan.


They decided to open the doors on time this particular evening, and once inside the theatre foyer we only had to wait a few minutes before we were let loose in the theatre. One small note, and this happened last October as well, it really annoys me that there was no actual ticket for the will call people. I bought my ticket online and there was no option for shipping, will call only; and yet when you get to the theatre all they have is your name on a list, but you don’t actually get a ticket…and I like the tickets!! Sorry just thought I’d point that out.


Anyway John Paul and I went inside and found a spot front and slightly to the right as always is the case with me, and we stood. And stood. And stood. And stood until I thought my back would break. 7.30 came and went. No opening band. To be expected. 8.00 came and went. No opening band. At 9.00, after two hours of standing in not-so-high heels, I was ready to pass out. The place was sufficiently packed, now where were these bloody Crash Kings!?

Ah, there they are. And there’s only three of them? Sweeeeeeet.


The Crash Kings. They were good, like most bands that open for JET. They were good. So good I bought their cd when I got home the next day. And that’s really all I can say about them, piano rock at it’s loudest. Bravo guys.


Then they boys came on at just after ten in I remember correctly, and of course I don’t because SOOOO many things happened that night. Not really, I was so tired from all the beer ;) They opened with She’s A Genius and from then on it was like a fucking party in the room. Nic and Mark played better than I’d ever seen them play. Cam was slightly quiet, but towards the end of the show loosened up a bit. And CHRIS! Woo! I was standing in the front row and had a direct sight line with him…how could he miss the tall red head in the front row??? Nic, at more than one point during the show, was so close I could pretty much grab his foot hahah! I didn’t he’d get up on the amps/whatever those things are called in front of the stage, to stand – but he did. At one point, he jumped on the one that John Paul and I were standing about two inches from, and Nic looked down and saw the he’d brought the Get Born vinyl, and he stopped the show basically, and picked up to sign it right there in front of the whole crowd. Soo happy for John Paul!!! He was psyched! I of course reached quickly for my little 45 but it was in my purse so I just waited cause I knew after the show I’d get me another autograph!


I thought, wrongly, that they’d be really knackered from the tour and just be ready to have a week off, which they were taking after the BR show. Boy was I wrong. They played the best show I’ve ever seen them play. No. Really. And I’ve seen them six times now. They were whatever the opposite of tired and worn out is. Pumped, I guess. They started mucking about at the beginning of the show, with Nic, saying clearly into the mic, “I can already tell, it’s gonna be a great night.” Mark and Nic had some cutesy moments onstage, movement wise. Whenever Nic would go to get up on the ‘amp’ thingy, which he did like every other song, Chris would just stare at him like a bored kid staring at his older brother…in a loving way of course. It made me laugh. At the end, just before they left and came back to do the encore, Mark quickly signed JPs album, and this time I had my 45 in hand, ready… fast as lightning I thrust it in Mark’s face (shut up) and was like “Please Mark Please!” hehehehe –and he signed it.


Then they came back on and just blew everyone away with the encore. The played all my favorites, and some I’m sure they’d never played before, so it was nice to hear those live. I of course was too busy singing and dancing my ass off, yes, Nic noticed, yes I pretty much got all my sweat on Nic. No I didn’t follow their tour bus this time. I didn’t have to. After the show a few of us went around back to the tour bus and we stood there waiting. And they came out and chatted and took photos with us crazy fans and signed our stuff. I can’t believe I got a record signed again!! >_< I got to touch Mark! That’s all I wanted really haha!! Chris came out first, then Cam and Mark together, then Louis, their keyboardist , then Nic at last. Cam and Mark were seriously funny chatting with em, they actually remembered that I’d followed them down the highway, and Nic did too. They were like “Omg that was you!? Everyone! This girl followed us down the highway to get an autograph! Yeah it was funny our tour bus driver was like ‘I think there’s someone following us’ “ At that point everyone outside there did one of those 80s television “Oooooooooh!” noises. Hahah, I just laughed. When Nic came out he noticed JP and myself right away, saying “Oh I saw you, (in the crowd) – oh and I definitely saw you (pointing to me)! You were singing like every song…(yes I was)…then you probably noticed I messed up on a few of them…(ehhhhhh…mmmmm…just a wee bit, but you guys were awesome anyway!)


There was more said but I can’t remember it all…it’s like a rush to the head all that in such a short space of time. Anyway, they keep getting better and better. I swear every time I see them, it’s better than the last time. This show was by far the best. Good on you guys.
Oh yeah, and of course, go the Crows! (Louis is a Demons fan!? What!?)


Set list as follows:

She’s a Genius
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Hey Kids
Beat On Repeat
Goodbye Hollywood
Walk
Are You Gonna Be My Girl
Get What You Need
Skin and Bones
Look What You’ve Done
Lazy Gun
Cold Hard Bitch
Black Hearts (On Fire)
Seventeen
Rip It Up

Encore:
K.I.A.
Holiday
Get Me Outta Here