12/18/2013 Thirty Seconds to Mars @ The National

Venue: The National
Location: Richmond, Virginia

Time: Show 7:30pm (doors 6:30 pm)

Tickets: 30.00 (+ fees), 35.00 (day of show) - SOLD OUT!

Openers: Basic Vacation
Headliner: Thirty Seconds to Mars 

(Set List)

And here we go ....


I arrived with my concert buddy around 5:15pm. The line for the show didn't look too bad. The Echelon's early entry fans held out their wrists and disappeared inside for a meet n' greet with the band. Our hopes for an early entry with dinner at Gibson's slipped away with the 15 minute wait to be seated and the back up in the kitchen. We resigned to get a bit to eat, miss the opener, and hope for the best with the ever growing line out front. Until...


About half way through our meal, the Gibson's early entry line moved from the normal location by the downstairs bar. The line started at the front of The National, rounded past Gibson’s, and ended right outside our windows. Could we make it after all? We paid the check (keep your copy showing food you bought) and joined the back of the line. Within minutes, we were banded and waiting with the rest of the fans. Ah, the waiting. This is when you get to know your neighbors. We were surrounded by fans from out of town (mostly Virginia) with multi-shows under their belts and varying degrees of fandom. This was my first 30STM show, but I related easily to the excitement in the line. Gibson’s early entry should have been allowed through the doors by 6:15pm, but rumor has it Jared Leto and company wanted to spend more time with the lucky fans during the meet 'n greet. Good for them! (No really… good for them. I hope it was everything they wanted it to be and more.)

After a cold 30 minutes outside, we were finally let in. If you can swing the ten bucks for dinner at Gibson’s pre-show and getting the perfect spot means something to you, then early entry is worth it. Despite the 50 or so people in front of us in line, we managed to grab our favorite spot with plenty of time to buy merch and hit the bathroom. I heard the regular line rounded the far corner of The National. Typically, The National is half full for the opener and fills up when the main band takes the stage. Even the Queens of the Stone Age show just two nights prior did not fill up until after the headliner took the stage. Tonight, the floor and balcony filled before lights went down for the opener.

Night four of the XL102 began with the DJ forgetting the name of the opener (psst.. Basic Vacation). He said something about the large crowd and stuttered through the show opening soon. I felt bad for him. At least he didn’t trip as he left, but wouldn’t that have been great! Basic Vacation played a short six song set with songs full of energy. Their sound and look reminded me of the late 80’s metal bands when the glam was less and the dinge was more. The cover of Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” was easily their best of the night.

The National was packed full of guys, girls, teens, and people old enough to grandparents. Mixed bag for sure. Lights out at 8:59pm. In a dim light, Jared Leto, Shannon Leto and Tomo Milicevic wandered across the stage. The only stage production was a giant triangle with a horizontal line which changed colors throughout the evening. The lights remained dim while Jared paced the stage in a long overcoat with the hood up and aviator sunglasses. Shannon’s drum kit was far right of the stage and turned to the side for optimum crowd view and Tomo stood stage left with a myriad of instruments. Jared used the space at the front of the stage and in the middle from front to back. If he wasn’t pacing the front line, he was in the middle of the stage spinning in circles. He eventually took off the jacket to reveal a sleeveless t-shirt and kilt with leggings and boots.

Other than an occasional issue hearing Jared’s voice, the band sounded together. You can see the set list here but the songs that stood out for me were “This is War”, “Lost in the City of Angels”, and “The Kill (Bury Me)”. The huge balloons during “Conquistador” lasted for two or three songs before a few popped and showered the crowd in confetti. The crowd was later drowned in confetti with cannons from both sides during “Closer to the Edge”.

There’s no doubt Jared wants a connection with his fans (he refers to them as family), and the fans love it. He sings to them individually and holds the mic out repeatedly for the crowd to sing back. After “…City of Angels” he offered to sign every album fans currently had in the venue but warned he could get them pregnant by looking into their eyes too long.

Jared broke up the evening with a solo appearance on stage. He played an electric acoustic guitar and sang snippets of several crowd favorites peppered with chit-chat about how far fans had traveled for this show. Some of them, quite far. This section of the night was awkward and felt unplanned. Just when I would commit to the song he was starting to sing, he would stop, chat a bit more, and start something else. He appeared awkward not really knowing what to play next or how to get through the next 15 minutes alone in front of a sold out crowd. Uncomfortable to say the least.

A shout out to “Matt from New Kent (Virginia)” who was pulled on stage with his mom at the request of Jared Leto. Jared signed a picture Matt brought on stage and took a photo with Matt and his mom before adding them to the meet ‘n greet fans at the back of the stage.

Tomo and Shannon returned for a few more songs before the encore, one of which was a cover of Rihanna’s “Stay”. The song was a definite surprise and one of my favorite songs of 2013 (Rihanna’s version) but I think this song would have fit better in the moment of solo awkwardness. This song would have given that 20 awkward minutes more meaning.

30STM’s encore started with “Kings and Queens” into “Bright Lights”. Before the final song, “Up in the Air”, Jared again stopped the presses and pulled up no less than 50 fans from the front rail onto the stage. He filled the open space between Tomo and Shannon with people before starting the final song. The fans on stage jumped, sang and snapped photos. It was the “moment of a lifetime”.

The one thing I took away from this show was the fans, not so much the band. The 30STM fans love this them. They love Jared. The music means something to them. They get it. It doesn’t matter if I get it or you get it… they get it. They talk in hand symbols during songs. They know what they are expected to do during each song. When Jared wants people on shoulders, they do not disappoint. (Really wanted to see who was holding up some of the guys). While the 30STM Echelon is not my niche, I can relate to the devotion of these fans and I can appreciate what they go through to see 30STM repeatedly (lines, sidewalks, rain, presales, hotels, etc..). The fans keep this band going … don’t ever forget it.

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