X-103 Holiday Concert w/ BUSH, Buckcherry, Bloodhound Gang
December 6, 1999
Pepsi Coliseum - Indianapolis, Indiana

"The is the night. This is the sound..."

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. These famous words by Charles Dickens accurately summed up my night on December 6, 1999. My friend, Lisa, and I had two tickets to see the X-103 show that night to see BUSH for my third time. Since it took place in Indianapolis, we had to drive 120 miles (240 miles total) from Cincinnati, OH. We didn't mind though; after all, it's BUSH.

We planned to leave at 3:30 PM that day to get to the show by 5:30 PM and try to meet the band. Well, that didn't work. We couldn't find the keys to the car so we had to drive to my mom's work to get a different car (long story). Then, I bought two packages of film instead of disposable cameras, and everything just started out pretty shitty. . So, finally, after everything was sorted out, we were (speeding) on the highway to

Indianapolis at 5:30 PM. Anywho, I got these directions from yahoo.com on how to get there. We got lost because the directions lead to "invisible" roads that did not even exist...whatever. Alas, we made it to the Pepsi Coliseum by 7:30 PM (the show started at 7) while Bloodhound Gang was playing. I had absolutely no interest in seeing them, so Lisa and I decided to talk to the DJs and camera men outside. They said they had no connections to meeting BUSH (buuullshiiit) and were taping this weird thing: the DJ (Adam) got into this white limo. They started taping, the limo door opened, and they jumped out with balloons flying everywhere, looked into the camera, and said stuff- the only thing I heard is "party" and "BUSH!" They looked excited...

The tourbusses were incredibly easy to find. We were talking to the secruity guards who were more bullshitters trying to convince us that the old crap tour bus belonged to BUSH and that they were already inside. I've been to far too many concerts to fall for that stupid trick. To prove he was wrong, guess who pulled up in their limo? Why, it was none other than BUSH! The back window was pulled down and Nigel's head was in full view. I yelled, "Nigel!!!" He saw me and smiled. Yay. Then, I tried to casually follow it but the damn secruity guard said there was nothing to see or do back there (hmm, no, I don't want to SEE or TALK to BUSH!). The guitarist of Buckcherry walked off of the tourbus and I said "hey" and he said hey and smiled and waved. I wanted to talk to him but the trolls (secruity guards) would not let me. Keep in mind it was 27 degrees outside and I just wanted to meet BUSH! I bought them presents and everything and had a letter for them. Sheesh.

So, around 8:15, Lisa and I went inside the coliseum and they made me turn right back around to get rid of my book bag. I was pissed, but what can you do? I hid my camera in my sock instead. We finally got inside as Buckcherry got onstage. We watched them from afar and decided to get in the pit. The entire show was general admission so we could go where we pleased. This venue was NOT big at all and wasn't even sold out! Buckcherry was pretty good. There was so much pot being smoked...unbelievable. I got bumped around a few times, no big deal.

In between Buckcherry and BUSH, Lisa and I moved our way to the front. We made it to the third row but I was miserable. There were so many people (quite a few were drunk, high, or both) mushing us together, yelling "Gavin!" We talked to some other BUSH fans and I gave this one guy my letter to give to one of

the secruity guards to give to one of BUSH's roadies. I hope they received it.

Finally, the lights went down. The guys started with "Machinehead." I really tried not to cry; cry because it was BUSH and cry because I was in pain! I held back the tears and just tried to have fun. Unfortunately, I could hardly see the guys! I was almost directly in front of Gavin (I got some pictures), but I could not take being suffocated. I did not want to crowd surf because a.) I hate crowd surfers (it's not fun when they kick you or are dropped on your head), b.) I don't want to kick people and be dropped on top of them and c.) I wanted to watch the show and the pit was to violent. So, I went back a few rows which was a little better. I skipped around the whole damn coliseum trying to get a good view. Unfortunately, right where I was standing in front of Gavin, he crowdsurfed in that exact same spot! I was about three feet away so I did get some pictures. I do not know the order of the songs they played, but this is as close as I could get:

"Machinehead" "Disease of the Dancing Cats" "Greedy Fly" "Warm Machine" "Everything Zen" "Letting the Cables Sleep" "The Chemicals Between Us" "Comedown" --- "Glycerine" "Swallowed" "Little Things"

Every song was incredible. However, I was so surprised that the crowd didn't know the words to the majority of the songs played from The Science of Things. After "Letting the Cables Sleep," I started to chant "'Alien!' Play 'Alien!" and all of these other people started to do the same as well! Sadly, they didn't play it.

Gavin went crowd surfing once and during "Comedown," he went into the part of the crowd who were seated and played a little there. All of the guys seemed to be having a great time! Dave was smiling a lot and Nigel was jumping up and down with his guitar, not to mention Gavin was doing the same. Robin played his drums (his drumset had the background art from the "English Fire" in the CD booklet- very cool) while standing up during "Little Things." During "Swallowed," from the part "just wanted to be myself" to "you're the wave," the crowd was singing along- it was wicked cool. After the song, Gavin was telling us what wonderful singers we were and how he thinks it's so cool when the crowd sings along. The guys ended with "Little Things" as usual, and Gavin added his "I was born in this town...putting out the fire with kerosene" and "stone cold" bit. I have to say, I was looking around, and everyone was confused as to what he was saying. The whole crowd was there to see BUSH, but I don't think that there were many hardcore fans. Indianapolis is not that big, anywho. Surprisingly, Gavin did not take his shirt off (it was a long sleeved light blue one and he was sweating a lot). All in all, the concert was amazing, but didn't quite add up to the Roseland show in NYC. But at least I knew the lyrics to the new songs at this show. I didn't die, which was good, but my homemade BUSH tanktop (a black one with silver rhinestone that spell "b u s h") lost a few rhinestones and my chest was bruised along with a few other places.

Afterwards, I went over to the t-shirt stand. They had three BUSH shirts: the chemicals one from the Roseland show, the new Gavin t-shirt (black and red) and the one I got (after searching everywhere for a fucking size medium) which was black and on the front, it had the "Disease of the Dancing Cats" logo on it from The Science of Things liner notes and it says "BUSH" on the front really small and on the back in blue writing, it says "BUSH The Science of Things."

Finally, we went outside. It felt so incredibly good after almost passing out from the heat and dehydration, ugh. I got my bookbag and hung around again by the tourbusses (by this time, it was 11:30). To my surprise, there were only four other people by the busses besides Lisa and myself. The somewhat nice secruity guard was gone and El Dick-o was left. He was so incredibly rude to us! We sat down on some concrete and the secruity guard yelled at us, saying "You can't sit here. Go home, the concert is over." Now, he truly began to piss me off. I am generally a nice person, but this guy was being cruel to me on what was anticipated to be a very good day. It was, but this guy was a jerk. I told him that I was not bothering him, that I drove 240 miles just for BUSH, I have to get up at 5:30 the next morning for class, I bought the guys presents, and I went through a lot of shit just to get to the concert. Of course, he unsympathetically tells me that this is bullshit and that he doesn't care and will have me arrested for trespassing. I wasn't bribing him to get backstage, I was sitting on the concrete waiting! In a way, I wanted him to arrest me. I can imagine him saying "uh, ya, officer, I have two young women here waiting by the tourbusses trying to meet BUSH. Could you please send the deputy to have them arrested. Ya, ok, thanks." Yes, it would have made him look incredibly stupid and at least it would have been for BUSH and they would hear all about it. Haha! It would have been cool to hear what BUSH would have had to say to it. Instead, we just sort of ignored the man, walked for a little, came back, but ended up leaving- it was freezing and we had a two and a half hour drive ahead of us. In addition, I believe I am jinxed to meeting BUSH (::sigh::). I heard there was a party afterwards at the Omni, but there was no way we could have crashed it (we were exhausted). So, I said, this night full of paradox was quite interesting, good, and bad. However, through it all, I would do it again.

. All original work/graphics on this website are copyrighted © in the year of 1999 by RLB Productions.  Please ask for permission to use any information.  BUBBLES is in no way personally affiliated with Bush, Trauma Records, Interscope Records, or Mad Dog Winston Records.