07/25/03 - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte - Charlotte, North Carolina
Set 1: Funky Bitch, Chalkdust Torture, Two Versions of Me, Bathtub Gin, Limb By Limb, Back on the Train, Horn, Golgi Apparatus > Character Zero
Set 2: Drowned > Kung, Twist > Heavy Things, Harry Hood > David Bowie*
Encore: Star Spangled Banner #, Bug
So after Deer Creek we started making the trek down to North Carolina on the 24th. The three strangers I picked up were some serious wooks. One dude had a tattoo like Mike Tyson’s on his face. There was a young girl who seemed normal with this guy. Then there was another wook who had a month old pit bull. Oh what the hell was I thinking.
We stopped in Asheville the evening of the 24th and hit up the Mellow Mushroom for some good eats and some music. Hung out in Asheville for the night and then headed to Charlotte early the next morning.
Made it to Charlotte before the lots even opened. I was worried about scoring a ticket, but this didn’t prove to be a problem at all. Picked up a lawn ticket in no time. Now time to sit back and relax. After walking around a bit I get to back to my car and had my back turned when all of a sudden I hear, " Hey you what’s that?" I looked back and saw that one of the dudes I was with was getting busted by excise for smoking weed. In my state of panic (this is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever done) I threw my piece that I had in my pocket down on the ground. They weren’t looking at me or anything until I threw this down and the glass hit the rocks. Welp now I’m in handcuffs. Shit! Well it’s just excise so I get my ticket and now I can go back to my car and continue partying. Weird.
So I was pretty pissed about the whole situation, but I figured whatever I won’t be back in NC I’ll just enjoy the show. Enough lot drama.
I left those other dudes to fend for themselves to find tickets of their own. I was going to see a show! I had my Deer Creek ticket stubs still, which said Verizon Wireless Music Center so I just showed the staff my stub and they let me go in the pavilion no questions asked. Pretty sweet. I got up super close( right in front of the boxseats…the closest I could get without having to deal with security again.).
Well onto the show. Was so f’n pumped to hear a Funky Bitch opener. Awesome opener. The rest of the set was just okay to me. Boy were getting a lot of limb by limb’s. It was a rocking set just not my favorite.
The second set is a different story. Drowned>Kung to open the second set and were off! Huge Drowned. I was jumping and dancing everywhere. Great version! My first Kung was sung over the jam and it was awesome. Such a cool little ditty like Catapult. Next was Twist and this one blew away the Alpine version. Awesome stuff which segued into Heavy Things. Weird placement to me, but this was by far the only throwaway song of the set. Next was an epic Hood. Check this Hood out! 30+ minute version that eventually segues into Bowie. Tons of energy here.
Then an encore of TSSB (my first) and Bug I thought was a nice chill encore. Everyone thought it would be Carolina, but The Star Spangled Banner was cool.
Well as of this show the second set put this show over the top for me as far as the best show I’ve seen in 2003 to this date. This would change though. You’ve got to check out this second set. This an extremely underrated show.
Off to Atlanta. I know this is long, but this has to be included. Ran into the dude I picked up in Kansas in the lots after the show. He was going to jump in with us in the car, but we were full. We hit the road and make it to South Carolina border. Time to get some food. So we head off to Waffle House to get some grub. Got some great food, but then all hell breaks loose with the Mike Tyson tatted up dude and his girl. They get into a big fight out in front of the Waffle House. Didnt’ notice at the time, but police were watching us the whole time. So this guy eventually settles the argument and it’s his turn to drive. Pull out of the Waffle House and bam he runs over the curb. Okay no biggie. Then we get on the highway and all of a sudden here come the red lights. Fucking busted down in Gaffney, SC. They got us for open container. Couldn’t find anything else, but they arrested all 4 of us and towed my car. No way I’m making Atlanta now.
Keep up the great tour stories, Tad!!!
It’s like “Who Shot JR?”…
