CarieB's DAUGHTRY LA Viper Room Recap

Here are a few bullet points from tonight:

• Lassie, aka Squishy from the Scary Boards is amazingly sweet, intelligent and beautiful. She's hawt, actually.
• The Viper Room is an amazing venue to see an act. I was - literally - 2' from Chris the whole time they were performing.
• All of the members of AE except Scott (drummer) tried out for Daughtry and didn't make it. The band is all new. Very heavy on guitar. When Chris plays, there are 4 guitars going. The drummer is a very strong back up vocalist. A couple of the band members are pretty young and good looking!
• They did 5 songs. My fave was #3, which had a great hook and halfway through I was singing along because I knew where it was going. Ya know? I think this should be the first single. Something like "It ain't over yet" would be the title. "Home" was the last song, not the second. It was way better than the clip, but still not "first single" material, IMO.
• Chris's voice was incredible, as usual. Non-Chris fans would still hate him. He didn't make much eye contact. He stomped. He threw his head back with eyes closed and "screamed" from his throat at times, but it was pure DAUGHTRY and I loved it all. I was swaying and smiling all the way through.
• This show had 3 purposes IMO: 1) to rehearse together as a new band; 2) to reach out to fans; and 3) to decide based on audience reaction, which song to release as a single. Again, I pick the 3rd song.
• There was dry ice and smoke. Heh.
• Chris got really sweaty. Heh.
• Lassie is hawt. Oh yea, I already said that.
• Ace and Ryan were there.
• I met Ace and I have to say that if he doesn't succeed as a singer, he should run for office. Once I told him my name, he repeated it 3 times. He touched my arm (appropriately) 4 times and he spelled my name right when he signed by picture of him. He told me he helped Chris right song #4 of tonight. The man knows how to work a room.
• Chris came out and I "get" some of the "rude" comments because I think the dude is somewhat overwhelmed and needs a moment before he can transition from performing to hanging with the folks. People were literally clawing at him and he said "give me a sec..". Once he got a water, he was so cool. He let every pod of people just totally dominate him - signing photos, taking pics, talking to me from the side because I was at his side the whole time engaging him in convo...
  He said he thought they were just okay tonight but I think they were better than that. He signed a pic for me, but didn't ask my name/spelling, but he doesn't need to run for office.. Heh.
• Chris is tiny. I know I'm 6' tall, but the dude comes to my chest. He's still very handsome in person like I thought he was on tee vee.
• Of all the people there, I was the only one that had a camera - a crappy disposable Kodak that I'd used for work earlier in the day and that it how we captured a bunch of individual and group photos with Chris. I probably won't be able to post those until Sunday or Monday cuz tomorrow is a crazy day for me (fight on, trojans!).
• Chris is either sick, borderline sick or afraid of getting sick (because he's recording the album of his life) because he didn't want to put people's cellphones (cellcerts) right up to his mouth.
• OK, so I'm a fan and not an objective music analyst, but I think this man and this band have a great sound and can succeed on radio and on tour.
• In the most one on one moment I had with Chris, he told me he thought they were ok tonight, but they can do better and (he's an admitted perfectionist) he won't be happy until they're perfect. Ace said they were not 100% tonight, but this fan loved every minute of it. 5 songs though...All I wanted was M.O.R.E.
• Chris's wife was not there.
• I offered to buy Chris a drink but all he wanted was Crystal Geyser.
• Oh yeah, one last thing. Chris did say his single would be "on the radio in two weeks or less" and the album will be out as we've heard on November 21.
• Ace confirmed Scattered will be on iTunes on Monday. I told him I'd buy it and he gave me that Ace smile. I have to go to bed, me thinks. No, I'm not tired. Gah!
• Lots of 20 something girly fans and a few hubbys. Some older guys (coulda been execs) sitting down but who knows. I was the oldest person there, I can tell you that.