Bawstin

Our spontaneous Manchester adventure got me home around 1:30 AM the morning of the Boston concert. With a mere 3 hours of sleep behind me, I left for work thinking there could not be enough coffee in the world to keep me going. As my work day progressed, however, I became super hyper (I made lots of silly comments and I think some dancing may have occurred at some point…what was wrong with me?). Many of my students had never seen me like this before. They seemed to find it quite amusing. I don’t know if it was the lack of sleep, the large amount of caffeine I had pumped into my body, the memories from the previous night, or my excitement to see SNC in Boston (it very well may have been a combination of all four), but I was out of control. How could I control myself when the most anticipated day of the year had arrived? Well, at least for Amanda and I that is. Straight No Chaser was in our hometown and we were loving it!

Manchester, NH!!!!

I know this entry is supposed to be about our adventure on Thursday in

Manchester, NH but I cannot properly tell the story without telling you about my day on Wednesday first.

Providence, RI 11/16/2011

Wednesday started off like any other day, except I had thoughts of Straight No Chaser on my mind. Oh wait…that happens every day. This day was different though because I had Straight No Chaser to look forward to that evening. It’s not very often that I get to look forward to an SNC concert right after work, so inevitably I was super excited (or wicked stoked, if you will). A little background on my job situation (in case you don’t know), I’m a fifth and sixth grade part time Title I teacher in a middle school where I support students who do not have disabilities but are struggling in the general education classroom, occasionally I will substitute for teachers in the afternoon, I work in an afterschool program in the evening, and do some tutoring on the side (*phew* gotta pay for my SNC addiction somehow). Well today I wouldn’t be subbing, working in the afterschool program, or tutoring.  This left me at home by 11:30 AM trying to distract myself until Amanda arrived. I spent this time watching videos of Buddy Holly repeatedly and pacing around my house “ooo wee ooo-ing”. Thankfully no one else was home, or they probably would have thought I had gone mentally insane.

*Witty Title Here* Mohegan Sun, CT 11/13/2011

I would like to begin this by saying Megan and I aren’t the kind of people who go around spreading lies. Way back when (in July) we had to make the decision of whether or not we could swing a trip back to Atlantic City for the PBS taping. When it came down to decision time we went for it, stating that we would just make sacrifices come Fall tour time (The Mohegan Sun show in CT, specifically) We figured that a 2-hour drive (on a “school night”) coupled with the fact that we couldn’t get great seats (we hadn’t done the presale and could only get balcony seats) for that show would be enough to make us feel less guilty about missing it. Well, we were wrong.  After we had some time to think about what a rash decision we had made we definitely regretted it (missing CT, not going to PBS). I can’t give you exact dates but we decided we couldn’t miss that show. As luck would have it, we were able to score some excellent floor seats for the show. That, my friends is called fate, we were obviously meant to be at that show.

Contest Winners!!!!!!!

Hey Chasers –

The winners of our blogaversary contest have been picked! Here they are:

1^st place - Jenn Thomas (@JennAnn_XO)

“At their last show at Harrah’s... my mom and I were telling Tyler how much he's grown on stage and come out of his shell compared to the first show at Harrah’s. We've seen more of his personality shine thru each show... After saying this to Tyler, Charlie commented saying ‘Sweet Corn coming out his husk!’ The whole table/line couldn't stop laughing!”

2^nd Place - Michelle Ziemke (@ShelleBelle23)

“Seggie: So, Where are you from?

Me: Keokuk, IA.

Seggie: Where's that?

Me: It's in South East Iowa, on the border....right on the Mississippi River.

Seggie: Like, LITERALLY on the River?!

Me: Well, no...Not literally.

Seggie: Oh Good, I was worried...”

3^rd place – Angie Woollard (@StarstruckCanuk)

“This past week in Virginia, I was going through the signing line holding my iPhone, which has a case that says "I Sing Bass" (I'm the bass in a quartet). Don saw it and pointed it out to Charlie, who was sitting beside him, and said, "Hey, Charlie, you need to get one of those!" Charlie then said, "Nah, I don't sing bass." but pronounced it like the fish.”

Congratulations! Make sure to check your e-mails!

Contest Details

Hey Chasers,

Here are the details for the upcoming contest! We can’t wait to see all the entries. For those of you who may not have read the previous posts, for this contest we are asking you to send us the funniest/craziest/silliest thing you have overheard one of the guys say during a Meet & Greet Line. This contest will run from 12:00 am (EST) on Nov 9^th until 11:59pm(EST) on Nov 23^rd. Remember, your entries do NOT have to be from this fall tour they can be from any past M&G line.

Rules/Guidelines

1. To make it fair to everyone, we are asking that anyone who wants to enter only send use ONE quote. If you send us more than one we will only accept the first one. So please make your selections carefully.

2. Only send us quotes that you are comfortable having posted for everyone to see. (For Example: if you have a private personal joke but don’t want everyone to know about it, don’t send it.) We will be posting the winning quotes on here

3. Please send your entries to SNCadventures@gmail.com

4. Tell everyone! The more entries we get, the more fun this contest will be!

Prizes:

Megan and I have decided that we are going to give out a first, second, and third place prize.

First place: A signed t-shirt of YOUR CHOICE from the merch table.

Second & Third place prizes: a personalized & signed photo.

Looking forward to reading all the entries! Have fun!

Amanda & Megan

Seggie's Chowda Challenge

I would like to start this blog off by stating that Seggie is a jerk. Okay, that’s harsh (Seggie, you know we love you), but when he challenged us to find the best clam chowder in Boston while we were in AC this summer,  I didn’t quite realize what a process it would be. Amanda and I never back down from a challenge and we most certainly never cut corners. We were determined to find Seggie the best clam chowder, and we were going to do anything it took to see the challenge through.

Having trouble making the most of your M&G experience? Read on for helpful tips!

So with SNC’s fall tour officially underway and after several requests to do so, we thought this might be a perfect opportunity to write down a couple of helpful tips Megan and I have compiled (from personal experiences) on how to conquer the meet and greet line. Whether it is your first time experiencing it or you’re an old pro like ourselves, these are just a couple of things we always like to keep in the back of our minds  and we thought might be helpful to others. *disclaimer: we are in no way trying to tell anybody what to do, just sharing some things that were helpful to us.*

ChaserCon Shenanigans

The only way I can accurately describe the second night of the ChaserCon weekend is by saying that it was overwhelmingly incredible. It was one of the most anticipated evenings of the summer for so many people, and it definitely didn’t disappoint. Where shall I begin? Where Saturday left off, perhaps?

ChaserCon 2011 Day 1

I can’t believe it’s been a week already! This trip to Atlantic City started out just like any other, with very little sleep and the open road at some ungodly hour. Although unlike our trip to Gettysburg, we got 3 hours of sleep instead of 45 minutes.  Normally I am just going to bed at 1:00am on a Saturday but this time we were hitting the road, AC bound, for the last time this summer. We made no stops until we were already in New Jersey. There isn’t much to talk about for the ride, mostly because our delirious induced silliness didn’t kick in until we made it to AC.

PBS Taping

August has been a very special month for Amanda and myself, to say the very least. The beginning of August we were named the Chasers of the Month. I just wanted to take a moment to say that we are both truly honored to hold this title. Straight No Chaser brings so much joy to both of our lives, and we love doing everything we do for them. We were both shocked when the announcement was made that we were Co-Chasers of the Month. We never expected recognition for what we do, but we take pride in the title and hope that we won’t disappoint as the August Chasers of the Month! Alright, that being said, it is now time to tell you about one of the craziest weeks of our lives.

The Good Life

It just seems fitting that as I sit here writing and reminiscing about my time in Atlantic City,  OneRepublic is telling me that “This has gotta be the good life.” I’m going to have to agree with that statement.

Drunk on SNC Love

I awoke Tuesday morning (well nearly afternoon) with a terrible hangover, and then I realized I had had absolutely no alcohol the night before. Instead I had been drunk on Straight No Chaser love. As Amanda accurately portrayed in the previous blog, I was speechless after Monday’s happenings (and let’s be honest, I still don’t have words that will describe everything I was feeling that night perfectly).  I cannot thank the guys of Straight No Chaser enough for everything that happened that night (and 
this week in general). I will never forget any of it!

EPIC (7.18.2011)

Disclaimer: This blog contains spoilers!

So naturally I was going to let Megan write the blog about Monday’s happenings but all she had written was “OH. MY. GOD.” over and over again, so I stepped in and took over.  Seeing as there were many events leading up to those that rendered her speechless we should probably start at the beginning….

Harrah's 2011...Finally!

Amanda and I started our adventures to Atlantic City at 8 am on Sunday, July 17th. With a few quick stops at the bank, gas station, and Dunkin Donuts, we were safely on the road and our Sunday Adventure to SNC had begun!!! I was seriously afraid that this week would never come (or with my luck, it would just be skipped over). We hit very little traffic (with the exception of some congestion at the George Washington Bridge…silly New York) and made excellent time to Atlantic City. We were staying at Resorts Casino instead of Harrah’s because of its location to the boardwalk, cheaper prices, and the length of our stay…you never know, we could want to do something else other than just going to see Straight No Chaser.

Most of What Happens in Gettysburg, Stays in Gettysburg!

I told Ryan I was really excited about writing the blog entry for the chaser meet up and I wasn’t lying. It was such a laid back, easygoing get together. We all just hung out and it kind of felt (for me at least) that even though I was meeting some of these people for the first time, I’d known them forever…. Lets start at the beginning, Shall we?

If you have 11 minutes you're looking to get rid of....

So we made this video. It's of bits and pieces of our drive to Gettysburg. Most of the time it's me holding the camera and just talking (a lot of the time I forgot I was even holding the camera so I ended shooting video of the dashboard mainly)  To us this video is HYSTERICAL, but we may be biased....also you have to remember, everything in this video was said with very little sleep & lots of coffee. Proof of overtired chaser shenanigans. It's about 11 minutes long (cut down from 25 minutes)

Enjoy!

Four Score and Seven Years Ago...

Okay, okay it’s only been 7 days, but there have been moments when Gettysburg seems like it was 87 years ago. Fortunately the depression didn’t hit quite so quickly as after New Year’s Eve, but it has hit none the less. I digress…back to reliving the epicness of Gettysburg…

On The Road Again

Let me just start off by saying how excited I am to finally be able to have something to write about again! It’s been a long 6 months since we last had any adventures that involved Straight No Chaser.  I would also like to add that Mother Nature was NOT on our side for this adventure…..

video killed the radio star....

we made a video....why? because we could. You should watch it. I apologize for the lack of professionalism but I misplaced my tripod. coffee + camera = this video. If you're prone to seizures, motion sickness, or have a heart condition you must consult your doctor before riding this ride......oh wait, I mean you probably shouldn't watch this. 


I kid, I kid,  it's not that bad

We Have A Winner.....!

*Phew!* That was a toughy! Megan and I were worried we were going to have to go to another question if  this one couldn't be answered. Have no fear though we did have someone answer correctly.


And the winner is...*drum roll*

CD giveaway #2!

Good Morning Chasers!!!!



It’s been almost exactly a month since we’ve posted anything on our blog (shame on us!) Since it’s the SNC adventures off-season, we’ve been forced to bring our shenanigans elsewhere (i.e. Chris Hardwick!) and we haven’t been sharing those stories with you, but we’re going to make it up to you!


In honor of SNC’s Fall Tour dates being announced tomorrow….It’s CD giveaway time!!
The rules are the same as the last time:


1. Send us your answers to SNCadventures@gmail.com
2. First chaser to give us the correct answer gets the CD.


It’s a simple game :)

 Here’s your question. No need to hide it this time, this one also came from DR (He came up with some pretty tricky ones!)

 Who has never arranged a song for SNC? (Hint: The answer is NOT Walt!)
*and yes, I do crack myself up*

 Good Luck!
 
-Amanda

and the winner is....

Sara aka Waterfallprincess!!!!! Congratulations!! Your CD will be on it's way very soon!

 here are the answers to our questions...


1.What day did the group literally sign the contract with Atlantic? March 29, 2008 (3 years ago today!! umm best day ever? I think so.)
2.What other significance does this day have for the group? DR'S birthday!!






These questions were given to us by none other than DR, so it only seemed fitting that we should use them for today!

 A big thanks and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to DR!


We hope you all had fun! be sure to keep an eye out for the next one.
-Amanda

Its time!

Hello Chasers,
Here’s your chance to win yourself a fabulous UK With A Twist CD.
All you have to do is be the first to answer this question, which by the way, comes straight from one of the guys.

 It’s a two questions and you need to get both correct to win, so ready, set, go:

 1. What day did the group literally sign the contract with Atlantic? (your answer should look something like this: _ _/_ _/_ _ _ _)

2. What other significance does this day have for the group?


Good Luck!

 Reminder: send your answers to SNCadventures@gmail.com.


Feel free to post them in the comments too but just remember your answer won’t be counted unless it’s in an email. (this is so none of the comments accidently come up as anonymous.)
 
-Amanda & Megan

coming up on adventures made by chasers....

Good Morning fellow chasers!

In honor of The Twelve Days of Christmas reaching it’s huge milestone, it’s time for another question. Naturally, like everything Straight No Chaser, this one has a twist!!!  A few weeks ago, we ordered the UK release of With A Twist from Amazon. SOMEHOW we ended up with two extra copies. Ok fine, you twisted my arm, we ordered 2 each. So that’s one for each of us and then that leaves two that we have decided we want to give away to you guys! We thought the best way to do this would be on our blog. We’re going to post a trivia question and the first chaser to give us the right answer gets a copy! We’re not giving away both copies this time around, but it will be given away before Gettysburg (or Harrah’s, if you’re not coming to Gettysburg)

We wanted to give you some notice that this would be happening so you could freshen up on all your SNC information. Here’s how it’s going to happen….

Due to some minor scheduling issues, this question will go up Tuesday, at 10:00 am EST (I know this might be tough for some people but if we do it any other time there is no guarantee Megan and I will be able to get online to receive answers)

We’re asking that you send us your answer in an e-mail to SNCadventures@gmail.com.

*Keep your eyes on the blog because we haven’t decided when the next trivia questions will be*

Good luck, Chasers!

-Amanda

Pining for SNC

As I sit here thinking about the second job I start tomorrow (actually this past Tuesday at the time this blog is posted), the planning I need to be doing for the summer camp I work for, and the paperwork I have to get done for my teaching job, it is only natural that my mind is continually wandering to SNC and that I find now a perfectly acceptable time to write a blog. With the Atlantic City dates announced, Amanda and I have had many hours of discussion as to when we will be seeing these amazing guys this summer. Logically, this is the only thing important to me right now, even though real-world responsibilities seem to be getting in my way.

Q&A with the one and only - Ryan Ahlwardt

Have you ever found yourself stopped at a red light, blasting the SNC (which gets you funny looks from all around), and kind of daydreaming? Yeah me too. Have you ever found yourself saying “I wonder if….” and then some crazy question about Straight No Chaser gets stuck in your mind? Yup, Guilty as charged.  Well Megan and I couldn’t hold all these questions in our brains anymore (mainly because we needed room for the Earth Science info), so we wrote them down one day.  I vaguely recall one of us mentioning “wouldn’t it be great if we could get these answered?” Well why couldn’t we? I asked permission and for a little help from Ryan to get the questions answers and he so graciously took some of his precious down time to answer these questions for us. While admittedly the idea to keep these all to myself has crossed my mind on several occasions, the teacher in me knows that I need to practice what I preach and share them. (Besides what kind of chaser would I be if I didn’t! Not one that would be welcomed to ChaserCon LDW 2011 that’s for sure! BTW, LOVE that group, it’s amazing.) Ryan did mention that he sent the list of questions we sent him over to the other guys, but he hasn’t received any answers back (We completely understand, and totally think the guys deserve this time at home to be with their families and friends without Chasers hassling them and if they don’t want to be bothered by us, no offense taken!)

So without further adieu, I would like you to enjoy a little Q&A with the one and only Ryan Ahlwardt :)

In preparation for the AC presale!

Hello Hello Everyone!


Amanda here! With our next Question of the Week....


Last week didn't go so well, so here's an easy one:


When, if you're planning on it, are you making the journey to Atlantic City?!
(Don't wanna be unprepared when you go to ticketmaster tomorrow!)




Megan and I will be there sometime the week of July 18th and of course Labor Day Weekend!




We've got some fun stuff in the works, so keep checking back with us!

Question Of The Week!

Hello! It's that time again!


Since everyone has been so kind and willing to read about our crazy adventures we wanted to give you the opportunity to share some with us. Sooo our question to you is:


What is the craziest adventure you've had before, during, or after an SNC event? (we can't be the only ones who have crazy things happen to them, can we?) Can't wait to hear some of your stories!


(btw, There should be a place in the comments section that lets you add your name without signing up. Please let us know if there isn't.)


-Amanda

SNC Anonymous

So I know Amanda said we would be silent until after our Earth Science MTEL on Saturday, however, today, March 1, 2011, should be marked down in history as the day I completely lost my mind because of my addiction for Straight No Chaser! Many may have believed that it was gone way before now, however, up until this day rational thought was still possible. I equate this to a drug addict going through withdrawals and in dire need of a good fix. It has become a life or death situation…seriously!

I came to the realization today, or in reality I actually let myself acknowledge the fact, that Straight No Chaser will be in Gettysburg on June 10th and that there are a lot of Chasers attending this show.  Between the withdrawal symptoms that have been driving me crazy lately and my insane jealousy, I decided that something had to be done about this! Amanda and I had made the trek to Reading to see them on New Years’ Eve, why couldn’t we journey just a little bit farther to Gettysburg? Oh right, because it’s on a Friday in June and I’m a teacher (hence the distraction tactics and avoidance by my brain up until this day).

So what did I do? I came home from school and did some research! I knew that the tickets for the show would be worth it no matter what the price (duh! SNC is always worth it!), however, I knew that we would have to consider travel costs again. After finding out that hotels are fairly reasonable, I decided to email the principal at my school to see if it was possible for me to get this day off. Being a long term substitute, and not a full-time salaried employee, I have a feeling this will not be a problem (especially since the teacher I’m covering for is on maternity leave, and is planning on returning in May as long as everything goes according to plan).

So as I sit here patiently waiting for a reply…who am I kidding? I am a bundle of emotions, and patience sure isn’t one of them…I am debating SNC rehab, or letting this addiction become a full-blown, out-of-control, force that can no longer be tamed. The first step is admitting I have a problem, right? So, I guess this is an official invitation to all Chasers to SNC Anonymous…where all our Chaser needs are met with padded walls and opulent a cappella music.

Alright, back to a world of stars, volcanoes, oceans, earthquakes, and rocks. When Saturday is over, and I no longer have to force myself to focus on Earth Science, I know that the SNC addiction will become insurmountable. It still amazes me that this addiction can get continually worse. Just when I think it has reached its peak, something else happens to make the climb steeper. My hike up “Mount Straight No Chaser” can be demanding at times, but I have to say I love every minute of it!

Clearing my head

There are so many things going on in my life right now and since Megan’s SNC therapy session seemed to help in the last post I decided I should try it out.  As I sit here waiting for my class to begin at Bridgewater State University (where btw, my car is parked illegally), everyone is silently reading or diligently working on their computers and I want nothing more than to be “that guy” and blast some SNC.  That being said these are just some random thoughts that have been going through my head and are listed in no particular order….

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

Okay, so I wanted to add a video of Ryan's "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", but no one has ever created one before! (Shocking, I know!) So to remedy this situation I made a video myself. (Thank you, Ryan for your permission! You rock!) I've only done this twice in my life now, so don't expect anything spectacular. It's just pictures of Ryan set to his song. However, no one has any excuse now as to why they couldn't listen to this song! Enjoy, Megan

SNC Depression

As I find myself steadily climbing out of a deep, dark hole, commonly referred to as an SNC depression, I have decided that it is time to write another installment for this blog. Although no adventures have happened with Straight No Chaser (the cause of this previously mentioned depression) since the last blog, it is safe to say that mine and Amanda’s lives still revolve around this group (much to the dismay of family, friends, and coworkers).  It has been a difficult month since New Years’ Eve, with only rumors of what was to come for Straight No Chaser to ebb the pain. YouTube videos, CDs in my car, and Twitter are barely keeping me afloat. I feel like the snow that is quickly burying New England is also burying me with it, and I cannot shovel quick enough to stop my inevitable entombment.

The Finale.

*Disclaimer- there comes a section of this post where I may seem to be mocking Megan. Worry not, she is completely aware of her actions that night and knows this is coming*

The Night We've All Been Waiting For!

            

Sorry to keep you in suspense like that…. exhaustion and the real world got in the way. Where did I leave off? Oh right, Jersey Shore. We told ourselves we were going to start getting ready at 3:30 for the big event. At this point though we had watched 3 hours of Jersey Shore and I just couldn’t take it anymore. I caved in and started getting ready at about 3:00. It was a pretty quick process for both of us since we had showered at like 9:00 that morning before we got our nails done. This meant we were both ready to go at approximately 3:45. Dinner didn’t start until 5:30 and we only had about a 15-minute drive to the Sovereign Center. We ended up leaving at about 4:15 and got to the center at 4:30. As everyone knows just because my GPS tells me I have arrived at my destination doesn’t mean I have actually arrived. I had to find a place to park. I drove by a perfectly good parking lot not once but TWICE, why you ask? Because there was a sign that said 3 hour maximum, with another sign hidden in the distance that said if you paid a little more you could park there all night. Luckily we found that sign after wasting just a little bit of gas. Just to be sure I asked the parking attendant if I could park there for the dinner and concert. He said yes, if I gave him $10. I then confessed my love to him because frankly I was sick of driving up and down the street and not finding anywhere to park, so this parking lot across the street from the center was PERFECT! Time check at this point: 5:00ish, but there were already other chasers standing outside the center, so we didn’t feel so out of place. As we were getting out of the car, we noticed a group of folks getting out of their car as well. We immediately noticed that the man getting out of the car, looking dashing in his tux, was Ryan’s dad.  I was so excited and instantly decided I HAD to tweet Ryan about it. He always says that he likes our tweets. It was so cold out that a nice gentleman who worked at the center told us we could wait at the bottom of the stairs in the lobby until it was time to go in (he also made sure to tell us to cover our ears since the guys were in the process of a sound check and we weren’t supposed to be hearing it! Woops!)

events leading up to the most chasery night of the year.

Tickets

As Charlie would say, let me set a scene for you…. You’re 23, and it’s 6:00 am. Your eyes don’t pop open, but they get there eventually. You finally find the motivation to get out of bed and put something decent looking on, maybe take a brush to your hair and brush your teeth. You stop at Dunky’s for a coffee and probably an under cooked muffin because they use just a light bulb as well. Then you come home and wait patiently for your mom to drive you to the Amtrak station (when she’s done freaking out of course.) This was the scene early Thursday morning for Megan and I, and yes my mom was freaking out because she had to drive us and she didn’t know how to get there or home. And no, neither of us got a muffin at Dunky’s.  We got to the train station perfectly fine. I gave my mom STRICT instructions on how to get back home. They were as follows: drive straight until you hit Route 1, turn right. That’s it. She didn’t listen and got hopelessly lost. That’s what she gets for not staying straight (no chaser).