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).

Anxiously Anticipating New Years' Eve

It is pretty accurate when I say that the wait between Straight No Chaser concerts is always long and torturous, and it seems to get worse and worse after every time we see them.  Pretty much the moment we left the concert on November 21^st in Cranston, RI I knew that the wait until New Year’s Eve would be difficult (and it would only be a month and a half). 

Straight No Chaser Weekend Extravaganza! (PART II)

FINALLY, it was Sunday! I wasted no time getting up and ready and heading to Megan’s house. We made sure we had everything we needed for the two concerts. Tickets: check, Box of goodies: check, Cards: check, GPS (who would probably get us lost anyways): check. 1:45pm came and off we went!

Straight No Chaser Weekend Extravaganza!

So although this entry is meant to be about the weekend of Nov. 20^th and 21^st, it must be told that preparations for this weekend started weeks in advance. There was no way we were going to go to THREE concerts that weekend and completely blend in with everyone else. Our goal: make ourselves memorable if even just for this weekend (in a non distracting way for the other fans and the guys.)

Adventures Made By Chasers

I think it may be safe to say that over the past year I have become a hardcore Straight No Chaser fan.  Last Christmas, my friend, Amanda, heard Straight No Chaser on the radio and looked them up on YouTube.  She immediately sent me the link to their 12 Days of Christmas video, knowing that I would like them just as much! I was hooked instantly. How could I not fall hopelessly in love with 10 adorable guys (11 if we acknowledge Dan left and Don took his place) who have incredible musical ability, make singing a cappella look easy and flawless, and who are also comedic? Seriously?! They are just too perfect!