Vancity Blitz | DAY 1: Arrival + Eric Nam Before We Begin (Vancouver)

I've never one to be a last-minute packer, or a last-minute anything-er, as a matter of fact. Howbeit, I've found myself asking others time and time again whether certain tasks are "really all that urgent" - whether they deserve the "p" word (that I've learned to distinguish as "priority" and not "please").

​Six hours of tossing and turning later, I was airport-bound. There, the lengthiest domestic security check was endured, and I soon came face to face with the new terminal's retail and gating developments. The restructured appearance came as an utter surprise; remaining consistent was my old friend, who greeted me with a smile, as if three-and-a-half years had not elapsed at all.

​In my daze, the Kashi bars were forgotten. Just like my sunglasses. And just as my Theta V.

A banana, apple juice-ginger ale hybrid, and a foamy airline Breakfast Sandwich tied me over until arrival at YVR.

Whilst awaiting the buzzer of the baggage belt, I ventured up to the Departures floor, where a Vanilla Latte was secured with much glee. Ahhh, coffee.

​I then proceeded with my surprise landing plans. Lugging four pieces of luggage across the pedestrian overpass, onto the SkyTrain, transferring, then rolling back onto the vehicle was no easy feat. Eventually, after far too hefty of a fare deduction, I made it to Aberdeen.

​My initial commuting thoughts had resided with obtaining lunch on the third level food court. However, transporting myself along with my life essentials at ground level proved an arduous task in itself. Spotted from the corner of my eye was Romilano Pizza. Estea had vanished and so had Pizza Garden; yet, Breadlicious remained a bakery force to be reckoned with. A single slice of Pepperoni/Mushroom and I was on my Uber back.

​Rideshare services are a new implementation in the city, but an indispensible measure nonetheless, particularly in the suburbs. My driver was a jolly fellow whose origins resided on the West Coast. However, he had done his fair share in Scarborough as well, and even attempted driving at the early age of 12/13 in empty parking lots.

​The following conversation took place shortly after my baggage had been loaded into the vehicle:
"You staying for a while? Where are you visiting from?"
"Yeah, I'm visiting family. I flew in from Toronto!" I quipped, while marveling at the cloudless sea of azure above.
"I know you're from Toronto." He responded with a slight chuckle. "Because you said 'Turonno' and not 'TOH-RON-TOH'."

It was a reply to which I could do nothing else but laugh, for as ludicrous as the remark sounded, I discovered the verity behind his words later that evening.

Against my better judgement, I opted to head dowtown coat-less. The gorgeous weather that had welcomed me had evolved into substantially chillier gusts with each nearing stop. Steps away from The Vogue Theatre, I began second-guessing my HEATTECH-less legs and questionably flimsy cotton cardigan.

I joined the VIP line around 3 PM, where a fellow solo concert-goer kindly offered her jacket to soothe my jittering soul (bless her heart!). The winds only grew stronger from that point on.

​Towards the 5 PM mark, our group of girls had grown to roughly six. By this time, we were hungry and cold (me). Given the proximity of the eateries in the area, we marched off to H Mart, where food was observed to be obscenely cheap.

Next came dessert in the form of Beard Papa's Honey Butter Green Tea Cream Puff, which bore no hints of honey nor fragrant wafts of butter. A couple heat packs in possession later, we strode back to the lineup; GA entry attendees had begun to assemble around the block, curving onto the west side of Smithe St.

At long last, we were granted entry. Venue staff were incredibly friendly - again, a grand departure from ​Massey Hall.

Having volunteered myself to obtain merchandise for the group, I unknowingly surrendered my barricade position to two ARMYs. Though they had queued after us, strategic positioning at entry time slotted us into a domain of disadvantage. It was an unobstructed view I had patiently stood for, and one that had deserved to be enjoyed.

My view of the stage was great, nonetheless.
FRENSHIP commenced with their roster of soulful tunes at 8:15 PM, being sure to include the same unreleased collaboration performed in Toronto. "Anywhere But Here" was even more formidable up close.

View the full album HERE !

"Vancouver, you guys are TOO respectful."

​Eric's portion of the show did not vary vastly from the Toronto leg. The setlist remained identical, as did the ments.

​Though, there was less jumping and more tongue-wagging. His recaps were more heartfelt this time around - swapping exaggeration for sentimentality. And just as FRENSHIP had commented, Vancouver proved a calmer scene.

"Signs are more respectful." He nodded while noting, "I've seen some on the border of physical abuse. Some cities were...aggressive." (The latter was likely a nod to Toronto's "Step on me.")

Needless to say, being  ̶s̶p̶r̶a̶y̶e̶d̶ ̶ watered was a wonderful sensation.

​Alas, our turn arrived. The group greeted Eric giddily, while I smiled and waved my board before him. He seemed to show mixed reactions towards the DJ Rice Man layout, but was nevertheless amused enough to take it into his hands for closer inspection.

The evening ended with a signed poster and cheery group photo of Vancouver's Nam Nation.

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