Sitting at the feet of Aaron Marsh

Looking online told me that there would be an in store performance by Copeland, in the flesh. It was also their CD release date of their new album "Eat, Sleep, Repeat." I knew I had to be there.

I had class earlier that day, but I couldn't wait till noon, I would skip my class and see amazing artists sing the songs that bare their hearts and souls. I couldn't wait. I called my friend Katie and told her about the performance; she hadn't known about it. I thought it was so crazy that she was so misinformed, but luckily she had someone like me to wake her up and get her butt out of bed to go.

I entered the union and noticed on set of doors was being held open by some people, no wait, by a line of people. Upon asking, I found out that the line was for Copeland! I was 30 minutes early even.

I found my friend Luke and he told me that if you purchased the new CD you got to go to the front of the line. 30 people in front of me versus about 80 seemed more likely that I would get in, so I bought the cd. Rockin'. I would've got it anyway.

The store was like crazy small, like 30x30 feet if even that. As I stood there waiting with some friends, and with Katie who finally made it, I feared maybe we still wouldn't get a good spot. That fear was soon silenced.

We got inside and I immediately ran to the other side of the crowd. Copeland was setting up, Aaron Marsh in the flesh, getting situated on this stool in the corner of the store. Rachel, a friend of Copeland's from their hometown of Lakeland was setting up her violin. She is part of a great band called Pemberley. Rachel told me to get closer to them, realizing there was a huge crowd, so I did.

The store was insanely packed and Rachel and Aaron even asked me if I just wanted to sit at their feet to let more people in. It was kind of a joke, but that's literally what had to happen. I was literally THE CLOSEST person to Copeland, literally squeezing in and sitting at the feet of Aaron Marsh. I took the flash off of my camera when I took pictures because no one likes a bright light point blank in their eye. Rachel mentioned to me "Just watch for my bow, I don't want to take your eye out."

I could hear Aaron's voice without the microphone. He played a bunch of songs, acoustic and accompanied by the beautiful violin talent of Rachel. He played the intro chords to brightest and my face lit up. My friend even took a picture of me; eyebrows in the sky.

 The song penetrated my heart, I would hear Aaron's voice, the rawness that didn't come through on the mic, and literally had the strumming of Rachel's violin in my ear. It was beautiful. I felt the pain of desiring a little firefly of my own.

After the performance I got my Copeland shirt (that I bought at a previous show), my new cd case, and their poster signed, got a picture with the band, and hung around. After everyone else got their stuff signed, some friends and I just chilled with Copeland for a little while afterwards. I got to talk to Rachel about violin playing and her band, and I got to talk to Copeland's drummer about the CD and then I got to talk to Aaron and the other guitarist about the new tour they would embark on in days.

Aaron was talking about the tour and in the middle of it just looks at me and is like "Are you wearing contacts or are those your real eyes?" (I have brown eyes naturally but have turquoise colored contacts that look really striking). I told him they were contacts and he said"Wow you're eyes are really cool."

You bet I blushed. *Funny story for another memory, but I went to their December show, talked to Aaron again, and he remembered me by my eyes. It still causes me to blush thinking about it.*

Then we said bye and Rachel told me to keep in touch and the drummer of Copeland told us to get our tickets to the December HOB show soon because they are not playing Tampa. I walked to my car, but you bet I listened to the new CD on my drive home.