This was it. My moment. November 15, 2016. I arrived at the Crofoot in Pontiac, Michigan two hours before the show in hopes to buy tickets and get a good spot by the stage. After five years of being a fan and missing out on at least two shows, I was finally going to see one of my favorite bands, Palaye Royale, perform. An added bonus to the lineup was the headliner, Metro Station. I knew this night was going to be great, but I didn’t know it would become the best night of my life.

I have been a fan of Palaye Royale since I was a sophomore in high school. If you have never heard of them before, you should check out my favorite song, "Get Higher". They are a band from Nevada that incorporates fashion into their rock 'n roll style music. Ever since reading their name for the first time, Palaye Royale has intrigued and inspired me. The lead singer, Remington, is portrayed as "the vampire". He has a sort of raspy sounding voice but in a very good way. It's unlike anything I have ever heard on the radio today. Sebastian, the guitarist, is the oldest of the three and is portrayed as "the gentleman". In an interview, he listed bands that inspire him, three of which are The Rolling Stones, The Doors, and David Bowie. The third member and drummer, Emerson, "the pirate", is the most intriguing member in my eyes. He is so artistic and wise beyond his years, which inspires me.

The band won MTV's 2014 Musical March Madness and was the first unsigned band to do so, beating out artists such as Linkin Park and Fall Out Boy. I was so shocked and proud of them when I saw that they had won. I mean, that looks incredibly powerful in anyone's eyes. After that, their song, "Get Higher", mentioned earlier, was featured in a commercial for the Samsung Galaxy Note cell phone. I watched a video they had made of a behind-the-scenes look at shooting the commercial, and I was amazed at how much they had grown as a band.

Now, what was it like to meet my idols? Incredible. Breath-taking. I watched them perform and their stage presence, the way they interacted with each other, and the crowd made their performance one of the best I have ever seen. My interactions with them after the show proved that they really were the gentlemen they seemed like on social media. Sebastian was the first one I spoke with, and after I told him that I used to tweet them all of the time, he responded with, "Yeah, I remember you." This showed to me that he took the time to get to know his fans and really took notice of the ones the band interacted with on social media. He also gives the best hugs, the ones that make you feel appreciated, loved, and welcomed, which meant so much to me as a fan. The best part of my time with Sebastian was that he went out of his way to make sure that I met the other two men of the band. He personally sent Remington back into the room, another sign to me that he really cared. He didn't have to do that, but he did. I was amazed at his kindness.

Remington and Emerson, the other two members of Palaye Royale, were a dream to meet as well. He said that he remembered me and actually walked out of the room to bring Emerson to me, which made me so happy that he cared. When Emerson walked in, we got to talk and he complimented the purse I had with me. If I was feeling great already, now my heart felt so overwhelmingly happy! He also told me he hoped that he saw me before another five years went by. The gentlemen in Palaye Royale were one of the sweetest band members I have ever met! However, the Metro Station guys were just as sweet!

Earlier before Metro Station's set started, a stage crew guy was setting up some lights that looked like strobes. I asked him if he knew if they were because my roommate who had gone with me is an epileptic. He spoke with Spencer Steffan, the drummer of Metro Station. Spencer let us know that if she could handle the lights as they were right now, she would be fine and that he was an epileptic too. We spoke with him after the concert about his epilepsy, which was very caring of him. It was nice to share in a personal moment with him.

I also got to meet Mason Musso and Trace Cyrus that night, which was such a blessing for me. They both kept calling my roommate and me sweetheart (especially Mason) and had an endless supply of hugs for the two of us. Trace wrapped his arms around me for my picture with him, which was just about the best feeling in the world. By doing that, it made me feel like he really wanted to make us happy. During our conversation, he also said, “You were in the front row singing along”. To be noticed by Trace Cyrus was incredible! Also, for the rest of the night, Rachel and I smelled like his cologne which was an added plus.

I cannot thank every single band member enough for what they made me feel that night. Like I said before, I was on cloud nine. They have inspired me so much and rekindled my passion for music that I was losing. I hope to see them all sooner rather than later, but for now, I have the memories to keep me company.