Waiting outside, smoking cigarette after cigarette to get ready for the non-smoking NorthStar Bar of Philly, my toes were frozen. This is a place where there is no moshing and no crowd surfing. How do they expect us to warm up when all the signs on the walls say, "Violators will be hung by their toenails until dead?" The Higher is on stage, asking the crowd to talk to them after the show, telling them they're nice guys. By now I've had a beer, and I've actually taken my shoes off to rub my feet as I drank it. My toes are still frozen, and I don't know what to do.

Then, the music stops. The Higher leaves the stage, and the next band starts setting up. I see a violin: it looks like a perfectly chewed off apple, but it's blood red. Kerith is setting it up, checking her microphone, saying things to the people in the front that I can't hear. She's like a fragile Art Museum painting, and I'm mesmerized by the contrast between her all-black outfit and the cherry-coated violin. I just stare into her, not wanting to look anywhere else, waiting for the first note. Yet, my toes are frozen still.

All of a sudden, a fireball drops on the stage, and I'm "conformed into the wicked". Steve is redder than fire, if that's possible, and the heat spreads across the room. Lazarus is not asleep anymore: she's inside me, tickling my spine, whispering, "We won't turn to dust." Leopard King tells me to close my eyes to protect myself from the poison flowing into my brain, but I don't want to: I ache to watch Candy Girl create the perfect killer. Are my toes still frozen? Do I even care? I'm thirsty for this; this will be my favorite murder.

I can't sing along; my mouth is frozen. I can't even remember the lyrics anymore because my brain doesn't want to let anything out – it just wants to suck and preserve all of this just like my ears do. I can't control my eyes; they're jumping around the stage with Steve trying to surpass his speed, but desperately failing. My heart catches up to the drumbeats and it's vibrating with the energy these six ghosts are throwing at every single person in the room. "Sin's bleeding cast has struck a nerve," and I hope it never stops because I feel unburied and put together again.

But it does stop. Like all the good times, The Carnival of the Immaculate comes to an end. The show is over, but the night isn't. Escape the Fate and then The Matches will be on next. But I'm not ready. I need to let the ghosts sink in and let the poison drain out. I grab a free Epitaph Tour CD and an I Am Ghost poster; then I go searching for the devil.

Steve is not the devil your mom warns you about. He says hi, shakes my hand, and is even polite enough to ask my name. He signs my poster "Juliano," the "O" in the shape of a cute little monster, and draws a heart underneath. After hugs and thank yous, he moves on to meet the rest of his fans. Before I leave, I also get to meet Brian and Ryan, who are friendlier than Casper.

On the way to the car, I leave my melted face on the snow and put on a grin.

I've just witnessed my favorite murder, and it tasted better than lollipops.

P.S. Like I've "tried" to mention above, The Higher, Escape the Fate and The Matches were also there. My apologies to them and their fans for not being in the mindset to pay attention. Forgive me; my skull was on fire.

P.S.S. Thanks to Craig, I Am Ghost's set list is as follows (hopefully it's in order): Our Friend Lazarus Sleeps, Killer Likes Candy, Of Masques and Martyrs, Eulogies & Epitaphs, We Are Always Searching, Kiss Me Like You Wanted, Lover's Requiem, Dark Carnival of the Immaculate, Pretty People Never Lie Vampires Never Really Die.