After 9+ plus years of going to "shows", wait well, I mean I started going to bogarts when I was 12-13 years old. I wouldn't use the word "show" in the hardcore sense to describe bands playing a 1500 people plus venue. Regardless my first punk-rock show was blink 182 and Less Than Jake at bogarts in Cincinnati OH in '99. I don't remember what the first two bands were. I had Cheshire Cat and Dude Ranch(Enema of the State was about to drop, or had been released a few weeks prior) My mom took me to the show and she stood in the back, what an awesome mom. Before I began ruining my life with Blink 182 and Green Day, I listened to whatever my parents listened to(my parents have really tasteful choices in Classic-rock/rock. They even dabled into some more independent labels and bands in the early 80's when mainstream rock was going downhill): Zeppelin, Neil Young, REM, Grand Funk Railroad, Midnight Oil, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, Black Sabbath, Early Clash Records, The Beatles. Alot of the same stuff your parents most likely listened to.
After that initial punk rock expierence, it was eat, sleep, breathe anything with palm muted verses, down-stroke choruses, circle-pits and pogo parts. I saw H2O upwards of 10 time times before I turned 16, and around 14 realized what Toby and the rest of the dudes were doing, I found out(and this is going to sound gross) H2O was a hardcore band, I didn't know what that was. To me their version of hardcore sounded really similar to all of the bands I had discovered, and had been listening to anyway. H2O showed me what hardcore was, and after getting their Self-titled Record one day and hearing the lyrics to this song, I made a lifestyle change.
"Here Today Gone Tomorrow"
I remember all those bands
Preaching with motherfucking X's on their hands
The Youth Of Yesterday
what else can I say
The times have changed and they've faded away
The times have changed and the trends move on
The spirit of youth I still carry on
Close minded attitudes
you know the youth crew
Alienating everyone who didn't think like
who didn't Act like
Who didn't Look like you
Here today
And gone tomorrow
Memories Of Yesterday
Leave me in sorrow
Here todayAnd gone tomorrow
Sincerity?
It was only borrowed
Hey but where are they now?
Cause I'm still here and I'm drug free and fucking sincere
Hey but that's okay cause they're out of the scene
They're denying hardcore while they chase the green
You know who you are you insincere
straight edge last year
drinkin' a beer
have no friends
no heart or soul
playing the roll
full of shit
Before you go waving flags you better know what you stand for
I'm sure you get the Idea, I don't want to go into some kinda gross/silly story about how I discovered Straight Edge. I know all of you older dudes are gonna probably knock me, I'm only 21, straight edge for 7 years, sincere and have every intention of being so, I don't want to say anything gross like True Til Death or whatever, but you Get the idea.
I've been talking to my fiance alot about how much punk and hardcore has changed our lives, it sounds so disgusting to say outloud, and it seens like such a huge cliche. Music changes lives. I would also say that being involved with punk and hardcore allowed me to be ministered to and ultimately led me to Christ, we'll go more in depth with that at a later time, just let it be known.
For now I just wanted to let everyone who doesn't know a little about my musical past. I'm going to showcase all the new stuff that i've been lurking out, all the old stuff I'll rock until I'm dead, and all the sweet, sweet musical gems we overlook on a daily basis.
