6/15/18
#19: Concerts
I used to go to a ton of concerts, but as my anxiety got worse, I would only head to concerts if I really wanted to see the band because it is so mental exhausting for me. Honestly my favorite kind of music would have to be 90’s grunge music: bands like Nirvana, Incubus, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, etc. I have to admit I haven’t seen any of those bands live. It would be cool to see them, but most of these bands either don’t have original members, or are way past their prime. I mean I would have love to see them in the 90’s or early 2000’s but not so much in the present. I would definitely describe myself as a rocker. My first concert had five bands: Skillet, Hailstorm, Art of Dying, Theory of a Deadman, and Stone Sour. I was a sophomore in high school, and my dad dropped me off (along with my friend Zach) and picked us up. For some reason, the show was on a Tuesday night, and I had to go to school the next day. It was sometime in late fall, so I remember wearing a sweatshirt, which ended up reeking of weed upon leaving, and of course I wore it to school the next day. Corey Taylor, of Stone Sour/Slipknot, actually lived near me and went to high school close by. He also was approached to join Slipknot while he was working at the local porn store. One of the most memorable concerts I’ve been to was actually Warp Tour. The summer of my junior year, a bunch of people from school where supposed to go together, but it ended up only being myself and one other person. At this point in time, I really hadn’t discovered much music besides what was on the local rock station. My eyes were opened to all these cool Pop Punk bands by actually seeing them live: Yellowcard, All Time Low, Breathe Carolina, and New Found Glory. Going to a music festival is something you should experience once in your life. So many different stages just playing music. So many interesting people from all kinds of walks of life roaming around. Just plopping down on the ground and people watching is easily worth the ticket price. Some other bands I’ve seen are Seether, Hinder, My Darkest Days, Puddle of Mudd, Pop Evil, Hate Breed, Five Finger Death Punch, Sevendust, and Falling in Reverse. I used to keep a list because I couldn’t remember all the bands I’d seen. I haven’t gone to a concert in a few years, besides a few local shows at bars. One stand out rock show I went to was band you probably haven’t heard of and I don’t think is around anymore called Fair to Midland. They played for over an hour and had energy. They didn’t just stand in one place. They jumped around and were full of life. One band I need to see is the Foo Fighters… I had the chance, and I didn’t end up going (it’s a long story). The next time they come close by, I’m going. I don’t care what I have to pay. It’s important to me. Besides, isn’t life just about the experiences?
Everyday I will be posting an entry in my writing challenge 100 Days which has been collected into a print collection. If you are interested in purchasing a print collection: http://www.lulu.com/shop/austin-hamblin/100-days/paperback/product-23916414.html
Kayla and I have also started a weekly podcast. You can check it out here: https://anchor.fm/austin-allen-hamblin It's called In the Bed with Austin and Kayla because we literally record it as we lay in bed!