Picking up where.....

By 1999 Joey and I had changed the name of our band to sevenate9. It was a goofy name, but we were a goofy band. By this time i was in another band that was a hammish rock band. Thats a different story. We had already played the field party for our first "show" and we decided it was time to play a house show. So in the middle of the winter (or somewhere around there) We did a house show in my parents garage. I hand made flyers that probably said something like, PUNK ROCK SHOW! Sevenate9 be there or be L7 whatever. It was Erwin TN, it was Something to do, Suddenly there were 50 or so kids in my parents' garage, spilling into the driveway. I grew up with so many colorful characters that i couldn't begin to describe everyone there. It was kids we skated with, went to school with, knew from the block, etc. We played every song we knew, literally, and some that we didnt' know. Between "sets" (we played like 2 hours) we would go into my parents house and warm up. I still have the pics from that somewhere. It made me feel like a million bucks. These kids were wilin out for a really shitty pop punk band. It didnt' even matter that we weren't that good, or even good at all. That was one of 2 shows I put on in my parents garage.

When I turned 16 I got a datsun B210 station wagon. It was Tan in color, bad in ass. I was finally able to go to shows outside of erwin on my own. This was probably early spring 2000'.
My friend brandon from Elizabethton/erwin/beuladean/salisbury/ everywhere was living in milligan, I got to see him alot more those days. He introduced me to all the punks from elizabethton back in the day. Honestly there were quite a few. Just your everyday drunkpunks and skins. There was also a big Christian punk rock scene in that town. You can say what you want about it, but It produced so many good bands, and Kids. There was also a house in johnson city that put on alot of crust shows called the Eklutna House. My favorite show from that house was probably Death is your language (richmond) thePostage Era, and the last band, i can't think of their name. I bought a tape, they were fucking rad. More importanly, in erwin, there were 2 punks. Or if you wanted to be more specific, One Punk, and one Skin. Me and Joey. I'd say derek was around, but if so, he was 12, rode bmx and probably did sketchy shit. Whatever.

Over the course of that summer, Joey and i would get a second guitar player for sevenate9, Still no bassist. We would jam out every day. Jason (dr edwards) wasn't really a doctor. but he spoke in a mexican/dracula voice and said DR edvards all the time, and it slayed me. He played with us for a little while. Then started dating this girl who in turn, made him quit listning to punk rock. Its probably better off, I used to wear a shirt that said, "i'm in the band, show me your hooters". I guess that kicks ass tho. Over the next few months we woud make friends with the guys in 2540, and FIB. We hung out in elizabethton all the time, I eventually moved there after a couple of years, but thats a different story altogether. There was a spot in Elizabethton called the Rock. This church owned it, it was a huge house, where, they would do living room shows, and like a hundred kids would be there after every football game. Its like a frat house from a blink 182 song ran by christians right? Killer shows, I circlepitted untill i was dizzy, exhausted every friday night. There were a couple of other spots in elizabethton, but this was the raddest. We never got to play a show there, bummer too. FIB actually boycotted the place once because they wouldn't let JR high kids come to shows there. They played every other church/spot in elizabethton for like 2 months untill the rock ok'd the yoots.

When fall rolled around, I temporarily traded my baldy for a nice black mohawk that stood a whopping 3 inches off the top of my dome. Patrick makes fun of me for it to this day. Whatever. It also brought a new kid to my school named nick barnes. He looked like freddy Kruger and mic jagger had a love child. I was like, this guy looks pretty cool, i wonder if he likes punk rock. hahaha. Come to find out, he didn't, but he liked hardcore, so i was cool with him. We welcomed him to erwin, but going and playing lazer tag with him. He was a cool guy, he came to shows with us, and hung out generally, pretty hard. By this time I had wrecked my station wagon and was driving an escort L. It had a less than jake sticker, and a misfits fiend club vinly sticker on the back. That was it.

We played a show for this girl's birthday party that fall. She turned 16, we played shitty pop punk as fast as we could possibly play it. Everyone circle pitted. She kissed me on my cheek. I had on a blue leisure suit and combat boots and baby blue braces. I'm pretty sure my mohawk was bleached white and slicked straight back. hahaha I'm so slimey.

Y2K was drawing to an end. So far one of the funnest years of my life. Went to shows, met so many more people i had stuff in common with. Played a few shows. Really looking up for me. By this time FIB were on the fritz, and there was rumor of Eric going to play bass for 2540, and wes/brian playing with us. Joey and I were practicing one day in the garage, Playing Oi! to the World. of all songs. Suddenly the door burst open and this Skinhead came skanking through my garage and singing along. His name was zach. He was a killer dude. He had one fault, that was that he was a bonehead. But he was always super respectful to Everyone he met. He lived a pretty hard life. We accepted him as one of our own even though we disagreed with his politics of life. I believed, and still do, that fighting hate with more hate does nothing but fuel a fire. I felt like, if i show this guy friendship without compensation, and unconditionally, it may start to bring down any of these walls he has put up. He was a really decent guy. He taught me alot about skindhead culture especially traditional skins, sharps, etc. He became a skin because the area he lived in with his mom in texas if you were a kid you had to be in some sort of gang to keep from getting your ass kicked by the mexican gangs. Something like that. Seemed like an excuse, but I don't judge. He had no family, and was a few years older than me. My dad liked him alot, he broke his balls about being a bonehad tho. He really respected my dad. We had him over for Christmas that year. Then we went to JC and played lazer tag, and I bought a paintball gun from walmart.

That January, We put on a show in Zach's garage. It was Us, 2540, and i think FIB played, i'm not sure. I still have a bootleg of that show at my parents house somewhere. We played like 10 songs, 2540 were awesome. it was the first "big" show for me and joey. It was the first one where there were actual good bands on the show and it wasn't jsut us fucking around for 2 hours. It was so killer. I wish i could go back and live it again. We went to pizza plus afterwards and ate like 6 pizzas.

I get goosebumps when i think of how things were back then. We all had nothing really.
Nothing to really go by, so we played it by ear. I would make fun of kids today for doing things the way we did them. But I've grown older and more Cynical. It kind of bothers me to feel that way. I can think back on these shows, and be kind of cracked up, but at the same time.
When i listen to one of our old tapes i remember how the garage smelled of kerosine and ciggarettes from practice. When i listen to any old blink 182 it reminds me of how the datsun smelled in the summertime when we would have to drive with the windows down because we didn't have air conditioning. Or how i was so excited to be playing a show that just my left hand would shake a little bit. I hadn't felt that nervous shake in almost 7 years untill the IROM show on the 20th.

I am content with my life for one reason. I set a goal and i reached it.
When i was young, I wanted to have all of these things by the time i was 40
Wife, House, Child, Van, Band, Friends, the ablility to play shows regularly.
those are the only things i've ever wanted out of life, I have them and i"m 24. Where do i go from here? I am beyond blessed.


I'm going to leave you with a song called "dont' wanna do this"

We always throught we would never play a show
and we'd never have anything to do.
Now its pants tied with laces.
two weeks of boots and braces.
wondering if we were ever going to get a bassist
I've met lots of crazy people,
some thought they were true evil.
sent death into thier viens, Injections with needles
street lights come on
lyrical content filled my head
Don't wanna do this anymore
but i'm obligated.

Thanks for the read. I'll put another install ment up laster