Music

There is nothing like good music.  It is amazing to me how there are so many types of music out there and what I like doesn't mean you will like it.  Although I think you should--unless you have a black shirt on with skulls and wings decal and possibly the name "Megalatron" or "Death Birds" across the middle.  Then I can pretty much guarantee you won't like my music.  However--I can go for a good old Dragonforce breakdown every now and then.  I would pay to play any instrument as well as those guys.  Plus an asian that has a British/Asian accent and can make a guitar sound like a Mario Brothers game is A+ in my book. 

It was a cool fall night my senior year in high school when music as I knew changed forever. Luckily I was able to meet a kid named Eric Bower who knew I yearned for something SPACTACULAR when it came to music.  He was in the back of my car one night flipping through my CD's and kept commenting on them like "OH! You like Built to Spill?  You have Sunny Day Real Estate? I love Elliot Smith!"  And I replied something to the effect "Yeah, I love a good band!"  He then asked me "Have you ever heard of Emo?"

Now now.  Emo back in the day (yes I am now 27 and can say back in the day....especially when you are at the start of a new trend) so, as I was typing....Emo back in the day was not some creepy kid sitting in the corner with too short of bangs to tuck behind his ear but too long to not be in his eyes constantly so he swishes his head back and up to the right to keep them from blocking his vision completely while wearing too tight of pants and hoodie sweatshirt and possibly some eye liner on. NO no - Emo was simply a type of music.  The end.  It was a type of music that I like to call: punk gone soft.  Singers would lyrically "put their heart on their sleeve" and the guitars wreaked of intricity.  So anyhoo, Eric says to me "Have you ever heard of Emo?" to which I of course had not heard of.  Then he says "Have you heard of Jimmy Eat World?"  And I had not heard of whatever that was either.  Thinking it was another type of something I said "What is a Jimmy Eat World?"  He then said in a most excited voice "I'm about to change your life"

Later that week (the cool fall night that I started with) while driving on Eagle Road next to Banbury (I think we were going to a corn maze), Eric popped in a CD and said "Check this out."  What began to play is the song that changed my outlook on music.  I had no idea at the time how much this song would impact my life as a musician, my wardrobe, my money, my memories.  If you would like to hear the song-----which I think whoever the three of you are reading this should---------click on Rollerqueen on my music player right now.

Every time I hear this song, I go back to that night.  I can even feel the maroon upholstery of his car and smell the crisp fall air drenched with raging teen hormones (my best friend Megan was in the car and she was in TOTAL like with Eric).  Delicious.  I am still a major Jimmy fan and am hoping to see them at the end of October.  One of the highlights of moving to Arizona was to say that I was moving to where Jimmy Eat World is from.  (Zac's old boss is neighbors to the drummer, and one of my dear friends who shall remain nameless made out with the guitarist in college).  I was gawking at her in amazement when she told me and she was glad that I thought that was one of the greatest things EVER. 

I begged Eric to get me a copy of the CD and he burned me a whole compilation of stuff he got from Napster (back when it was free and downloading one song took 15 minutes)  and I paid him two bucks to cover the cost of the CD.  Best two bucks I ever spent.  Since that time I have been to un-numbered concerts, bought un-numbered CD's, and continue to search diligently for new music and great bands.  It is crazy to think that was over ten years ago but Jimmy continues to be my all around favorite band.  New CD in less than a month!  HOLLER!