The Best Time Ever

As usual, I always say I'm gonna keep up with this blog, and I do the total opposite. I have been saying I am gonna make this post every single day now for over a month and a half. I guess it's time for me to just do it.

As most of you know, like about a month and a half ago I went on an adventure. And little I knew it was gonna literally gonna have the impact it did. I went to Philadelphia and NYC for the H2O 15th Anniversary shows. I mean, they are pretty much my favorite band, and are the only one band of my Holy Trinity (H2O, Lifetime, Pennywise) that I have a tattoo of.

I mean, just to get there it was a whole new thing for me. I had to go to Philadelphia, a city I had always wanted to visit, relatively near to where I live, and I never had gone before. I left super early, just cause I know I had to take a Bus from NYC to Philly, and I had to find it. I called my friend Rachel, who was letting me crash at her place for a couple days (I headed down the day before the show, because wanted to try Geno's and Pat's steaks). Thank you so much for that, I really appreciate it. Well back to the story. I had never taken a Bus from NYC to Philly, or any place that wasn't Boston, so I had to find this. I found how to get there, and at the same time I unlocked so many parts of NYC I had never seen.

Well. I get to Philly at night, and I hung out with Rae for a bit, cause she had to go to bed, because she worked in the morning. I met with Galdo2Face and Nelson Perro, 2 of my buddies from the PRHC days. They were also coming for the show, but only the Philly one. So we hung out, ate more cheesesteaks, and saw the city, which was actually way smaller than I thought, at least the Central City area. The show time came, and I can already feel the adrenaline starting to pump through my veins.

We get there, and we're so stoked to see one of our favorite bands, like I said my favorite band, and we want to get to meet them, after all it's all hardcore, and it's all a community, and I don't doubt we're not to. So we're in. We saw the bassist for the band, and we ask him if we can go meet the band, because we came from Puerto Rico, cause it'll mean the world, so he says yea, but after the show. I mean, I reside now in Lowell, but I don't consider myself "from here". I am from the Island no matter when and where. Although, I also travel to the Island often enough to say I am 1/2, and 1/2, maybe not in the past year because of money issues, but you know what I mean. And after the mission I took from Lowell to Philly, it was more difficult than pretty much anyone in attendance. straight up.

So yea, they show starts, as usual, I go bezerker. I only go all out for like 5 bands. They are, Down To Nothing, Madball, Hammer Bros, Forfeit, and obviously H2O. So yea. I was the happiest dude. (Sorry, Efren, I didn't call you cause I was too busy stagediving.) Well, they played Sacred Heart, which that song is one of my favorite jams, and I went up front, and Toby grabbed my hat and wore it, I have to admit, at first, I thought I had lost it. But I looked up and it was on Toby's head, haha. Funny shit.

After the show, we're waiting for the bassist to get us to meet the band. It takes a while, and we're losing hope, but then he came, and they let us in. I finally got to meet pretty much a guy whose lyrics and music shaped my life, and I was super stoked. First thing I did was to show my FTTW tattoo, and then introduced myself. I don't think I'll ever forget that moment. Then we took a picture with the band and Galdo and Nelson. Then went home, haha. I had to rest for the trip the next day.

I woke up, hung out with Rae, then I had to go to NYC again. Got to the venue right on time. Saw Owen, my main man, and partner in crime, who I hadn't seen in like a year! We have done crazy stuff to see H2O in the past, and remember going to NYC once on a Chinatown bus singin the whole FTTW out loud the whole ride (in order of trackisting). Show was awesome, slightly different setlist from the night before. End of show, went to BK to Rony Noid's place. I also did a testimonial for www.onelifeonechance.com with my pretty awful accent and all.

I literally got the last ticket for the small show in BK, right at the door. Best time ever. The thing I will never forget is the handshake I got right when the band came on stage! I stagedove maybe an amount of 70 times. hahaha. I got hurt, and I don't care. One of my co-workers thinks I am old to be doing that, and as much as I like the dude (he's a good dude legit), he can fuck the fuck off. This is the life I chose, just like the song says, so dont pass judgment on me. True.

Anyway, that weekend was literally the best of my life. It's not everyday you get to see your favorite band ever, let alone see them 3 days in a row, plus get to meet them. And sort of start a friendship.

Anyway, Since I started playing music, it's been my goal to leave an impact in someone's life, wether it's writing a musical riff, a drumfill, or words that will inspire someone to do exactly what I did that weekend. I really don't know what I would be doing if it wasn't for hardcore music, and honestly if I never found about H2O. I would probably be a "normal" person, and it is not bad. But definitely not what I want. I am different, and I know it. I don't have to be just like everyone else, but I can still make an impact, or change the world, whether if it's with a song, or with what I do everyday, or with a talk with one of my friends.

This verse pretty much sums it all up:

"Again and again through time I see - day by day
I'm going through changes to find what's best for me - day by day
I know where I am and I know where I'm from
So I got to face the future and take it as it comes"

Haha, song name it's also the name of my main man Ema's band. Day By Day, which by the way are an amazing band. :)

P.S. thank W-lo for finally pushing me out of hiatus on this blog. And check his blog, which is really interesting here.