On Saturday, July 26, I went home.
Well, let me explain. I went someplace that felt like home: The King of Clubs in Columbus, Ohio.
I’d never been to the venue before, but as we stepped in, everything felt familiar—the crunch of bodies pressed together, surging closer to the stage; the thump and roar of the speakers; the heat from outside and from so many people crammed into one space.
It was all familiar. Exciting. Home. It had the feel of an old-school rock show: a capacity crowd, ready to just have a good time.
We caught three of the four bands that day, missing Joseph and His Ghost—an indie punk band I’d wanted to see, but life interceded.
This Day Forever took the stage and introduced themselves.
“We are This Day Forever—like you guys give a shit,” the guitarist said, before they launched into their set: a short but intense group of songs. They played well, brought mad energy and emotion, and left me impressed.
As we waited for the next artist, I looked around the venue a bit more. It was nice and clean. I saw lots of security, but no one was being loud or angry. I was impressed. Then I looked at the stage.
“Who’s the kid?,” I asked my fiancée. Then he began to play.
Lex Bauman was his name—a sixteen-year-old Columbus native. He rocked through a short set with confidence and swagger, never hesitating. Absolutely a frontman, and doing it incredibly well. I expect to hear more from this kid in the future.
One of my favorite things about music is how it attaches itself to memories and moments, providing a sort of soundtrack that can take you back in time. For me, that comes with Everclear—specifically, a vivid memory from my young adulthood: hanging out with longtime friends, the Parker brothers.
While Seth was rocking out in his room to Morbid Angel or some other death metal band, Aaron and I sat in his room with a guitar, and he showed me how to play “Santa Monica.” It’s one of the few songs I can still play a bit of if you hand me a guitar, even if that weird scratchy part after the first riff gives me trouble.
It was almost 9:30 p.m. when Everclear took the stage. After just a short intro, they launched right in, opening with “So Much for the Afterglow” and playing some of their biggest hits early.
Art spoke to the crowd, kept everyone pumped up, told stories. The band ripped through a minute or two of “Crazy Train” and “Paranoid” to pay homage to the loss of a legend, played “Local Gods” from the Romeo + Juliet soundtrack, and closed out the show with a cover of “Brown Eyed Girl” and “Santa Monica.”
Standing with 800 other people, screaming about swimming past the breakers and watching the world die? That’s home. That’s the feeling that keeps me coming back, show after show.
Phenomenal show, all around.
Tour Dates
https://www.everclearmusic.com/tour
Band Photo: Brian Cox
Comments
Post a Comment