Every day in this month so far has felt like a ticking time bomb. It feels weird, at one point there is enjoyment and joy of being done with school; at another moment it's disbelief that I still need to go to graduate school one day to make proper use of my degree and at some moments, the feeling of uncertainty is overwhelming. That being said, I've been wanting to make a list to musicians/bands that I'll forever associate with my undergraduate years. A list and a reason set in stone.
In no particular order:
The Henry Clay People: The were the first band I saw in San Francisco, heck the first time I went to San Francisco was to see these guys. A trip made on a random wednesday with two people who have become my closest friends today. HCP became my gateway to the 'L.A music scene' and due to them I discovered great bands such as Red Cortez, Le Switch and The Californian. HCP was the first band I saw was a 21 year old. I'll always love these guys, they are all rock n'roll and I'm willing to wrestle anyone to the ground over this. To me, they embody the best of the straight ahead, double guitar rock and they love what they do enough not to try it insecurely hide behind cynicism or irony or some hipster bullshit. Theirs is unabashed-love-of music and I can't get enough of it.
The Gaslight Anthem: The very first band I saw in college. I went to Rise Against and TGA was the first supporting band and they blew me away. This was few months after the '59 Sound came out, and part of the reason I went to Florida last year for the Fest was because of them. The amount of music I've been introduced to over the years because of these guys is ridiculous. All of the bands I saw at the fest were in some sort of way connected to TGA to me.
Lucero: The first band I went to see by myself, and one of the bands I was introduced to thanks to TGA. The first time I saw Lucero was when they played a 11:30am set at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco. I woke up at 7 in the morning so I could take the 90minute train to SF and after taking multiple buses in the city I had arrived at Golden Gate Park just in time to catch their set. There's also the time I took the bus down to Santa Cruz to see them play and then realizing that the show would end way after the last bus scheduled back to San Jose, so I ended up spending the night sitting on the beach alone and waited till it was 6 in the morning so I could take the bus back to San Jose.
Cat Power: I was not a particular fan of female singers/vocalists during the early heydays. I didn't mind them but I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to em. Besides occasionally listening to Nico during the night, I didn't listen to much female singers. Until I surfaced upon Cat Power...it was during the summer of 2010, I had just downloaded one of
webinfront mixtapes, I'm not sure what song it was but I was hooked. I was in love with the smokey voice, the beautiful face. After listening to Cat Power's discography vigorously, I decided to give females singers more of a chance. Laura Marling, Regina Spektor, Jenny Lewis...I listen to all of them today thanks to Cat Power.
Fake Problems: The only reason I include Fakey P's in the list is because of how awesome these guys are. I mean the music kicks ass but the way the members treat their fans is what makes them special. I met these guys when they opened up for RX Bandits, I only went to the show to see FP and was planning on leaving right after their set but decided to talk to the members and the next thing I know, I was told if I came back for the show tomorrow, they would get me in for free...I can go on and on about why I love these guys, some of my favorite nights in college was when I got to see them live and hangout after the show. I'm excited for what the future brings for this band, not only as a fan but also as a friend.
Jim Ward: I had no idea who he was until I saw him at the 2009 Revival Tour. Unlike many people I know, I did not listen to At the Drive In or Sparta so I had no idea who he was. I was just really impressed with his set and picked up his Sleepercar CD at the show and eventually I was told about his other 'big' bands. I checked it out, and I still prefer his solo/Sleepercar stuff compared to his loud stuff. The thing I like the most about Jim is the amount of pride he takes in El Paso, listening to his music you can tell he loves the city more than anyone. It's interesting because El Paso is portrayed as shit hole border town and here is Jim who helped construct a studio, a bar and a venue so the kids have something to do, so touring bands can have a spot to play instead of just driving through it. He is single handedly trying to make the city a better place. The reason why I admire this and his love for El Paso so much is as a kid growing up, I always despised the place I was staying at. It could be Dover, Irvine, Greenville the list goes on, when I was living in those places, I hated it but once I left, I came to appreciate them. So in a way Jim taught me to take pride in the place I call home and rather than disliking it and wishing to leave, I should be proud in what it has to offer.
Modest Mouse: I always heard Modest Mouse on the radio during high school and I liked what I heard but for some reason I never checked em out. When someone would recommend them to me, I would just brush of it and move along. It was during the Summer 2009 when I was taking few classes at Orange Coast College where I met a girl..my friends and I nicknamed her 'Famous', anyways every time I would hangout with her in her car, she would play Modest Mouse because that's the only Cds she had with her. Once summer ended and I moved back up to San Jose, I tried getting into them again but it didn't feel the same. So I waited till Summer 2010 and all of sudden, I loved em. So now Modest Mouse is my summer jam and I can't listen to during any other time of the year...and they will always remind me of 'Famous'
I could go on and on about this list and add Tim Barry, Nico, Shinobu etc. but I think I'm going to stop here. The six listed about will always hold a special meaning in my heart and I know that even though I will always associate them to my 'college days,' they will always be with me for long time to come.
24 days till Graduation.
