Being on stage as the vocalist in a hardcore band was exhilarating. It was like being a music director, except instead of an orchestra pit with woodwinds and brass instruments; you controlled a mosh pit with spinning feet and fists. Electric. Something like that is hard to walk away from. It took George Bush activating my Army National Guard unit in 2005 to drag me kicking and screaming from the middle of the stage to the Middle East. Just like that it was over. All I’d worked to build blew away like sands on the wind when I traded a microphone for a machine gun.
The love I feel for you and this community we belong to is immeasurable. I appreciate the compliments. The one thing you and I have always been on the same page about, the thing that has stayed our hands, and quelled our anger towards each other, (or those we surrounded ourselves with at the time), is our love for our little slice of hardcore. As cliche as it might be. We never went into this thinking we would get anything out of it. While the recognition in this article is something I’ll treasure, it’s not about me or my accomplishments. It’s always been about growing our community. It’s always been about having something to say and feeling it so intensely that the only way to get it out of our bodies was to scream it. While age and life may have dulled my flame considerably, there are still times I find myself feeling the same way I felt when we discovered this. A burning desire to act, to love, TO LIVE!!!
It’s those times that keep me involved as selfish as it may seem. I’ve spent the majority of my life being a part of this community, you have as well!! Even though our paths have gone in different directions in the past, I can always count on you being right back here with me. There is something to be said about always having a home in hardcore. It brings me peace. You Stan, you bring me peace.
I love you, and I love North Carolina hardcore. I’m thankful for our friendship and your kind words.
Love you bro. Always thankful for your voice in this scene on and off the mic . I wholeheartedly agree that it’s always been about community and an all ships rise on the tide mindset. It’s one of the last few bastions where true passion still exists. I think it’s cool now at our age to maybe not feel that strong passion we once did BUT see it in the current generation. A passing of the torch so to speak.
Wow. So many memories you have stirred in me! Aaron is in PA this week on business. I hope he will read this. Thanks for sharing part of all of our lives!!
Oh yea I shared it with him yesterday before it went live. I’ll always remember coming to y’all’s house and Aaron’s first band “home brew” playing cover songs to 311 and rage against the machine in your living room haha. He and I also played in our second bands on the THS football field for a show that got out of control. Most of my fun memories playing in bands also included him and his bands.
The love I feel for you and this community we belong to is immeasurable. I appreciate the compliments. The one thing you and I have always been on the same page about, the thing that has stayed our hands, and quelled our anger towards each other, (or those we surrounded ourselves with at the time), is our love for our little slice of hardcore. As cliche as it might be. We never went into this thinking we would get anything out of it. While the recognition in this article is something I’ll treasure, it’s not about me or my accomplishments. It’s always been about growing our community. It’s always been about having something to say and feeling it so intensely that the only way to get it out of our bodies was to scream it. While age and life may have dulled my flame considerably, there are still times I find myself feeling the same way I felt when we discovered this. A burning desire to act, to love, TO LIVE!!!
It’s those times that keep me involved as selfish as it may seem. I’ve spent the majority of my life being a part of this community, you have as well!! Even though our paths have gone in different directions in the past, I can always count on you being right back here with me. There is something to be said about always having a home in hardcore. It brings me peace. You Stan, you bring me peace.
I love you, and I love North Carolina hardcore. I’m thankful for our friendship and your kind words.
-Aaron.
Love you bro. Always thankful for your voice in this scene on and off the mic . I wholeheartedly agree that it’s always been about community and an all ships rise on the tide mindset. It’s one of the last few bastions where true passion still exists. I think it’s cool now at our age to maybe not feel that strong passion we once did BUT see it in the current generation. A passing of the torch so to speak.
Wow. So many memories you have stirred in me! Aaron is in PA this week on business. I hope he will read this. Thanks for sharing part of all of our lives!!
Oh yea I shared it with him yesterday before it went live. I’ll always remember coming to y’all’s house and Aaron’s first band “home brew” playing cover songs to 311 and rage against the machine in your living room haha. He and I also played in our second bands on the THS football field for a show that got out of control. Most of my fun memories playing in bands also included him and his bands.