I remember when October used to be cold and wet.
I remember when I used to spend my time in between exams photographing local bands as their “house photographer”.
I remember when Riot Fest came to Colorado.
I remember inviting my college roommates to shows but they were too busy playing video games to go and I ended up going alone.
Well, tonight it rained. It’s October and it precipitated. It was a beautiful sight that hasn’t happened for years. I drove in that rain, windows down, to Cervantes.
Mindstate opened up tonight’s show.
One of the bands I used to spend my time photographing in between exams was Mindstate. And the first time I photographed them, it was at Cervantes. I was a shy, anxious photographer who’s only claim to fame was a site similar to what you’re reading now. Except I would post on social media every day and would be careful not to ever say naughty, offensive words like a good motherfucker.
Seeing Mindstate live again after almost a decade brought back all those memories and feelings. It brought me back to the past and slungshot me to the future. I’m not in school anymore, so I’m not taking exams. But I am photographing shows in between my other creative day and night jobs. My friends don’t ignore me anymore when I invite them to concerts. I just have no friends. And I don’t worry about what I say anymore, I’ll just be as offensive as I want. And if you pussies want to cry about it, you can go fuck yourselves.
Needless to say, what a great way to start the night.
When I first saw Passafire play live, it was when Riot Fest was in Colorado almost a decade ago. I was a young photographer photographing my first major festival. Because no one wanted to read my words, I had to get credentials via Clear Channel. Photography only, shut the fuck up. Passafire performed during the day. Of course I captured them.
That night, one of the bands I was a photographer for opened an after party. Passafire’s after party. I have yet to see any other band twice in one day. But I did see Passafire twice in that day.
And somehow, Passafire’s show has stayed suspended in time. While we all got older, people are still throwing beach balls whenever Passafire plays. Their bassist still pulls the best faces. They still show off their multi-instrumental talents. They still treat every stage as intimately as possible.
I wonder if anyone in the audience was also there 10 years ago. I wonder if anyone also hit the after party after Riot Fest.
The only new thing tonight was Long Beach Dub All Stars. They reminded me of that Riot Fest, where I was first exposed to the magic of watching classic musicians like Weezer or the Buzzcocks live. There’s an OG vibe seeing LBDA. No gags, no gimmicks, no bullshit; just music and dancing. That’s it.
It’s cool. It’s fun. And I’m probably super biased because I was transported back to my past thanks to the previous bands. And past me would definitely approve of what current me is doing.
He would definitely approve of my choice to see the legends Long Beach Dub Allstars. He would also definitely approve of all the work I’ve done to better my mental health. He would approve of my decision to buy a Passafire shirt to mark the occasion and approve of my ability to pay rent with art.
He wouldn’t approve of everything though. There are some people he’d be disappointed I haven’t violently hurt yet. But that’s a story for another band. Maybe one whose members just got out of jail for heinous, disgusting crimes.
By the way, I’m still using the same exact equipment from 10 years ago. And not just my camera, but WordPress too. Funny how time flies, but also, not really.
Something else changed between the past and now. Before, Cervantes paid photographers for their photos. Nowadays, they just have photographers sign a contract saying Cervantes gets full access and final approval for the photos. Stop undervaluing yourself if you’re an artist because this is the shit that happens. If you created the photo, get fucking paid for it. If you created the music, get fucking paid for it. And if you don’t think the silly ass gooses reading this blog will help you sell albums, tickets, merch, or streams, don’t give me the opportunity to share your art.
And if this gets me banned from Cervantes, fucking fantastic. Good luck getting Mike Hunt, or whatever fake information I put, to send you photos. I have too much self respect. And if you read my other articles, you know that’s a very low bar. My self respect is basically nothing.
