Back when I was a teenager, I used to go to Spankys and Rays Downtown Blues on a weekly basis for local shows. Usually I would go with my buddy Christian but this night in 2003 I went alone for probably the first time. I was still new to the hardcore scene so I didn't really know all the bands playing. I saw 2 kids from school there, Josh Simkowitz and John Park and remember them telling me their bands were playing. Keep in mind I was still fairly new to the hardcore scene but I remember thinking to myself "these guys don't look like hardcore kids, I came to the wrong show", I stayed anyway to support these guys because they were cool guys and they were the only guys in Forest Hill who would talk to me since I was more of an outsider. Josh's band went on first, they were called So I Say Goodbye(who went on to become known as Hearts Over Rome) and when they played their first song "James Is A Sinner", I was blown away! I remember thinking "Wow man! We have bands like that in West Palm Beach?". Immediately after their set, Josh came up to me, patted me on the back and asked me what I thought of them and I went on to say I was blown away. He laughed and said "I bet when you first got here, you looked at me and said what the hell are these emo kids doing here". That performance and how cool Josh and the rest of his band was with me set the tone for the night and set the tone for what made me a proud fan and supporter of the hardcore scene for the next 9 years and beyond. John's band "The Hatchet Lady" went on next, and again I was blown away. I remember thinking how much their sound reminded me of ZAO which was one of my favorite bands at the time. The next 3 bands are the bands that locked me in as a hardcore fan for life, Remembering Never, Target Nevada and All Hell Breaks Loose. Remember Never hit the stage next, this was not long after they released "She Looks So Good In Red", their first album with former guitarist Mean Pete taking over on vocals this was still more than a year before they would release "Women And Children Die First" which garnered a lot of recognition for them. I remember being amazed by these guys and spent about $40 at their merch booth getting music and shirts while talking to Pete and introducing myself to them. Next was Target Nevada, another very heavy band whose vocalist also reminded me of ZAO, I picked up their 2 song "Something Nasty EP". What happened next is a moment I would never forget. All Hell Breaks Loose was getting ready to perform and suddenly Spankys went from half empty to completely packed then a huge pit opened up in the center ith about 20 to 30 people pacing back and forth as all you can hear was the feedback from CHIPxSEM's guitar building up more and more before one simple power chord hit and the crowd erupted. For the next 30 minutes I stood there watching in awe as AHBL tore the venue down. After their set I thanked CHIPxSEM and Alex from AHBL for putting on such an amazing show, I know it must have meant nothing to them but to me, that was the night I became a hardcore kid and a life long fan and die hard supporter of this scene. Seeing the kids at these shows with such a strong sense of camaraderie and unity made me feel at home during what was probably one of the most difficult times of my life. Shows and memories like that are the reason I support local bands and do what I can to get these bands as much exposure as I can give them.
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