What Could Have Been? (The Armory; Rochester, New York; '97)
so here's my story.
back in '97 311 played a show at a smallish local venue in rochester, new york called the armory. i was 13. my friend used to play in a roller-hockey leauge at the armory then, and he told me about this concert that was coming up. 311 and sugar ray? i'd heard a couple of tracks off the blue album and knew nothing of sugar ray at the time. it didn't spark my interest, and i passed on my friend's invitation.
flash-forward to now:
in college, i was given the proper 311 introduction i needed, and here i am, one crazy, postive, 311 loving motherf---er. looking back, i always regret that past decision. 311 had just dropped transistor on an unsuspecting world, and sugar ray, not yet tainted by mainstream success, would have been kicking some ass. yesterday i got ahold of a bootleg from that show. first off, it's near mint sound quality. the vocals dominate the instruments some, but it's a good mix overall. give it a good listen with some quality headphones, it's balanced well for that too.
so it got me thinking. around this time i was beginning to really appreciate music, and i was looking for something to blow me away. i ended up hearing "zero" on the radio, and the smashing pumpkins became my first love. 311 has struck such a chord with me (pun both intended and apologized for at the same time), i find it hard to believe that i would have been unaffected by that show. i can imagine what my reaction would have been like. i'd come home from the show and give my brother's copy of the bule album a good listen. the next day, i'd head to the record store and pick up transistor. it's pretty easy to see that from then on i'd be hooked.
so what would the past 9 years have been like had i gone to that show? how would i be different? i feel like the substitution of 311's positive message for the pumpkins melancholy (no disrespect, i'm just saying) would have had a profound impact. as things are, i feel like that show planted a seed. from then on i was always curious about 311, and when my time came, i was ready. at least now i'm able to capture a small part of what it must have been like to be there that night so long ago.
back in '97 311 played a show at a smallish local venue in rochester, new york called the armory. i was 13. my friend used to play in a roller-hockey leauge at the armory then, and he told me about this concert that was coming up. 311 and sugar ray? i'd heard a couple of tracks off the blue album and knew nothing of sugar ray at the time. it didn't spark my interest, and i passed on my friend's invitation.
flash-forward to now:
in college, i was given the proper 311 introduction i needed, and here i am, one crazy, postive, 311 loving motherf---er. looking back, i always regret that past decision. 311 had just dropped transistor on an unsuspecting world, and sugar ray, not yet tainted by mainstream success, would have been kicking some ass. yesterday i got ahold of a bootleg from that show. first off, it's near mint sound quality. the vocals dominate the instruments some, but it's a good mix overall. give it a good listen with some quality headphones, it's balanced well for that too.
so it got me thinking. around this time i was beginning to really appreciate music, and i was looking for something to blow me away. i ended up hearing "zero" on the radio, and the smashing pumpkins became my first love. 311 has struck such a chord with me (pun both intended and apologized for at the same time), i find it hard to believe that i would have been unaffected by that show. i can imagine what my reaction would have been like. i'd come home from the show and give my brother's copy of the bule album a good listen. the next day, i'd head to the record store and pick up transistor. it's pretty easy to see that from then on i'd be hooked.
so what would the past 9 years have been like had i gone to that show? how would i be different? i feel like the substitution of 311's positive message for the pumpkins melancholy (no disrespect, i'm just saying) would have had a profound impact. as things are, i feel like that show planted a seed. from then on i was always curious about 311, and when my time came, i was ready. at least now i'm able to capture a small part of what it must have been like to be there that night so long ago.