I’m one of those people who remember important things in my life by the bands or albums that are around at the time.
I was just thinking about one of the times I was most happy and the year 2002 popped into my head. I always talk about that year because everything was so in sync. I was 15 years old, coming out of a tough time in my life and the breath of fresh air I had that year was discovering my love for music and art. I grew up listening to music and drawing but that was the year I realized just how much these two meant to me.
I used to be fairly embarrassed to mention the bands that I grew up with but now I’ve learned to embrace it. It was the Blue album from Weezer and Highly Evolved from The Vines that really changed the way I viewed music and opened me up to so many other bands. (My music experience is somewhat similar to Alex Turner’s first concert.)
The other day whilst going through my usual morning commute, I decided to put on some of my older favorite albums and let me tell you, I wasn’t expecting what came next. I hadn’t listened to these albums in ages and my taste has changed considerably but it felt so good. It reminded me of those months I spent in jeans that had rips at the knees, tattered Pumas, and track jackets. The familiar guitar solos still give me the same adrenaline rush as it did before. It got me desperately wanting to be able to create my own intensity, the same one I felt in these songs. (Oh come on Annie, be serious. You’re 15. You like rock and roll, it’s what kids do right?)
Somewhere between Rivers Cuomo’s awkwardness and Craig Nicholls’ incessant rambling about “Making music for music’s sake” that I too found my passion in design/art. As soon as I came to that conclusion, I haven’t looked back and all the steps I’ve taken since have been to fulfill it. I’ve always felt very fortunate for this early discovery. People may laugh at my choice of early role models (if you can call them that) that inspired me but what does it matter? There’s something wonderful about being young, impressionable, and idealistic. When you’re 15, you feel like you can take on the world and remain unscathed.
I’ve been pretty reflective for the past few months. The other day, I wagged all my classes to just go adventuring and think for a while. I look back at my past year and still cannot believe it’s happened. I spent six months in Europe, saw about 50 bands, met loads of people, and turned my life upside down and right side up again only to come back to a mess of problems, post graduation decisions, and then to have to speedily wrap up my year as I’m graduating in five weeks. Despite it all though, I’ve been able to keep my head above water. I’m good to myself in that I’ve always managed to find a way.
Why is this a thank you letter to my first rock stars? Not like Cuomo or Nicholls or any other rock star thereafter had a hand in my personal development as a teenager or anything. (That sounds sort of smutty haha.) But, listening to them just reminded me of how far I’ve come. They reminded me of who I was and that made me look at who I am now. It’s really the best feeling to know who you are and know what you want to do. Sometimes I catch myself feeling just as I did when I was 15, like I could take on the world and remain unscathed. I’m convinced that feeling will never go away just because of the kind of person I am.
That’s all. Heeeeeeee.
“I’m not writing it down to remember it later, I’m writing it down to remember it now.”
Business cards courtesy of my friend Kevin Nguyen. They were a birthday gift in 2006 and probably the best one I’ve ever received. And yes, that is the entire card. There’s no other information on it but what you see.
You know how to find me otherwise. Ta ta for now!