To all of you spending up to one hundred dollars to see Stink 182 at the Cocks arena, I pity you and your MTV worshipping lives. The best show of my life cost six dollars, and I'm going to tell you the story of it here.
Fugazi has always been near the top of my list for favorite band. From the time I first heard "Repeater" I knew I was in love. Sadly, I knew that they would never come to my backwoods suburban town. My hopes rose when I moved to San Diego. But when I came, I found out that I had just fucking missed them!!! Fuck!
Fast forward to 1999. I am in Off the Record browsing the flyers. What do I see? A Fugazi Flyer!!! I anxiously picked up a flyer. They were on tour to promote their new album "End Hits" and they were coming to Soma the next month! After finding this out, I quickly raced home to change my pants.
Plans were made, and schemes were hatched the month before the show. My friend Zack was converted to the goodness of Fugazi by me, and I did little dances of joy at lunch every day. I listened to Fugazi non stop. My partners in crime Matt and Jason went with me to Robinson's May to purchase tickets, thinking that they would be a lot. Our jaws dropped simulaneously when the price rang up six dollars. Six Dollars!!! Fuck you big egoed corporate bands! You only care about money! Fugazi honestly cares about the fans!!! (Recently I read that front row seats to the Smashing Pumpkins last show cost $2000. Just letting people know.)
On February 18, 1999, I woke up with a purpose to live. Tonight was the show!!! In fact, I woke up 3 hours earlier than my usual wake up time, so I could run outside. I went through school looking at the clock hoping to get out soon. I promised certain death to Jason and Zack if they did not show up to Matt's house at 5:30. After school, Zack and I drove around screaming at people because we were so happy.
All of us met at Matt's house, and we soon took off in my car blasting Fugazi's new album on my then working car stereo. We soon arrived at the Soma area, and after we ate mexican food, we proceded to stand in the long line that began to form outside of Soma. Around 7:30 we were searched and let in. We were forced to listen to two shitty pre-emo explosion San Diego bands.
At 8, my dream began to come true. Ian Mackaye, in all of his glory announced "Hi, we're Fugazi from Washington D.C." They began to play the first song from their new album called "Break." The crowd moved into action, and I was there, in the middle of it! When the chorus, which is simply the shouted word "BREAK!" came up, the crowd roared into full throttle, nearly killing me from fifty simultaneous orgasims. I danced like I never have before! Guy Piccicotto took off his guitar and did a wild man dance that knocked me down!!! I may or may not have passed out. I came close to puking as I was screaming every word from every song! The drummer, Joe Lally had the biggest bell I had ever seen on a drumset. Brendan Canty remained stoic as he played his bass, but he still kicked ass!!! They played for around an hour and a half, but I was unaware of any time shifts! For an encore, they played a version of "Arpeggiator" which had two drumsets! After it was all over, I had forgotten my name. That was THE best show of my life. All the other ones I've been to have been Disney on Ice compared to it.
I tried to run the car off the road and kill us all afterward, but that's a different story.
THE END
