2003.08.30 03.16 the wonder years (from livejournal) i have almost too many projects going on right now, which equals too many stories in my head. i've been trying to get them out (i.e. focus), but they keep piling on top of each other. 1. comic for the stranger. 2. graphic novel. 3. a zine i'm trying to organize with some friends about the last year of high school and the years following immediately after. 4. my berkely story (probably graphic novel 2). i need to organize, which i think, right now, listing them, i've done for myself. it's my goal tomorrow to bust out the stranger story. feel free to call and remind me. Andrew WK played on wednsday. the show was amazing as always, full of his inspirational rants, kids going fucking nuts, and 4 hour long autograph sessions. it's been a tradition everytime he's played here. show's over, wait in line (actually drink beers in my apartment until the line subsides), have him do something different. time 1, it was all about andrew WK coming up to my apartment and partying with zane and i. time 2, i got the coveted voicemail (which i skipped on this time, since every motherfucker in town copped my style and got the same shit done at sonic boom. shame on y'all, we know who did it first). this time, i just got the autograph (or the letter), but we swapped. i gave him a comic and photos from time 1, and we exchanged pleasenties. it's a good feeling when someone you look up to remembers your name. i was impressed. though all that was fun, and the show was spectactular as always, the personal highlight for me was near the end of the set. i was side stage, occasionally stage diving and helping the security. this boy from the audience grabbed my arm and desperately asked me to ask andrew wk to dedicate a song to friend of his that had just died. she was a big fan. part of me wanted to say no. i wasn't sure how to go about asking exactly. i thought about it. i thought about my friends who'd died. for some reason i thought a lot about scotty. i grabbed a piece of paper, begged this girl in the audience for a sharpy and wrote a quick note to andrew wk. in between songs, i ran up and gave it to him. he read it to the audience, gave a speech about living life to it's fullest, and then dedicated the rest of the set to this girl. the kid who'd intially asked me, grabbed me again and screamed thank you. he was so happy. i felt like a hero, even though i don't think anyone realized what had happened. i remember what it was like being young and going to my first few years of shows. how awesome it was, how exciting everything seemed, how stoked i was to get a glimpse of my musical heroes or feel like i was part of the show somehow or to be able to have that little bit of access that made me feel like i had a bit of repect, like the band or the club staff and i were on the same level. like we were all just there to see and take part in the show, equally. i'll never forget that feeling, the discovery of punk rock, the magic and freedom of it. when i'm at or working shows and i have the ability to do that for someone else, i'll always do it. it's events like that that changed my life and inspired me to do the things that i want to do and make them a reality. too often, i think people forget those things and take the perks in life for granted. it's important to remember where you came from. as i'm preparing to make some major changes in my life, i'm digging through my past history, remembering, reliving, learning, expressing and moving on. hopefully project 3 (the zine with friends) will be a fond fairwell to that period and i'll embrace 25, growing up and moving on. wish me luck. Mood: exhausted Music: The Pop Group