RiotFest...

I hope I never get too old

To the point where seeing

Some of my favorite bands play

And scream along to some of my favorite songs of all time

And I leave a show not dripping sweat with a hoarse voice

When I wake up in the morning after such a show

That I can barely move

But every painful turn of my head

Isn't worth it

I hope I never get too old

That screaming along to "Trusty Chords"

Doesn't make me forget about all of life's troubles

That seeing Samiam

Doesn't remind me what made me love them back when I was 17

That getting hit in the face because I'm too close to the pit

Or in the pit itself

Makes me shudder and think to myself

This is beneath me

That when some stranger has his arm around you

While you're belting out songs along with the rest of the crowd

Doesn't make you forget that this is music you love more than any other

I never want to not be able to rage in a circle of punks

And I never want to NOT risk injury

To protect other people from unwanted flailing arms

I love punk rock

I will always love punk rock

I always want to be able to feel

That screaming my abdominals into soreness

is some sort of catharsis

And a break from cubicle chattle

I never want to be too old

That the fact that I can't speak

Because I am so hoarse and my voice is shot from screaming/shouting/singing along

Doesn't speak for itself

I always want to know

What it feels like to be surrounded by strangers

Who love the same things you love

But it's even better because you're with

A few people who always felt, and still always feel

The same way that I do

I loved RiotFest. I love Fernando, and Dave, and Amanda, for this weekend. I love Hot Water Music, and the Holy Mess, and Samiam, and the Menzingers, and Larry & His Flask, and the Suicide Machines, and everyone else who I saw at RiotFest. I love every feeling that I had on Saturday, INCLUDING getting hit in the face, and having dudes nearly crush my elbow.

I love punk rock, and I love being a punk.