When did I get so old?

[Valiant Bandit]

There was a time in my life when I used to drink,do drugs and just downright party 24/7. Sometimes I think back on those times and it seems like a whole lifetime ago. Those times also usually incorperate myself playing drums like an animal, living on 3-4 hours of sleep with pizza as my soul means of nourishment.

I think if myself from 8 years ago met myself today, 8 years ago Eric would have a heart attack at how much I've changed.

I drive 10 miles an hour below the speed limit, I haven't touched a beer or any other alcoholic drink in 8 months, and when I did have that beer, it was 1 beer lol. My idea of having a good time is going out shopping and going to dinner with my wife. I play bass now, very well I might add. I'm extremely grounded and I always dedicate 6-9 hours worth of the morning to sleep. I don't eat meat, I eat healthy and I love coffee.

Sure you could say it's just me growing up, but sometimes you realize how grown up you are when something happens, like last night:

As I've mentioned before I work at K-Mart...But I don't work FOR K-Mart...Well...Tehnically I do...But I'm part of Sears as I sell Sears's appliances in the appliance department inside of K-Mart on those old monochrome Sears computers that you probably remember seeing as a child and saying "Wow that's old." . It's Christmas-time so K-Mart hired people for seasonal work. One night I brought in my bass for some odd reason (I don't even remember now lol.) and a random seasonal associate approached me and asked me if I played. I said yes and he literally begged me to play with him and his guitarist. I reluctantly said yes and went over his house that Saturday to play. While his other guitarist is pretty mediocre, the guy I work with is amazing at guitar - when he follows my lead. Throughout the day he asked me if he wanted to be a part of the band. I told him I'd think about it as I'm not comfortable being a part of a band where I'm not the frontman calling the shots. Sorry, I may only be 27 but I'm a grizzled veteran when it comes to music. I've played in front of crowds of over 20,000 people. I know there's plenty TB-ers out there that have decades more experience and tens of thousands more people they've played in front of. But for your everyday player, it's not common.

Anyways the guy I work with said he had no problem with me being the frontman in the band and having me call the shots. This was his exact words " No dude, I wouldn't have a problem with that at all! In fact I'd love that! I feel like I need structure and guidance with my playing." Okay sweet, so I said yes. He asked me what we should name the band and I said "Virgon" since we're all Virgos and it was a nod to my favourite show, Battlestar Galactica.

So for the past two weeks him and I have been playing about 2-3 times a week and we just *click* when it comes to playing music. I'll just lay down a bass line and he'll play/solo over it and we'll switch time signatures, etc, etc...all without missing a beat/note. I'm getting excited but sad at the same time because I met someone with such great talent and I'm moving back to Rhode Island in six months.

A couple of days ago, he came over and asked me if I wanted to play at an open mic night at some artsy place. I said "Hell yeah that'd be awesome!" Oh boy was I in for a shocker.

Open mic night was last night and on Friday, he calls me and asks if he can come over and play and "We'll run through the set-list." I'm like "Uhhh...sure...okay...?" Thinking to myself "We'll thats nice. He just makes a whole setlist without even asking me." So we start playing and wouldn't you know it? He starts telling me what to play. I straight up stop mid playing and say "Dude - my bass lines are adding to your songs since you're just playing chords. I think I know what I'm doing here... He apologizes and says he's "Just really nervous about playing tomorrow night." I'm kind of taken back since he must've told me a zillion times how many "hundreds of shows he's done." I shrug and say whatever to myself...He's got jitters, no big deal.

Saturday rolls around -
I call him and tell him we should practice the set list before we go out and he says that's an awesome idea. He tells me he's at a class and he'll be over at 5.

6:00 rolls around, 6:30...6:45 he shows up!!! "Oh sorry man, I had to pick up Anthony (The other guitarist) and I had to make sure my girlfriend is coming tonight. Again I shrug and say it's no big deal and I start playing. I notice out of the corner of my eye that he takes 2 blue oval pills out of his pocket and quickly downs 'em. Well I have 20/5 vision and I used to abuse 'em so I know what they are - Lortab 10s. I say "What the hell did you just take man?!!?" He goes "Oh just medicine for my nerves." Again I shrug and say whatever to myself.

So we all start playing and I can tell this guy is so NERVOUS as he's criticizing the ever living daylights out of the other guitarist and really reaching when he's singing. His nervous companion suggests they "toke up to take the edge off." So they're passing a huge bowl around between both guitarists and my wife. After about 3 passes my wife says "I'm all set with that thanks." (She doesn't smoke that much.) They kept passing it back and forth to each other innumerable times and filled up the bowl 4 times. Then out comes the 4 loco! (4 loco is a very strong alcoholic drink.) They both pound 2 huge cans of 4 loco each where they say "NOW WE'RE GOOD TO PLAY!" . Well whatdya know? They SUCKED.

Now it's time to go. We load all our stuff up into our cars and all of a sudden I notice my guitarist just screws out of my condo complex! I have no idea where I'm going! I hop in my car and speed after him hoping to catch up to him.

(Continued on second post. If it's not up yet, I'm still typing it..Bear with me.)

[Lee H]

wait until you are 40...you will not believe the changes. In my 20s, I was somewhat infamous for riding my harley through bars...No joke, in one door, out the back. I was a wild one

Now I am a calm family man, who feels comfortable in a large pickup, going the speed limit or less. I am a coffee fiend, and I love to cook.... sometimes you cannot predict how you will change

[sandmangeck]

You mean maturing

[Icey101]

you get old when you are about 25 these day

[Texan]

Originally Posted by Lee H

wait until you are 40...you will not believe the changes...
Now I am a calm family man, who feels comfortable in a large pickup, going the speed limit or less. I am a coffee fiend, and I love to cook.... sometimes you cannot predict how you will change

Ain't it the truth...I tell friends stories of the old days and show pics, they don't believe that it was me

[onosson]

Originally Posted by Icey101

you get old when you are about 25 these day

Then I guess 15 must be the new 30?

[totallyfrozen]

I'm still waiting to hear how you've changed from teens to 27. Sounds like you're still hanging out with the same kind of people (substance abusers) and having them bring it into your home and share it with your wife, etc.

When's the "mature" scene come in?
...I'm waiting...

[MakiSupaStar]

Wait until 8 years have passed and you look back and read this thread.

[Valiant Bandit]

Well I'm at work and I'm getting harrassed by the manager to help the K-Mart people out....

I finally catch up to the guy I work with and ask him where he's going and he tells me he's going to "Pick up some girls." Funny, I think to myself...He told me he has a girlfriend..

Anyways thanks to my wife's phone, we find the place and we're waiting an hour for him to show up and voila, he's got a car full of whores. He opens the door and a whole bunch of beer cans fall out and both guitarists are TRASHED!

Well we're on in 5 minutes and they both stumble up to the stage "Assuring me" that "We'll sound great."

Too bad both of them over-miked themselves and they were both out of tune, and stood there like statues as I happily bounced around enjoying how good I sounded at least.

The kicker was the guy I worked with introduced us as "Waxpig melting"
...Hang on I have a customer I'll finish in a minute

[stratovani]

Good story so far! Bet it makes you wish you were in Rhode Island!

[bassteban]

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

Wait until 8 years have passed and you look back and read this thread.

hahah

[NateS]

Subscribed for the Lulz

[Valiant Bandit]

So they're playing...I guess you could call it that...And they're terrified...Every off key note the guy sings my wife (whos watching me) and me cringe lol. The songs are supposed to be played in drop C and they're playing like they're in drop F....Somehow I'm managing to play along to this insanity and it's just hitting me as I'm playing. "You're not 21 anymore." After they stumbled off the stage, I stayed out waved to the audience and played "Rock On" by David Essex because I love it and hey, I love being on stage lol.


So after I (of course) had to have the guys come over to help me move my bass cabinet back upstairs to my condo and they're just wasted. The guy I work with has his hands all over some whore he invited and his girlfriend doesn't care or is just turning a blind eye..But the whole time there's like 10 people at my condo and I don't relate/care/understand a damned word they're saying and I find myself just talking with my wife. These people are just talking about the stupidist crap and I just could care less. God damn they were so annoying.

It's just crazy...I mean Las Vegas is crazy out here and so are the people...But my wife and I have yet to find someone that's grounded like us that's even remotely close to our age group. Of course it's worth noting The people smoked enough weed to make freakin cheech and chong jealous and my wife and I don't drink...She smokes occasionally but that's it..Either I'm too mellow or I'm just not cut out for the rockstar party life. I grew out of that the day I met my wife.

My idea of being in a band is just jamming, chilling, relaxing, having fun and yeah smoking is fine but damn...There's a point where it's a little ridiculous.

"Ironically" the guy I work with called in sick today...lol

[Valiant Bandit]

There's more and I really wanted to get into the nitty,gritty details but my manager keeps walking around and she's already yelled at me for being on the computer lol but yes I can't wait to be back in Rhode Island. My best friend is grounded, engaged and SHE SHREDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Valiant Bandit]

Originally Posted by Lee H

wait until you are 40...you will not believe the changes. In my 20s, I was somewhat infamous for riding my harley through bars...No joke, in one door, out the back. I was a wild one

Now I am a calm family man, who feels comfortable in a large pickup, going the speed limit or less. I am a coffee fiend, and I love to cook.... sometimes you cannot predict how you will change

Ahaha that's awesome. When I was 18 I used to think I was a little B.A. if people screwed with me on the road, I would have no problem damaging their car - or them. Now I just laugh at them.

I feel so comfortable driving my 76 Valiant, going slow and listening to Incubus.

Originally Posted by totallyfrozen

I'm still waiting to hear how you've changed from teens to 27. Sounds like you're still hanging out with the same kind of people (substance abusers) and having them bring it into your home and share it with your wife, etc.

When's the "mature" scene come in?
...I'm waiting...

Well I had no idea that the people I played with were so into drugs. I see no problem just smoking every once in a while or even every day as long as 1 bowl pack doesn't become 4. My wife smokes once a day and has been for over a year. Before then she had horrific anxiety problems and refused to take anything from the pill mill. She's a much happier person now.....I'm not going to turn this into a weed debate because I don't know how you stand on it but she only smokes that and doesn't do anything else and refuses to do anything else. My wife and I were those kids years ago, we've experienced what they've already experienced. I just wish we could find someone with my creativity with my wife's personality. The point is she took 3 hits to their 300,000 (obviously not that many.) . Idk, we always say how we feel like we're that ugly guy in Ghost World lol.


I don't look down on these people who do drugs like that. It's their life and their preference and their lifestyle they choose to live...It's just not for me or my wife at all.

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

Wait until 8 years have passed and you look back and read this thread.

I KNOW!!! I'm gonna lauuuuggghhhhh....

I dunno, I don't miss that lifestyle at all...I felt like I was watching myself 8 years beforehand the whole night...It made me feel old.

[Icey101]

If you are not updating facebook every hour on the hour then your way to old

[Lee H]

To be entirely honest, I am a little embarrassed about how wild (and stupid) I acted when I was younger. I really should have had my posterior kicked up around my neck.

[5StringBlues]

How high do you wear your pants now?

[IconBasser]

erm...

[Rage1331]

Did someone say weed debate?