They were the soundtrack to my 18 year old life

by Gary Cope in Concert Reviews

I remember going into a local record shop in Cypress, California called Bionic Records. I worked up the street and would stop in there each Friday with my paycheck in my pocket. I needed to pay rent and buy food, but I also needed to buy new music.

Aaron worked the front counter and would always hook me up with whatever new had come in. This is how I found out about Gameface, Farside, and Outspoken. One Friday, I came in and Aaron asked me if I was going out to NorCo for the show that night. I had a date, but Denny asked who was playing. Aaron’s answer floored me. Unbroken, Outspoken, Mean Season, Farside, and Process for 5 bucks. I couldn’t pass it up.

I called the girl and broke the date. I don’t think she believed my lame excuse. It worked out, though. I married someone else.

I went to the show and each band went off. I met Popeye from Farside and found out that he is a very cool, soft-spoken guy. I then met Jae from Outspoken and found out that he lived one city over from me. This led to a friendship that lasted until the day I left for the Marines. I haven’t spoken to him since.

I wore the Outspoken shirt I bought that night until the day my sister stole it and ruined it with paint. Not a good ending to that story, I know, but it’s the best I have.

Outspoken was the first hardcore band since Youth of Today that really spoke to me, and they did it on a much more personal level than Youth of Today or Gorilla Biscuits did. It probably had to do with their Southern California location.

I went to the Coming of Age Fest three years ago and ran into John Coyle, their singer. I had a great time talking with him and finding out what’s been going on with him. We talked about being parents and still maintaining hardcore tenets. I went off completely that night in a manner that I had not done in almost twenty years. So cool.