early 90's. one of the first times i saw em
the singer blake had a gnarly sunburn
from his wrists to his t shirt sleeves.
he said
" this is what you get when you
ride an old honda motorcycle from L.A. to
Oakland in the hot sun with no jacket"
feels like it was around 91. that always stuck
with me. years later i met him in Australia
and he was playing these huge show with dozens
of bands..... after the big shows he'd play
small bars. he told me about one such show a
few miles away and i skated way toooo far to get there.
near the end of the set he said "this one goes
to max... one of the only people in this room
that will really get this song"
they blasted into -CONDITION OAKLAND-
it got those weird little chills. it
was one of those moments.
a while back he played a small show
in a basement in Oakland. i humbled myself
and told him the above story.
"Condition Oakland"
I rode down to the tracks.
Thinking they might sing to me.
But they just stared back.
Broken, trainless and black as night.
Climbed out onto my roof.
So I'd be a poet in the night.
Beat the walls off my room.
I saw the big room that is this life.
This is my condition:
Naked and hysterical,
Reaching to grab a hand
that I just slapped back at.
This is my condition:
Desperate, alone,
Without an excuse.
I try to explain. Christ, what's the use?
Read and I felt so small.
Some words keep speaking
When you close the book.
Drank and just about smiled.
Then I remembered us in that bed.
Put my ear to the door.
I just heard hot rods
and gunshots and sirens.
People kill me these days.
There's keys in their eyes
But they lock from the inside.
-------------------------------------
** NOTE
i don't pretend
not to know people
that have inspired me..
i always let them know
and thank em.
36 comments:
FUCK YES!! I never got the chance to see em', but Jawbreaker has helped me through some shit. Chills fer reals, always stoked to know that others are stoked.
lots of good years spent listening. gonna have to go dig through the milk crates for some old memories.
I think I am going to have to up my game in life and thank more people who inspire me. Max, you can be the first. Thank you, for just being you and sharing that as best you can. You do a pretty good job with it in my opinion.
you inspire me max, thank you. you inspire me blake, thank you.
My single favorite band, ever. Was hoping that's what this post was about. Every time I hear 24 Hour Revenge Therapy it's like the first time I heard it.
Max: this is an excellent humble accord of a truly amazing moment. thanks for sharing
So awesome.
Definitely my favorite Jawbreaker tune.
Hi Max. I have been reading your blog for a while and really enjoy it - this post is especially meaningful. Growing up in Kansas there were only a couple of things (besides friends) that were really important to me and they were skateboarding and music. I actually know Jasin from those days. We used to drive in his van from spot to spot and listened to a lot of jawbreaker while doing so. Thanks for the memory!
Blake: best lyricist in my opinion. He puts into words what most people can't. Saw them in '95 in Bakersfield. Always wanted to meet him, that day finally came last Nov. in NYC. It was like meeting a ghost. I have many fond memories with my brother that involved Bivouac.
too bad he doesn't still play. I think he's a lit teacher or something. Still like Dear You best. never saw Jawbreaker, but did Jet's To Brazil.
He actually is still playing. He was playing in "Thorns of Life" but I believe that ended and he has something newer going on.
Never listened to Jawbreaker, but I think my friends girlfriend boned that dude. We used to say "jawbreaker' whenever possible to bust his balls.
awesome story. one of my favorite bands ever.
thanks max. thanks blake. good end to a good night.
glad that pic turned out. i was def on the other side of sober when i hit the go button.
i can't forget to thank a. cometbus on the drums that night... another inspiration.
Used to listen to a lot of Jawbreaker..."Chesterfield King" is still one of my all time favorite tunes! Great story man...
The guy could write lyrics like nobody's business.Rad.
Condition Oakland is one of my favorites and I haven't heard it in years. So many good times seeing them live. Thanks for the memories.
So good.
Thanks Max.
man...how many times have you just got shitty hammered on pbr and listened to "kiss the bottle" and cry and pass out on your buddies garage floor. i mean realy man, that whole record (and a lot of PBR) got me through my divorce.
You're not punk and I'm telling everyone...
Blake's latest band is Forgetters.
awesome post, from the heart. always.
@Unlucky for the rabbit.Quite possibly my favourite Jawbreaker tune.Just awesome.
...when it pains, it rours.....
always thank those that inspire! return the damn favor
hugs and kisses to you both- while were at it thank you j.jessee and ronnie marshall just cause.
There have been a lot of posts on here that have been amazing. This one has topped them all.
Thank you Max.
life changing band-that's for sure. drove down from new hampshire to worchester, mass around 1998/2000 maybe? can't even remember. no tickets, the place was packed, couldn't get in. blake walks by and we explain the situation. we offer to give him money and help with equipment. he doesn't care and we're in the show by this time. my buddy pulls out a fountain pen that his dad makes for a living and he says thanks. done deal-great show!
Great post Max, thank you!
eeeee.. biggest band boy crush ever. I always got tongue tied when I tried talking to him at shows.
Remember when Dear you came out and every bitched about how they changed. Well there hasn't been a band or record that can even touch them since. I would give anything to see them again. Oh well glad they made records that I still play all the time. Anyone remember Pegboy?
fuck yeah to this whole post
one of their best songs and that is one hell of a shout out
blake is a genius songwriter/guitarist/lyricist whatever. more nyc shows!
Jawbreaker represented such a vital time in my life: High school. Skateboarding. Discovering Jack Kerouac (which lead to so much alone). In 1993/1994 my late-father and I took a trip to SF to look at art schools - because SF seemed like the place to be (I'm from the Philly suburbs). Well we rented a mustang convertible, looked at one school and spent the rest of the week checking out the city. I got a chance to skate the EMB, Fort Miley, Wallenberg School, Union Park (think thats the name, the place with the green benches and all the transitions). My dad spent a lot of time exploring Haight/Ashbury which was very exciting for him. My dad rode motorcycles his whole life (triumphs mainly) which got me into riding motorcycles. My dad and I bonded so much over this trip. The entire week we listened to 24 Hour Revenge Therapy which had just come out. By the end of the week my dad new every song on that album and loved them. the music just set the tone for the trip.The cool misty air, the smell of the bay and the city combined with the excitement of nearing the end of high school and finally being free to do what I wanted to do with my life made this trip very magical. I ultimately ended up joining a band in Philly and staying on the East Coast.
I was digging through some old pics today and I found a picture of our convertible we rented over looking the bay. It brought back so many feelings and emotions. Jawbreaker immediately began playing in my head. I can't hear them without thinking of that week with my father.
I just saw this post literally hours after seeing that picture, remembering the trip and humming "boat on a hill... never been to sea... Sometimes rainy days spark boyish wonders" I got a little chill as well.
Funny how so many of us all over were into so many of the same things and ended up into bikes. We're all not so different after all.
Matt Smith
smokeandthrottle.blogspot.com
super old post but hey... blake is a bartender at my bar in brooklyn and he says hi. his boss (me) is a chopper dork and is opening a choppery bar soon. in brooklyn. wha?
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