***BREAKING BENJAMIN***
It’s been about twenty days since my last blog and at this
point I’m just reaching for topics like Luke Skywalker reaching for his lost
lightsaber in the heat of battle. Just like that same Jedi warrior, I used the
force to come up with this next topic. And by use the force, I mean exactly
that: I had to force myself to come up with this topic because nothing else of
immediate importance came to mind.
This coming September, Breaking Benjamin is coming to
Auburn, Washington’s White River Amphitheater to put on a fucking rock and roll
show. Their opening acts in order of appearance are Diamante, Dorothy, Three
Days Grace, and finally Chevelle. The only opener that I listen to on a
frequent basis is Three Days Grace.
Prior to this upcoming Breaking Benjamin show, I’ve seen
Three Days Grace twice in concert. The first time was in 2013 at the Showbox
SoDo in Seattle
Three Days Grace has been a part of my life since 2003 when
I was attending school at Olympic College. I don’t remember much of the early
2000’s due to the onset of my schizophrenia, but I’ll never forget how Three
Days Grace’s music made me feel. Their song “Home” perfectly described my state
of mind at the time and “I Hate Everything (About You)” could have been a
descriptor for my mom’s terrible ex-boyfriend Art. Seeing Three Days Grace live
twice was psychological medicine for me and seeing them a third time in 2019
will be no exception.
Breaking Benjamin is the only other band in that lineup that
I listen to on a regular basis, which is why I’m going to the concert in the
first place. I don’t go to concerts unless I recognize the headliner. Prior to
this concert, I’ve seen Breaking Benjamin on three separate occasions. The
first was in 2004 when they opened for Korn. Like I said earlier, I have
minimal recollection of the early 2000’s due to my ongoing battle with
schizophrenia. When Breaking Benjamin opened for Disturbed as part of the Pain
in the Grass festival in 2016, my senses were wide awake. Unfortunately, that
show was marred by me having to sit next to a drunken lunatic who wouldn’t
leave well enough alone. That’s okay, because in 2018, Breaking Benjamin came
back to that same venue with Five Finger Death Punch and Bad Wolves as their
openers. Much better experience!
I didn’t fully appreciate the music of Breaking Benjamin
until 2006 when I first heard “So Cold”. From there, getting hooked on the
music was easy. I listened to a lot of their fourth album Dear Agony in 2009
when I was taking the bus to and from my final college class. Coincidentally, I
also started listening to “Life Starts Now” by Three Days Grace. We intersect
once again! Who knew two sad-ass metal bands would make the perfect soundtrack
for resorting to forced extroversion in a college class environment? I still
don’t understand why college classes put introverts at a disadvantage like that
by having public conversations in the grading rubric. It’s almost like there’s
a bias going on here.
Breaking Benjamin’s upcoming show won’t be until September
22nd of this year, which is a country mile ahead of the current
date. Like I said before, I was reaching for a topic this whole time. I don’t
like going for a long time without writing a blog entry because I consider
those to be just as important as my poems, short stories, and chapters of
Beautiful Monster. Speaking of which…
***BEAUTIFUL MONSTER***
Chapter sixteen will feature the fruits of Windham Windham
***MOVIE DIALOGUE OF THE DAY***
HUTCH MORGAN: Eat me!
PAIGE: No thanks, I’m trying to bulk up.
-Fighting With My Family-
