SONG OF THE WEEK: 3/21/21

Song: "Sour Grapes"

Artist: 7 Seconds

Album: "Good To Go"

Year: 1999

Place Of Origin: Reno, Nevada

Years Active: 1980 - 2018



WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Sour Grapes" appears to be a song about becoming everything you used to hate now that you've grown older. You've become what you used to rebel against. The vocalist is pointing out that there are a shitload of youth that are ready to take the mantle to stand up to oppression and fight for their ideals. The hope is that those who grow older will take these kids under their wings and stand with them and not become old oppressive pricks like their parents were.

7 SECONDS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1984 - The Crew (BYO Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

1985 - Walk Together, Rock Together (Positive Force/BYO Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

1986 - New Wind (Positive Force/BYO Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

1987 - Live! One Plus One (Positive Force/Giant Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

1988 - Ourselves (Restless Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

1989 - Soulforce Revolution (Restless Records)
* #153 on the Billboard 200

1991 - Old School (Headhunter/Cargo Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

1993 - Out The Shizzy (Headhunter/Cargo Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

1995 - alt.music.hardcore (Headhunter/Cargo Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

1995 - The Music, The Message (Sony/BMI Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

1999 - Good To Go (SideOneDummy Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

2000 - Scream Real Loud...Live! (SideOneDummy Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

2005 - Take It Back, Take It On, Take It Over! (SideOneDummy Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

2014 - Leave A Light On (Rise Records)
* did not chart on Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON 7 SECONDS:

7 Seconds is a legendary hardcore punk band from Reno, Nevada that formed back in 1980. Some say that they were actually the first band to call their sound "hardcore". Early on, the band released many EP's which were later released on compilation albums. Their first album was going to be "United We Stand" which was set to be released in 1983. However, the album was aborted. It did see the light of day in 1991, renamed as "Old School". So, the band's first proper full length studio release would be 1984's "The Crew". Next for the boys was the highly influential "Walk Together, Rock Together". With the release of their 1986 album, "New Wind", 7 Seconds musical style began to shift to a more melodic, new wave-ish feel. Some of their albums during these years seemed to have more in common with U2 rather than any hardcore punk band. Their 1989 album, "Soulforce Revolution" was the band's only album to chart on the Billboard 200, peaking at 153. Just after the grunge explosion of the early 90's, a punk rock revival began to happen with bands like Bad Religion, Green Day, Rancid and The Offspring burning up the charts. 7 Seconds would capitalize on that wave themselves, inking a deal with major label Sony/BMI and releasing "The Music, The Message" which saw a return to a punk rock sound. By the time their album "Good To Go" was released in 1999, 7 Seconds officially got back to their hardcore punk roots. The band's most recent release was 2014's "Leave A Light On". The band broke up in 2018 citing physical and mental health of the band members as the reason. They just physically and mentally could not perform on tours anymore and health had to become the main focus of some of the bandmates. 7 Seconds is legendary among punk rock circles. They paved the way for the hardcore punk movement of the early 80's and beyond. I got into 7 Seconds much later in their career. In the mid to late 90's, I loved skate punk bands like No Use For A Name, Lagwagon and Pennywise. I heard a few 7 Seconds songs but the first album I got from them was their 2005 record "Take It Back, Take It On, Take It Over!". I loved this album. In fact, it reminded me of a band that I loved in the early 2000's, Deviates! I know the boys in Deviates were highly influenced by Pennywise, but their sound is eerily similar to that of 7 Seconds. I really think bands like 7 Seconds and Bad Religion were kinda like the catalyst for skate punk. Those two bands were hardcore, but they had a melodic sound to them which is really what skate punk became, like melodic hardcore. It sucks that 7 Seconds decided to call it a day. Lead vocalist Kevin Seconds still tours as a solo artist and releases a shitload of music through his Bandcamp page. His brother Steve Youth has been battling alcholism and depression which is probably the biggest reason Kevin decided to end 7 Seconds so his brother can get the help he needs to recover. 7 Seconds is a top tier hardcore band, despite their U2-ish years!! Forefathers of hardcore punk!!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Circle Jerks
Adolescents
H2O
Descendents
Minor Threat

TEN 7 SECONDS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Young 'Til I Die
2. Walk Together, Rock Together
3. Rules To Follow
4. Satyagraha
5. Leave A Light On
6. Still On It
7. New Wind
8. 99 Red Balloons (Nena cover)
9. Escape And Run
10. Best Friend

SONG OF THE WEEK: 3/14/21

SONG:  "Machine Gun Baby"

ARTIST:  Meriwether

ALBUM:  "Make Your Move"

YEAR:  2005

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Baton Rouge, Louisiana

YEARS ACTIVE:  2003 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Machine Gun Baby" appears to be a song about a guy who's a 7, who wants to get with a girl who's an ultimate 10!! The vocalist almost feels inadequate next to her and maybe even stunned that she is actually giving him the time of day. He knows this relationship will be fleeting because eventually she'll want more than he has to give. But, he's going to enjoy the ride!!

MERIWETHER DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2005 - Make Your Move (GVE Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2010 - Sons Of Our Fathers (self released)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2010 - Plug In The Snakes (self released)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON MERIWETHER

Meriwether formed as a band back in 2003, hailing from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Their first release was the EP, "Meriwether", which was released in 2004. Their first full length release was 2005's "Make Your Move". This album was also re-released in 2007 but some of the tracks were removed and it was also released as a special edition with bonus tracks in 2014. Meriwether had completed a second album called "Sons Of Our Fathers" after "Make Your Move" but due to issues with their record label, the album was never officially released. Eventually the band offered the album on their Bandcamp page. 2010's "Plug In The Snakes" was the band's last full length album to be released. In 2012, they released an EP called "Save Our Souls". Since 2012, Meriwether has really only played a couple of live shows, both of which were in 2014. They also released a stand alone single in 2017 called "Rage x Reward". Vocalist/guitarist Andrew Reilley has said that Meriwether is still very much alive even with the lack of anything relevant going on. Even though he is focusing on several projects at the time, he insists that Meriwether will continue making music and playing live. Meriwether came out at a time when i'd say there was a big pop punk/emo wave going on. Kind of like when the Warped Tour started shifting away from bands like Pennywise and featuring bands like Taking Back Sunday. Meriwether has always been very much under the radar. They are a good band but their music doesn't really separate them from the pack or make them stand out like a said Taking Back Sunday. I first caught wind of Meriwether when I heard their song "Aye Julian". To this day I feel that's the best Meriwether has to offer. The band has been fairly stagnant over the last 7 years or so. No news of any new material from them as far as I know.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

So They Say

The Fully Down

Rory

Roses Are Red

Letter Kills

TEN MERIWETHER SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Aye Julian

2. If You Had Guts, I'd Hate 'Em

3. All The Broken Hearts

4. B Quiet

5. New Orleans, RIP

6. Make Believe

7. The Ghost

8. Body Like Hell

9. Can't Get Over You

10. Wake Up Lion

SONG OF THE WEEK: 3/7/21

SONG:  "Open Sky"

ARTIST:  The Distillers

ALBUM:  "The Distillers"

YEAR:  2000

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Open Sky" appears to be a song about rising up against the elite class. All they do is feed us bullshit and lies but we'll use their lies against them and their bullshit will be our fuel to overcome them. We don't want or need your pity. We want you OUT!!!

THE DISTILLERS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2000 - The Distillers (Hellcat Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2002 - Sing Sing Death House (Hellcat Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2003 - Coral Fang (Sire Records)

* peaked at #97 on the Billboard 200 on 11-1-03

MY THOUGHTS ON THE DISTILLERS

The Distillers formed as a band back in 1998, hailing from Los Angeles, California. Their lead singer/songwriter/rhythm guitarist Brody Dalle was from Australia but moved to L.A. because of a relationship formed with Rancid's Tim Armstrong after touring together. This relationship no doubt helped The Distillers hook up with Armstrong's Hellcat Records which is a subsidiary of Epitaph Records. The Distillers first release was an EP in 1999 called "The Distillers". In 2000, the band dropped their debut full length, also called "The Distillers". In 2002, The Distillers dropped "Sing Sing Death House". This album featured music videos for the songs "City Of Angels" and "The Young Crazed Feeling". In 2003, The Distillers released "Coral Fang" through major label Sire Records. This would prove to be the band's most successful record and their only to break into the Billboard 200 charts. The band toiled around for a few more years, but Brody's relationship with Armstrong was now over. She got married and had three kids with Queens Of The Stone Age frontman Josh Homme but that relationship is also over as Dalle filed for divorce in 2019. The Distillers seemed to have broken up in 2006 as Dalle formed a new band called Spinnerette and after that performed as a solo artist. But in 2018, The Distillers got back together with their most consistent line-up, Brody Dalle (vocals/guitar), Andy Granelli (drums), Ryan Sinn (bass) and Tony Bevilacqua (guitar). Not only did The Distillers perform some live shows, they also released a split single, "Man vs. Magnet/Blood In Gutters". Rumor has it that the band went into the studio in 2019 to work on a new album. As of now, I haven't heard if the new record is done but i'm sure like everything else, the pandemic probably slowed the process. The Distillers are a great, in your face punk band. Brody Dalle is just punk rock chic personified! She got the snarl. She got the attitude and fuckin' A right, she got the pipes. Dalle has a great voice for punk rock music and you can almost hear her vocal chords crying in pain when she shreds her vocals. She's a total bad ass! I was totally fired up when The Distillers got back together. I got into them late. My first taste of their music was "Coral Fang" and "Beat Your Heart Out" was probably the first song I heard by them, a great fuckin' tune by the way! It kinda sucked because once I found them, they were gone! So after a 12 year hiatus, I was stoked to see them drop a new double single and get back in the studio. Hopefully, we start to get back to normal and The Distillers put the finishing touches on a new record and we can see them perform in a live setting soon. On a side note, you gotta check out this band's b-side "Cincinnati". What a killer song!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Rancid

Transplants

Social Distortion

Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards

Anti-Flag

TEN THE DISTILLERS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Cincinnati

2. City Of Angels

3. Beat Your Heart Out

4. L.A. Girl

5. Drain The Blood

6. The Hunger

7. Sick Of It All

8. Man vs. Magnet

9. The Young Crazed Feeling

10. The World Comes Tumblin'

SONG OF THE WEEK: 2/28/21

SONG:  "Miami"

ARTIST:  Against Me!

ALBUM:  "Americans Abroad!!! Against Me!!! Live In London!!!"

YEAR:  2006

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Naples, Florida

YEARS ACTIVE:  1997 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Miami" appears to be a song about the world going to shit! Everything is turning against us or has been built to destroy us. Whether it's consumerism, big pharma, the food industry, the medical industry, etc. It's like the establishment is watching your every move. All the while destroying everything around you. You may be able to see through the corruption and the fakeness, but it seems you're fucked anyway!

AGAINST ME! DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2002 - Reinventing Axl Rose (No Idea Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2003 - As The Eternal Cowboy (Fat Wreck Chords)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2005 - Searching For A Former Clarity (Fat Wreck Chords)

* peaked at #114 on the Billboard 200 on 9-24-05

2006 - Americans Abroad!!! Against Me!!! Live In London!!!

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2007 - New Wave (Sire Records)

* peaked at #57 on the Billboard 200 on 7-28-07

2009 - The Original Cowboy (Fat Wreck Chords)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2010 - White Crosses (Sire Records)

* peaked at #34 on the Billboard 200 on 6-26-10

2011 - Total Clarity (Fat Wreck Chords)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2014 - Transgender Dysphoria Blues (Total Treble Records)

* peaked at #23 on the Billboard 200 on 2-8-14

2015 - 23 Live Sex Acts (Total Treble Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2016 - Shape Shift With Me (Total Treble Records)

* peaked at #80 on the Billboard 200 on 10-8-16

MY THOUGHTS ON AGAINST ME!

Against Me! is a Florida based band that formed back in 1997. Originally, it was just a vehicle for lead singer Laura Jane Grace (formerly Tom Gabel) to put out acoustic material. After a few EP's and band members being added to the fray, Against Me! became a full on band. It wouldn't be until 2002 for the band to release their debut full length album, "Reinventing Axl Rose". At this point, the band caught the ear of Fat Mike of NOFX who signed the band to his Fat Wreck Chords label. The band's breakout album would be 2005's "Searching For A Former Clarity". This would be their first album to chart on the Billboard 200. Ironically, Fat Mike hated this album. Having Fat Mike, someone very respected in the punk rock community, disrespect their album in public like that perhaps was the beginning of Against Me! being labeled as "sell outs". Probably didn't help their image when they signed to major label Sire Records as well. With Sire, Against Me! released two albums, 2007's "New Wave" and 2010's "White Crosses". In 2012, Tom Gabel informed the band that he has dealt with gender dysphoria all his life and he was beginning his transition to becoming a woman. He now went by the name Laura Jane Grace. He also would form his own label at this point, Total Treble Records. In 2014, Against Me! released their highest charting album, "Transgender Dysphoria Blues", a very personal album for Laura Jane Grace. Against Me!'s most recent full length was 2016's "Shape Shift With Me". There were some rumors that Laura Jane Grace was going to break up Against Me! but she assured her fans that the band will not be going anywhere and though she has released some solo material and an album with her backing band The Devouring Mothers, Against Me! has in fact been in the studio since 2019 working on their next album. Against Me! is an awesome punk rock band. I can't believe the amount of shit they get for being sell outs. Seems crazy to me and I could give a shit less. Is their music good? Are their songs good? Um.. yes and yes! I first heard of Against Me! when "Searching For A Former Clarity" came out, and I thought the album was great. Screw Fat Mike!! lol! In fact, the only songs I don't care for from the band are some of those early EP's where Grace is just screaming over acoustic guitar and sounds like it was recorded in my car trunk!! Since they became a full on band, they've been great. Hopefully the pandemic didn't screw up too much shit for the band and their new album drops soon.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

The Menzingers

The Gaslight Anthem

The Lawrence Arms

Alkaline Trio

Hot Water Music

TEN AGAINST ME! SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Black Me Out

2. I Was A Teenage Anarchist

3. Wagon Wheel (Old Crow Medicine Show cover)

4. Don't Lose Touch

5. Baby, I'm An Anarchist!

6. From Her Lips To God's Ears (The Energizer)

7. Because Of The Shame

8. Thrash Unreal

9. Sink, Florida, Sink

10. Crash

SONG OF THE WEEK: 2/21/21

SONG:  "Obsessive Compulsive Disorder"

ARTIST:  Useless ID

ALBUM:  "Symptoms"

YEAR:  2012

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Haifa, Israel

YEARS ACTIVE:  1994 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Obsessive Compulsive Disorder" is a song that appears to be about a brutal relationship with an ex-girlfriend who has mental issues. Those issues seem to get a whole lot worse when she doesn't take her meds! The vocalist just wants her to go away but she keeps coming back even though the relationship is over. He's dealing with a psycho obviously!

USELESS ID DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1998 - Dead's Not Punk (Falafel Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200 

1999 - Get In The Pita Bread (Falafel Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2001 - Bad Story, Happy Endings (Kung Fu Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2003 - No Vacation From The World (Kung Fu Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2004 - Redemption (Kung Fu Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2008 - The Lost Broken Bones (Suburban Home Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2011 - The Lost Broken Tunes Vol. 1 (Bullion Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2011 - The Lost Broken Tunes Vol. 2 (Bullion Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2012 - Symptoms (Fat Wreck Chords)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2016 - State Is Burning (Fat Wreck Chords)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON USELESS ID

Useless ID formed as a band back in 1994, hailing from Israel. After recording a few full length albums and EP's in their native Israel, the band caught the ear of The Ataris frontman Kris Roe. Roe invited the band to be on a split EP with his band The Ataris in 1999, called "Let It Burn". This gave Useless ID some exposure in the United States. Kris Roe would go on to help the band sign with Kung Fu Records and he produced their first album on that label, 2001's "Bad Story, Happy Ending". Much like Roe and The Ataris were instrumental in helping out Useless ID, another band, No Use For A Name, were also instrumental in lending a hand to Useless ID. No Use's frontman Tony Sly helped produce and write the band's 2003 album "No Vacation From The World". No Use and The Ataris would always welcome Useless ID to open for them on tours in the States as well as Europe. It was no surprise that when Tony Sly passed away in 2012, the guys in Useless ID took the news very bad as he was a major mentor for them. Useless ID rounded out their deal with Kung Fu with the release of "Redemption" in 2004. When Useless ID dropped "The Lost Broken Bones" in 2008, you could sense they were starting to change up their style a bit. Early on, they were very much a pop punk band and while, they still could be considered pop punk, they were getting a little more rough around the edges. It was probably just the band maturing and for me, I think it was for the better. In my mind, it all came together for the band with their 2012 album "Symptoms". I really feel like this is the album where they really found their sound and it's really a solid album. Maybe the influence of signing with Fat Wreck Chords rubbed off on the band. The band's most recent full length, 2016's "State Is Burning" is a solid album as well. The last release for Useless ID was an EP called "7 Hits From Hell" in 2019. Useless ID is a very good punk band. As I said earlier, the band was mainly pop punk early on, in the same vein as The Ataris but around 2008, they shifted to a more mature sound, I'll call it aggressive pop punk!! I really dig the slight sound shift. I think they are a better band because of it. I first heard of Useless ID from the 1999 split with The Ataris. Being a huge No Use fan, you can definitely hear Tony Sly's influence on "No Vacation From The World". But it was 2012's "Symptoms" that made me go all in with Useless ID. That is just a really solid punk rock album. These guys seem to stay pretty active in regards to releasing new material so I wouldn't be surprised to see them put out a new album soon.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

No Use For A Name

Authority Zero

Lagwagon

Millencolin

The Ataris

TEN USELESS ID SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Before It Kills

2. Killing A Ghost

3. It's Alright

4. We Don't Want The Airwaves

5. No Time For Me To Be A Teenager

6. Running Late

7. At Least I Tried

8. Dissolve

9. Leaving Town

10. Confused

SONG OF THE WEEK: 2/14/21

SONG:  "My Bonnie"

ARTIST:  The Real McKenzies

ALBUM:  "Pissed Tae Th' Gills"

YEAR:  2002

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

YEARS ACTIVE:  1992 - present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"My Bonnie" is a traditional Scottish folk song. Here's a snippet from Wikipedia which may explain what the song is about. "Although the song's origin is uncertain, its original subject could possibly be Charles Edward Stuart ('Bonnie Prince Charlie'): after the defeat of the Prince at the Battle of Culloden in 1746 and his subsequent exile, his Jacobite supporters could have sung this song or one like it in his honour; and thanks to the ambiguity of the term "Bonnie", which can refer to a woman as well as to a man, they could pretend it was a love song." I chose the live version of "My Bonnie" for my song of the week. You can check out the studio version on The Real McKenzies' 1995 self titled album.

THE REAL MCKENZIES DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1995 - The Real McKenzies (IFA Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2000 - Clash Of The Tartans (Golf Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2001 - Loch'd & Loaded (Honest Don's Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2002 - Pissed Tae Th' Gills (Sudden Death Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2003 - Oot & Aboot (Honest Don's Records)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2005 - 10,000 Shots (Fat Wreck Chords)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2008 - Off The Leash (Fat Wreck Chords)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2010 - Shine, Not Burn (Fat Wreck Chords)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2012 - Westwinds (Fat Wreck Chords)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2015 - Rats In The Burlap (Fat Wreck Chords)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2017 - Two Devils Will Talk (Fat Wreck Chords)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

2020 - Beer And Loathing (Fat Wreck Chords)

* did not chart on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON THE REAL MCKENZIES

The Real McKenzies are a Scottish/Celtic punk band from Vancouver, Canada. Vocalist and founder Paul McKenzie formed the band back in 1992. While The Pogues would definitely be considered the original Celtic punk band, it was bands like The Real McKenzies and Dropkick Murphys that carried the torch for that style from the early 90's to the current day. The Real McKenzies dropped their debut album in 1995. After four studio albums and one live album jumping label to label, The Real McKenzies found a home on legendary punk label Fat Wreck Chords in 2005. Their first release for Fat Mike was 2005's "10,000 Shots". This album features my personal favorite song by the band, "Pour Decisions" which uses the same melody as Monty Python's "The Lumberjack Song". The Real McKenzies have been on Fat Wreck Chords for 15 plus years now, dropping six studio albums and one live record, their most recent being 2020's "Beer And Loathing". Almost approaching their 30th year anniversary as a band, The Real McKenzies have dropped ten studio albums as well as two live albums not to mention EP's, splits and compilation appearances. These guys are a hard working, hard touring band no doubt! Founder Paul McKenzie has been the only constant member of the band. In fact, he has said that there have been over a hundred band members throughout the years! Not sure how accurate that is but I'll take the man's word. I don't quite remember where I heard "Pour Decisions". Not sure if was a comp or I heard it on the internet but either way, I have been a fan ever since. As I said earlier, these guys and Dropkick Murphys are really at the top of the mountain when it comes to Celtic punk.

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

The Rumjacks

Dropkick Murphys

Flogging Molly

The Killigans

Flatfoot 56

TEN THE REAL MCKENZIES SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Pour Decisions

2. Chip

3. Droppin' Like Flies

4. Due West

5. Catch Me

6. Beer And Loathing

7. Mainland

8. Wild Cattieyote

9. Loch Lomond

10. My Luck Is So Bad

SONG OF THE WEEK: 2/7/21

SONG:  "Come Back"

ARTIST:  Pearl Jam

ALBUM:  "Pearl Jam"

YEAR:  2006

IN MEMORIAM:

Robert "The General" Roberto

1940 - 2021

Everyone who knows me knows that I'm not a religious person. So much so, that when I attend a wake and approach the casket, lots of times I'm just kind of rambling thoughts in my mind. It's not a prayer. I wouldn't know a prayer. What could I say to the father of one of my best friends since 1st grade. I kept it simple. Thank you. Thank you for allowing us into your home and making us feel like family. I look at my core group of friends. Guys I have known now for decades. These guys aren't my friends. They're my brothers. The General was like an extra Dad to all of us. As we grew from street hockey playing kids to 21 year olds who loved getting smashed, The General opened his home to us. And yes, most of the time we were loud. Most of the times we were sloppy drunk. Hell, sometimes there was even fights! I think back and say we could've been doing this somewhere where we could get into all kinds of trouble. By letting us have somewhere safe to be young and stupid probably is a huge reason why we are so close as friends. It was our hang out. My friend Mike's Dad, and his Mom Angela who passed away a few years ago as well, were always generous to all of us. I remember many a New Year's Eve, going upstairs and hanging out with The General and the rest of his family. He was always quick to offer you food, which I always accepted! Or a glass of Dewar's and water, which I always accepted as well! And no matter what time you went by the house, it seemed The General always had a sausage going on the stove. He had them at the ready at those New Year's Eve parties at midnight and he had them at the ready when I went to his house at 10 in the morning to pick up football cards!! No matter what, Mike's Dad and Mom always welcomed you into their home. They always wanted to shoot the shit with you over a cup of coffee. I always felt like I could just be myself around The General and Angela, aka The Commander In Chief!! Even moreso than with some of my own family members. There are so many stories I can go through and so many memories that I have with my friends and a huge foundation of those happened in The General's basement, aka The Blue Room. We have grown into who we are today because of those times. And sure, we all stink, but ya know what, I think we're actually alright. So, as I kneeled before your casket General, I just wanted to thank you for your generosity and your kindness. I know you and Angela are together somewhere in spirit. And always know that your son always has friends who will always have his back. I want to say I'm sorry to Michael and the whole Roberto family for the loss of their Dad just a few days ago, as well as their Mom just a few years ago. 

Rest in peace..