I've gotten punched, kicked, covered in blood, sweat and other unsavory substances. Some of my best memories were spent in that disgusting, dark, smelly little room. The Bollweevils, New Found Glory, Screech Weasel, the Smoking Popes, Rise against, Unearth, Coalesce, Fallout boy, Shadows Fall, Strife, Snapcase, Vision of Disorder, Earth Crisis (speaking of Earth Crisis, who remembers when Pete Wentz of Fallout boy was maybe 100 pounds soaking wet with blonde dreadlocks and was obsessed with EXC?). Slapsticks last show, Botch playing two shows in one day, Converge and Glassjaw playing back to back shows. Shane, Jim, Anton, they guys who kept Chicago hardcore in business. Hatebreed showing up late for a show, luckily it was in the middle of summer and even though they arrived late they played every song they had at the time to make it up to everyone who stayed. The Dillinger escape plan show for three dollars, complete with a guy blowing fire into the crowd that was very much over any allowable fire safety codes. No one complained about getting their money back, because they knew the band needed it, even though they couldn't stay that late. Even though people left because of the weather, it still went on. Seeing bands like Poison the Well arrive two hours late because of a snowstorm even though the show was supposed to end at ten, still went on at ten thirty. I'll walk into somewhere to this day and if I smell something remotely close, I'll say to someone " smells like the fireside in here" The dank smell that permeated the air and it was a smell you'll never forget in a million years. In a lot of cases, you still went anyhow just to hang out and maybe buy a new shirt to wear to high school the next day. Getting show lists that had someone you've heard of one night and ten other bands you've never heard of for the next ten nights. Everything down to the tables in the back, the righteous liberation people who wanted to beat you up for smoking and eating a cheeseburger and wanted to beat you up even more for not visiting their vegan propaganda table. The screwed up lanes, the bathroom being so dirty you'd swear if you sat down on the toilet you'd get an STD. Hardcore shows, punk, ska, metal, all kinds of awful bands you had to sit through but it didn't matter. Saving your money for the show that week, five dollars to get in and hopefully enough left over to get some food and maybe a cd or a shirt off the band if you got lucky. I had other friends but, I made friends there that I still hang out with and talk to solely because we met from going to so many shows together and eventually, got to know one another and through the years had one another's back if something went wrong with an outsider who didn't understand the concept of hardcore dancing or punk kids smashing into one another, or head walking. It was the like a YMCA or Social club for kids who had nowhere else to go. I grew up at the fireside bowl, without it I would be a much different person. The band that played was a straight edge moshcore band called Unbroken and a video of this show does exist.įeb 26th, originally uploaded by rebecca ann rakstad. It was just a tiny area for the bands to squeeze into. Bands set up on the floor in the corner and the bowling alley chairs and everything were still all the way down to the wall, right up next to the stage (later on they built a stage, ripped out chairs, and widened the area for bands). It was BEFORE they had a stage or anything. His name is Jim Grimes and he put on one of the first shows there. My friend found the fireside and basically started doing shows there, BEFORE Brian Peterson or anyone else. This is true and I don’t care what anyone says about it. Ok, now my other story is about the origins of the fireside and how it got started. I’m not a very good story teller, but if you ask around, I bet you can get a good description of what exactly went down that night.Ģ. I remember about 150 punks yelling/chanting "Get Out! Get Out!" and the skins were in the middle ready to fight and it was a pretty intense situation. There was a small group of about 10 skinheads that showed up and were causing trouble. I went to see Oi Polloi there in 1994 and the place was packed. Feb 29th, originally uploaded by rebecca ann rakstad.ġ.
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