Mav took me out to see Social Distortion last night. I have been going to their shows for over 20 years. I hear my life paralleled to their music and I realize we have gone through life stages side by side. Beginning with Mommy's Little Monster and now coming full circle on the new album with Writing On The Wall, a song about being the parent of a teenager. I have shared their shows with friends and lovers I will never see again. Some by choice, some from time and a few because they have died. For a few moments at the show I was overcome by all of this and thought I was going to cry. It was fitting they ended the show with Story Of My Life. The self titled Social Distortion album is my all time favorite. It could have something to do with the fact I was 17 when it came out. A lot has changed since then but they still are a constant for me.
I'll admit Mike Ness has always been the hearthtrob. A lot of my girlfriends have slept with him, ( the 'scene' used to be so small) and I realized early on it meant more not to. (that's what I tell myself j/k) He and I had breakfast together once early in my marriage. Mav was on a trip, it was all innocent and nice-although Mav wasn't very happy. Funny story goes not long after when Ruth was born they made a mistake on her birth certificate and wrote 'Ness' instead of 'Mess'. I like to tease Mav about that. (She's 14 now and he can almost laugh about it!)
I don't go out to shows anymore but I always make an exception for Social D. I have to wonder though, how has he aged so much while I have stayed the same?!
That's so cool that you have a band like that that you've listened to for all these years!
ReplyDeleteAhhh. Social Distortion!
ReplyDeleteI too have been a fan since 9th grade when I was my own mother's little monster and have followed them throughout my life. (I am now 42 with 5 of my own teenage monsters. jk.. they are good kids) It always amazed me how relevant SD continued to be in my life. I feel a very personal connection to them which is hard to describe. I met my husband in 1990 when the Ball and Chain album came out. Our first date we went to Tiajuana with friends to see them. We married in 1992 when Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell came out. My husband died in 1997, right after the White Light, White Heat, White Trash album came out. They played When the Angels Sing at every show and sent me in to tears every time. My buddy that helped get me through the hard days lived 3 houses down from the Ness's at the time. (Odd coincidence) I was fortunate to find another pretty awesome man that thought I was pretty ok too... who was really into the MIke Ness solo projects. We dated with both of those albums as a soundtrack and married in 2004 when Sex Love and RocknRoll was released. They aren't my favorite band, I actually don't even listen to them very often, but I go see them almost every year and sometimes twice. (Living in Southern California it has always been pretty easy to do.) They are a part of me.
I am happy to see that others have similar feelings and I am not a total weirdo. I think this is why I like your blog. Thank you for sharing your story and thank you for listening to mine.
That's a great dress! Wow! My friends went to that show last night without me. Instead I went to their house and babysat their baby. I wanted to go but I couldn't afford it. We all went to GWAR together at the Roseland and got groped a few months ago and sadly I guess the same thing happened to them last night at Social D.
ReplyDeleteCoedith,
ReplyDeleteI love your dress, and you look so gorgeous in the photo. WOW!!!
This is a great post, Coedith! Even though I am only 21, I really relate to all you have said.
ReplyDeleteWhen my patener and I started dating 5 1/2 years ago, we used to drive around in his rusty old red convertable VW beetle listening to Social D and Misfits...now when ever I listen to Social Distortion, especially the self-titled album, it brings back some amazing memories.
SD are making their way down under in the next few months and I can't wait to see them! Like Mrs. Jefferies said...They aren't my favorite band, I actually don't even listen to them very often...but I am excited to see them with my fiance so we can go back to being 16 & 17 again!
xx Molly