THE OFFSPRING
When I was a kid I basically grew up listening to whatever music my father liked. I remember the first time I heard The Offspring was because of my Dad. We pulled into a liquor store parking lot (my father, my mother, my older brother, and me) as "Come Out and Play" came on the radio. My Dad said something about liking the sound of the band and turned up the song as he got out of the car to get something from the store. So my mother, brother, and I sat in the car listening to the song. I remember thinking as a youngster that I liked the guitar sound and of course the catchy chorus. This was the first time I heard The Offspring.Weeks or months later, I was at Harmony House in Southgate with my parents and my brother. My Dad was looking for CD's while the rest of us roamed around the store. My Dad showed me that they had Smash by The Offspring. He asked me if I wanted it and I said yes. When we got home I went up to my room to rock my new Smash cassette. I remember listening to it and then my Dad reading the lyrics afterwards. He started laughing and said something like, "These are some of the worst lyrics I've ever read! It's like a joke." I was bummed that my Dad didn't approve of The Offspring and I thought that meant I shouldn't like them, but I did. I remember being sad that my Dad didn't like a band that I liked, just because I was so used to sharing music with him. This was the first time in my young musical adoring life that I veered away from my fathers opinion.
I remember listening to Smash on my headphones during lunch at the Catholic school I attended. All my friends would ask to listen to "that one song with the swear words." That song was "Bad Habit." Remember, "stupid, dumb shit, goddamn, motherfucker!" In 5th Grade, at St.Cyprian, this is what me and my young friends were listening to. I don't remember ever getting caught.
Years later, the first concert I would ever attend would be The Offspring playing at St.Andrews Hall. I went with my friend Justin and his father. The Bumpin' Uglies opened (who I grew to love) followed by Unwritten Law. Then The Offspring played. We watched the show from upstairs and eventually moved down to the main floor near where the sound board was set up. I remember thinking how crazy the crowd was and seeing someone getting carried out because of injuries. Little did I know, in just a few more years I would be spending much of my time at this same venue and jumping around in "crazy" crowds like the one I saw that night.
Around this same time (8th or 9th grade) I was still playing hockey and I remember going out of town to play a game and listening to the album Americana to get stocked. I was siting in the car with my friend and teammate Faro while his mom drove us and we jammed to The Offspring.
In high school I saw The Offspring for my final time. They played with MXPX and I remember not being into it at all, however I did buy a shirt. I realized that The Offspring sucked! I don't listen to The Offspring anymore, but I will always have old ties to that band.
Videos
Come Out and Play ( Keep em' Separated)
Self Esteem
Gotta Get Away
The Kids Aren't Alright
