A Smell from (Almost) Two Years Ago...

In June of 2009, I never thought a small town boy like me would ever be asked to go with five other guys to go on a tour. The band was from Phoenix... well, west of Phoenix called Es Caro Vivir. A hardcore punk band once a ska band, founded/influenced on ska bands like Leftover Crack and The Specials. Sweet sick songs like "A Better Way", "Life and Disappointment", "Outlet", and ska songs like "Teenage Zion", and theme song "Es Caro Vivir". It still feels like a dream. Knowing that I when out there all over Cali in a broken van with no brakes the 3/4th of the way in.

Now that I'm living here in CA, there's a smell that I remember waking up to ever morning from my terrible sleep. I would always be awake first before everyone. I step out the van and take a deep breath in as I stretched my sore body from that van floor. The smell in the air. So much moisture and freshness of grass. Not so use to it, but back then I lived in a area where no grass existed. It was just very refreshing to feel good in the mornings, even thou we had a long day ahead of us. Depending if we needed to go for a long drive, find gas money, food, and at the end; find a safe area to camp out.

There's something about this smell like brings me to different area of CA. Like the place in Santa Monica. I booking a day at some place that was 21+. It wasn't really a big deal, but it was something. I remember we when the first week without showers and I couldn't stand the feeling. So I took a bar of soap in a Jack in the Box and just took a bath in the sink. Me getting caught, I ran out the door to not be seen by the workers. I finish washing myself in the van.



Another time waking up in Anaheim. We did a show at the Doll Hut and were invited to sleep at a pyrate punx house. Which in my opinion was a bad idea, well I know now. We wanted to party and there was one going on in their basement. All these kids just drinking and smoking their cigarettes. Didn't care to much for it since I was tired. So, I grabbed a blanket in the van and notice that Vince and Nick were going to camp in the van. I didn't think much of it, but when I got back in the house I find it that a lot of the punks where walking around the house. One by one each of them they start to come out of the basement. I already picked out my sleeping area, but the punks decided to have some fun. One of them tired to put on my shoes. Which I just looked at him. I let that one go, till one of them got some nail polish and started to draw on my face. I got up and started talking shit. Yet didn't want to ruin the other guys' sleep. For the next two weeks, my face was coved in red nail polish.

Once more when I was in San Francisco. No shows going on there but we had a connection with one of the guys' mom's friends. We got fed and a place to sleep. But on location where we were place for the next three nights was kind of interesting. When the night came, we were escorted one block down from their house to a friends house. We are led down to a walk way down to a basement. For the next three days, we sleep here in a cold dark basement. A few blankets and just the guys. We ended up sleeping close to each other. Haha.

Over all that smell each morning that CA has. I don't know what you call it; dew, the ocean breeze mix  in greens from the trees, grass, etc. Can't put my finger on it, but it's brings a memory here and there each time I smell it. Now of days, more detailed in memory the more I suffocate my lungs with it.

-Eric