More Betterness

August 13, 1998 Legion Hall Kamloops BC On this sweltering Kamloops evening, I was lucky of to attend what would become for me, a very influential punk rock show. The bands Choke, Limp, and the legendary No Use For A Name graced the stage of the small yet perfect venue known as the Legion Hall. Kamloops was lucky enough to have an amazing Punk Radio show at the time called Listen Up Punk, and the hosts introduced me to the bands Choke and Limp, both of which I was extremely stoked to see. Not as excited as I was to see NUFAN however, as the albums The Daily Grind and Leche Con Carne got me through early high school mornings throwing print at doorsteps for what seemed like spare change. Anyways, as my friends and I waited outside the venue, the lead singer Tony Sly walked across the busy street wearing a green shirt with two different colored hands shaking - in a show of anti-racist unity. It was this EXACT moment that I realized this entire punk rock scene was much more than just an amazing sound. It was an outlet for change, diversity, and freedom of thought. I was already (and still am) into more politically minded bands such as Propagandhi, Good Riddance, Pennywise, and Bad Religion, but this moment made me realize there wasn't just a few outspoken bands pushing for change. This was a movement. It has been a few days since the passing of one of punk rock's great songwriters. Tony Sly of No Use for a Name had a knack for writing diverse songs, from the furious "Feeding the Fire" and "Until It's Gone" to the ridiculously catchy "On the Outside," "Soulmate," and countless others. He also had the rare ability to write heart-wrenching, melancholy songs who's lyrical content, melody, and even chord progressions could put you into a temporary depression. To be honest I could go on and on, but if you know the band, you know the songs. I recently watched him play a solo show at the small venue "Amigos" in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. I was going to tell him this little story, and thank him for the punk rock epiphany, but the timing wasn't right. Now he is gone, and no one can tell him little stories such as this. If there is a lesson embedded in here somewhere, I guess it is that you should always tell people how you feel, because you never know when that opportunity will be lost forever. "Let it fall, let it rise Let it be and let it slide Let tomorrow come and take my time away" - Let it Slide from the album More Betterness!