In the summer of 2014, I, Jake Collier, was a huge heavy metal/ death metal fan, and I still am today.  I don’t exactly know where my love for this weird sounding music came from, but I know it happened in seventh grade when I all of a sudden wanted to listen to this heavy, brooding music.  I listened to a band called Norma Jean, and it made what started off as a curiosity spiral into a passion for heavy music. 

Over the summer, I spent roughly about 86% of my time with one of my best friends in the world, Austin Minuth.  Austin is a very gentle hearted person, but he is an absolute tank of a person. He’s around 6’2”, roughly 300 lbs., and has absolutely no idea what pain feels like.  He kept his hair buzzed down, nearly making him look bald, and he wore the same black striped hoodie for what seemed like every day of his life.  And just like me, he shares the same passion for heavy brooding music like me.  Except, he’s been listening since he was nine and I’ve been listening since I was barely 13 years old.

Austin and I met one year on Halloween when I was actually good friends with his neighbor, Keaton.  Keaton was a weird kid, he was a skinny kid with these huge lips, he rarely showered and he always had a certain... aroma to him. 

On one of the many days that I spent with Austin, we went over to Pontiac, Michigan to see our favorite bands play.  We were both 16 years old now, and we were both practicing screamers.  The venue, The Crofoot Ballroom, the band, Thy Art Is Murder.  I have to say that by far, the crofoot was one of my favorite venues I have been to, given that I’ve only been to two other shows before, but those are stories for another time.  The Crofoot didn’t seem very big looking at it from the outside, but once you got inside it was A LOT  bigger than how it looks on the outside.  The lower level was all hardwood and with two exit doors on the left side of the building.  Why not on both sides? Because the building was on a street corner and there was really only one side to leave out of.  The ballroom floor led up to this medium sized stage, and behind it was a banner that had the name of the tour that we came to see, “Summer Slaughter” was the name of the tour. The place had three bars, one on the lower level, one upstairs, and one on the terrace.  The concert hadn’t even started yet and it already wreaked of alcohol. 

My dad dropped us off at the front of the building and there was already a substantially larger line, but we got there early so it didn’t compare to how long the line got. Since it was a heavy metal concert, there were people that wanted to do “heavy metal things”.  For instance, there were kids my age, maybe even younger than me, taking out cigarettes and lighting them up. Then, before I knew it, a balding man that looked to be in his mid 30’s turns to Austin and I. “You guys want a cigarette?” He asked us in a pre-cancerous voice.
“Um, no.” I said to him.  “We’re not trashy like the rest of these stupid kids.” I knew I sounded very judgemental, but frankly, I did not care a bit.
“Come on now, I know you want some.” He had a very creepy smile on his face and a very creepy tone in his voice, trying to be persuasive.

By now, Austin was already fed up with this guys cr*p and we haven’t even talked to him for more than two minutes.  Letting his anger get the best of him, Austin got up in this dudes face and he nearly screamed at him, “WE SAID NO DUDE!!! SCREW OFF!!!”
He said more words than that, but they’re too inappropriate for me to tell you in a school setting.

After that, I think the guy got our message and we proceeded to move up in line.  The line moved surprisingly fast. I think we were only out there for an hour, and considering how many people were already there, that’s a very good rate to go at.  We bought our tickets and got into the building. And right when we got in, Austin and I shouted in unison, “HAIL STAN!”  That was mine and Austin’s inside joke we came up with because of the social stigma around people that listen to death metal “worship satan”.  I can reassure you that’s all false.  Anyway, I don’t want to get too much into that. I don’t want to turn this story into a rant.

Once we got in, people instantaneously flocked to the bars and some even went to the terrace to get high.  Since I already hate smoking, or getting inebriated in any way shape or form, you’d imagine I would feel out of place there. I wasn’t.  I’ve never really felt uncomfortable for being one of the only sober people at a party. I don’t let other peoples’ decisions ruin my good time. 

Austin on the other hand, was getting really uncomfortable.  “Why are all these people lighting up?  They’re going to miss the show.”
“It’s okay buddy, some people just like going other places to ruin their lives.” I told this to him with one hundred percent sincerity and conviction in my voice.  I am very passionate about my beliefs.

After dealing with many idiotic people, and going in and out of the most insane mosh pits I’ve ever been in, the moment finally arrived. This is what Austin, me, and about 85% of the people in the building came to the ballroom for.  Our favorite band, Thy Art Is Murder finally came on.  With much excitement, I got into the middle of the pit before anything even started.   Long story short, some guy almost died and I got beer spilled on me. I had the time of my life.

Shortly after my favorite band went off stage, Austin and I lost interest. So we bought some merch and left. I got a Thy Art Is Murder T-shirt and their newest album on vinyl (I had just gotten a new vinyl player for my birthday that year.) Then, in the parking lot, we spotted him. The six foot four, long haired, mid 30 year old Australian, C.j McMahon, the vocalist for Thy Art Is Murder.  I was so excited. We went up to him and asked for pictures. Even though this guy sings mainly about death, he is one of the nicest people you will ever meet.  After we got our pictures, C.j and I had a conversation I will never forget.
I started off saying, “C.j, you are one of my biggest influences for the vocals I perform with my band, and I want to be just like you.”
“You do whatever you want mate, whatever makes you successful, whatever you’re passionate about, strive for that and don’t let anyone stand in your way.” He had the most conviction in his voice than I had ever heard before in my life. 

I stood there, these emotions just sprinting across my brain. I could do nothing but shake his hand and say, “Thank you for everything.”
“Carry on, mate.” He said with a smile. I left Pontiac the happiest kid on earth.  That was surely the best day of my life.