Eve6: A Love Story

Everybody loves music. I know a few people who say they don't watch television, and a few people who don't care for movies, but EVERYONE listens to music. I was destined to enjoy a wide variety of music genres-if you were to watch my old home movies (which you won't), you would see my sister, my cousin, and myself all shaking our butts off to Billy Ray Cyrus cassettes (yes, cassettes). Fast forward about four years, and you'd find me staying up well past my bedtime, television volume on 1, crossing my fingers and toes that 'N Sync would be requested on The Box before my father saw the flashes of light and threw me back in my room. If you know anything about The Box circa 1998, then you know that I didn't have to wait very long to see that 'N Sync video...but I digress. My first ever CD's were Mariah Carey's "Daydream," Marie Osmond's "Steppin' Stone," and "Living in the 80's," a compilation album. Admittedly, Ms. Carey was the only one that got significant spins on my Compact Disc player, but don't think I don't know every word to the title track off Marie's album or to "99 Red Balloons."

I used to buy 2 or 3 new CD's every week and built up quite an impressive collection. It would be more impressive if the discs didn't look like I'd let my hamster chew on them, but in reality, as long as they play a few good songs with only minor skips, I'd say they're in good shape. The point is, I've loved a wide variety of musical acts throughout my life (NKOTB/BSB/'N Sync/5ive fangirl craze included). But my long love affair with music did not prepare me much for the day that I fell for Eve6.

Eve6 had been around and popular long before I was "introduced" to them. Of course, I'd seen "Inside Out" on MTV and The Box a million times, but I'd been impatiently waiting for Hanson, so I didn't pay them much attention. I was young and in a full fledged fangirl stage. Of course, when "Here's to the Night" hit the radiowaves I'd sing along. But, in typical Cherrie fashion, I didn't really get into Eve6 until shortly before they were about to break up (I had the same problems when bell bottoms became popular again. I wore straight leg jeans through the whole trend, and then started wearing flares as soon as everyone went back to straight legs. Like I said, typical). I remember the day perfectly. I was sitting in the passenger side of my mother's car, enjoying the fact that I was the oldest of my siblings and therefore had full control over the radio (rules are rules!), and stumbled across the song "Think Twice." We were home moments later, and I immediately ran to my computer and researched all things Eve6. I bought all of their albums straight away. I listened non-stop. I made a fan out of my sister because it was the only music I played. I made my cousin fall in love with them all over again (she'd been into their first record). Because of my compulsive need to know everything about the things I'm interested in, I stumbled across the Eve6 Media HQ website (www.eve6mediahq.com), a place for other superfans. People who understood why I could not stop listening to/talking about this band. My kind of people. Since this was before the popularity of MySpace, Facebook, etc., it was basically where I spent all of my time while I was on the internet. I rushsed home from school every day and jumped onto the site to see what conversations I'd missed while I'd been in class, pretending to understand Algebra 2. That was my routine at 16 years old.

A few months after I entered into the Eve6 world, my other CD's were collecting dust, but I was getting restless. I wanted more. It wasn't enough. When I found out that they were touring, I needed no other proof that there was, in fact, a God. I happily purchased tickets for myself, my cousin (semi-fan turned superfan), and my sister (superfan by association). At the end of December, I would finally be able to see my favorite band live. The week before the show, I was so excited that I constantly felt on the verge of vomiting. There was one teensy little problem. Mother Nature decided to throw a blizzard right over New England on the very day that the three of us were supposed to trek to Hartford to see the show. 3 giggly teenagers, only one with a licence (and zero experience driving in the snow), and a set of bald tires meant that we didn't even make it out of town before we had to return to the house. I literally cried. I was 17 years old, curled up in front of a fire, sulking because I'd been SO close to standing mere FEET away from the geniuses that were Max, Jon, and Tony. And the venue had decided not to cancel, so the show wouldn't be postponed. My money, my excitement, my life (okay, I was an angsty teenager!), was down the drain. Eventually, someone suggested that we should see if they were doing any more shows close by, which is something that I should have thought of right away. I was too busy sulking, I guess. But, as luck would have it, they were playing in Poughkeepsie the following weekend. Even closer to us than Hartford. Choir bells rang, children smiled again, and so did I. All was right in the world.

We showed up 6 hours early for the show. I take full responsibility for demanding that we leave so early, but I had already missed out on one show, and I wasn't going to let something like getting lost get in the way of this one. We didn't get lost, but we also didn't have much money for food, gas to heat up the car for 6 hours, or the balls to walk around on the streets of Poughkeepsie. And I sure as hell wasn't going to abandon post-I was going to be FRONT AND CENTER for the show that I'd been waiting for. And for the most part, I was. There was a bit of an issue with moshing and I got pushed back a bit, but I was satisfied with being close enough for Cauterize's drummer to spit beer on me. The show was glorious. I knew every song (I mean, they were practically written FOR me), and when I heard that Max, Jon, and Tony would be outside after the show to take pictures and sign stuff, I screamed. Or, I would have, if I had any of my voice left. I couldn't speak when I met the guys. If you look at any of the pictures of that night, Judy and Sam have elated faces-bright eyes and big smiles. My mouth is clamped shut, my eyes are unfocused, and I'm hunched over from carrying all of the merchandise I bought. Max Collins, the genius that wrote all of those songs, had his arm around my neck. I'm surprised the strength of my pulse didn't push it off. I have never done drugs, but I'm not sure any high could be better than that moment. Well, maybe it could. I hear Ecstacy is a trip.

Like all addicts, I wanted to chase the high. I wanted to see more shows. Unfortunately, I was sidelined by the fact that the band had decided to part ways. It was worse than hearing that your parents are divorcing. In fact, I used to PRAY that my parents would get divorced. But Eve6?! I never saw it coming. Things you love are supposed to stay in your life forever! So I did what any 17 year old girl with a mild case of crazy would do. I bought tickets to any show within a 7 hour radius that wasn't on a school night. If they weren't going to play shows anymore, then I was going to see as many of them as possible before they broke my heart. So we saw them again. And again. And again. It took a great deal of babysitting money, lying to my parents, and charming people to drive us to Potsdam to accomplish all of this. It was well worth it. We got to go backstage, we took trillions more pictures, and I was even creepy enough to bake a ton of cookies, cupcakes, brownies, etc. for the guys and their crew (shoot me now, the most embarrassing thing in the world). On the last show that we could attend, April 30th in West Haven, CT, we left the venue feeling like we'd dropped off a loved one at the airport with no promise of seeing them ever again. It was a sad night, cheered only by chocolate milkshakes from Athena's Diner.

Fast forward a few years, and ALAS! 2/3 of Eve6 back together! 2/3 was good enough for us. We continued to go to any show we possibly could, which was a much harder task now that Judy was a mother of 2 and I was working 80-90 hour weeks. Still, we managed. And Matt was a great temporary fill-in for Jon. I can't even say replacement, because replacing Jon just isn't possible. Still, he was energetic on stage and was friendly after shows. The last time Judy and I saw Matt on stage was at the Mercury Lounge, November 1 2010-it was my birthday, and Eve6 played a double show that night. Nothing will ever top that birthday (unless, of course, they play another show on November 1). When I received the news that Matt would no longer be playing with the band, I was bummed, but only slightly...because then we got the news that JON WAS RETURNING! The planets aligned, the heavens opened, and Eve6 was REUNITED! And it felt...so good (I had to). Then there was the announcement of a new album in the works. The first since 2003. Nine long years of singing the same (albeit amazing) songs over and over again.

When "Lost and Found" was released, I was stoked. When "Victoria" was released yesterday, I practically jumped out of bed so I could run and download it off itunes. When the album is released next month, I'm going to buy as many copies as my budget will allow and give them to my friends. I need to share the music that makes me so happy. That I can identify with when I'm sad. That helps me find my way when I'm lost. That makes my mouth drop when I hear "your heinous heighness broke her hymen, hey man try to quit your cryin'" (what other lyricist could come up with something THAT good?). I've gone through many phases in my love affair with music, but I have never put Eve6 on the backburner. I own more Eve6 shirts than any other. I have so much signed stuff that I don't even know what to do with it anymore. My friends make fun of me for being so obsessed (they're probably just jealous of my sweet Eve6 wristbands). I've created some really great friendships with other HQers. If I'm upset about something, Truck is almost always the first person to send a message my way, trying to cheer me up. Crystal and Chris aren't usually too far behind. I am forever grateful to the band for bringing such cool people into my life.

This is such an exciting time to be an Eve6 fan. I cannot wait to have a new record to spin, new shows to attend, and new friends to make.

P.S. I'm aware that this blog did nothing to negate the assumption that I'm creepy. I'm okay with that.

XO
C