Friday, April 3, 2015
The Rocket Summer changed my life
Baltimore
,
bands
,
concert
,
music
,
The Rocket Summer
How Bryce Avary made high school survivable
BY RACHEL UNGOS
“No this won’t be a sad song. There’s gonna be claps and singing along.”
The words rang through my head almost daily, as the possible theme song for my freshman year of high school. Times were tough, as they usually are for teenagers. I had issues going on with friends, family, school and everything in between.
But whenever I was down, I had those lyrics- “No, this won’t be a sad song.” I took those words to heart and told myself that I was going to keep pushing through anything on my plate and make the best of it. I was not going to let anything turn my life into a sad song.
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| Meeting Bryce Avary outside Sonar in Baltimore/ Photo Courtesy of Rachel Ungos |
The Rocket Summer is a one-man-band powered by the very talented Bryce Avary. I’ve always been amazed at how he was able to write, record, produce and play his own music. Everything about him was original and creative and I found that especially inspiring. On top of that, I loved that his music was always so positive. Sure, some songs talked about sad subjects, but they were always created in a way that told listeners that things would get better.
In November 2009, I saw my idol live for the first time in Baltimore. I was especially excited because I had never really been to a concert before that one. I was a sophomore in high school at the time and a huge TRS fan.
I arrived at the venue super early, determined to get the best possible spot in the crowd. My dad went with me and was able to hold my place in line while I walked around the city with a friend to pass the time. We happened to be walking by one of the doors to the venue when I heard something strangely familiar.
I stopped and listened closer, growing even more excited as I figured out what I was hearing: Bryce Avary’s voice. Unable to resist, I came closer to the door and sure enough- there he was. I was at a loss for words.
He was as nice as I imagined he would be and was more than happy to comply when I asked for a picture and autograph. I told myself I was going to stay calm, but those reservations flew out the door when he hugged me.
I was in tears. I probably looked like some sort of crazy fangirl, which was not the image I wanted to portray. However, he was very nice about it and a friend of his standing by was jealous that he had a girl crying over him, so they gave me the new EP for free!
It was the best experience.
Being a fan of The Rocket Summer opened me up to the world of bands and music, and before I knew it I was listening to many more artists. My taste in music has changed over the years, and The Rocket Summer has not released any new music lately. But, however drastically my taste may change, I will always have a special place in my heart for Bryce Avary and The Rocket Summer.
