Sweet Pete - In My Eyes

This is part of an ongoing piece where we asked various people from bands over the years what they recall as the most memorable show they ever played (or attended, if they were never in a band), and why. What is posted here is only a sliver of what is to come, so be sure to check back. -DCXX

I would have to say my favorite show that In My Eyes played was probably our record release show in Boston for our album "The Difference Between." This show was everything I could have hoped a good HC show could be. It was totally DIY and put on by us (IME) and our friends Ray, Tim and Matt. Actually Ray, Tim and Matt did the booking of the hall, and the band chose the openers and everyone promoted the shit out of the show all over Boston with fliers and word of mouth. I want to stress now that MOST of the credit for the show goes to Tim, Ray and Matt. It was their booking of great shows (like this one) in Boston that kept BHC alive and strong in the late 90s.

The show was in June 1998 and the lineup was: The Trust, Reach the Sky, Blood for Blood, Floorpunch and In My Eyes.

It would be the first show of our summer 1998 trek across the U.S. to support our album and the energy in the church hall was so vibrant and it just seemed that everyone I knew was there. I could not wait to play, but I also could not wait to see all the great bands full of friends that were playing before us. I had been into hardcore for a long time before I did a band and here I was in a straight edge band with an album being released on Revelation Records with a cover drawn by Pushead and it seemed like there were 10,000 kids (I know there was not) packed into a place witha great stage and no bouncers and everyone just seemed they wanted tohave fun and really got why we were all there. I honestly felt like Iwas in a dream and would wake up any time. I could give a recap of every band that played, but I will spare you the details and just say that every band got a great reaction and FLOORPUNCH stole the show. They were ON this night and kids showed them love by dancing and diving like crazy.

Our set was great too as we opened with "In My Eyes" by Minor Threat and then played most of our demo and songs off the LP. There had been such a delay in getting our LP out waiting for the artwork from Pushead that most of the kids had a tape of the LP songs and knew a lot of the words. I remember looking out over the packed house of kids singing along and dancing to my band and the feeling I got inside was one I can not put into words. I was seeing kids get the same feeling out of my band that I got when I started going to shows andthat was something I never thought would happen.

At the show there were tons of young kids coming up to me and talking to me and I made sure I spoke to each and every single one of them. Why? Because I remembered when I was a young kid of 14 at one of my first shows, going up to Chris Doherty of Gang Green and talking tohim and him actually seeming interested in what I had to say and him shaking my hand and looking me in the eye. That meant more to a young 14 year old kid just getting into going to shows than he may have known. About a year after that Gang Green incident, another "famous" Boston frontman (kind of notorious for being a dick) snubbed me when I tried to talk to him and it really sucked. I learned from both of those experiences. I am not saying that HC people should be idolized or are famous celebrities, but when a kid likes your band and is just wanting to say hi and tell you how much he likes your band and you act like you don't care then you should not be playing for "the kids."

I finally felt like I was helping Boston Hardcore and keeping it alive and well. It is kind of like having a kid. You feel so proud to see something you love and are helping to keep a lineage alive. I know that sounds cheesy, but I am very proud of all the bands that scene we built in Boston in the mid to late 90s. We all worked hard and proved that bands like Blood for Blood and In My Eyes and Ten Yard Fight could play shows together and have kids get along and come together for the cause of having a great hardcore scene with fun shows for everyone. I guess my memories here are of more than one show that IME played. It is of a scene that I totally felt was an amazing time in Boston Hardcore history (of course, not even close to the early 80s). I felt that at every show there would be 700-1000 kids and everywhere I looked there would be tons of kids X'd up and super stoked on the core.

Many people have asked me since IME broke up when I am going to do another band and the answer is: NEVER. I loved being in a band, I loved playing shows, but I have no desire to be in another band. It was the right time and place for me to do IME. It was with four of my great friends and I got to X up on stage and have my say and now it it's time for me to step aside and go back to being a HC kid. I am still 100% involved in HC. I go to shows every weekend, I travel all over, I go on tour with bands and still actively check out new bands. It is just that my time of being in a band is over. I am glad I got a chance to do all I did with In My Eyes and I am so glad that kids still write to me and are interested in us. I really appreciate any kind words anyone has ever said to me about us and to this day I can't thank the kids enough for making 1997-2000 some of my best memories in hardcore.