First Tracks Artist--My First Live Show

My name is Brian Bergeron. I am a Boston-based acoustic  singer-songwriter and I'm competing in the second round of Gather.com's First Tracks Competition for a record deal with Decca Label Group. As part of immersing myself in the site and so people can get to know me better (and hopefully grow to support me), I have decided to post an article a day on the site during the length of the contest. Please comment/vote for my song "Tell My Story". If you like what you hear and you can vote ONCE PER DAY until March 31st...There, I've pimped myself enough. On with the article.

---

The first live show I ever saw was Everclear at an arena in my hometown at the height of their success. The show was trashed by The Lowell Sun and lead singer Art Alexakis had just gotten out of rehab and was grumpy but I adored it. The band appealed to me because of an edge they had in their music that really spoke to me for some reason. They sang about a white trash lifestyle (which I had no familiarity with), doing tons of drugs (none of which I do), and leading a promiscuous lifestyle (once again I lack experience in that field) but I know put my finger on what appealed to me—alienation. At a time when I was preparing to enter high school, they had enough anthems to help push me through the high school culture that I had nothing in common with because it had me always looking around the bend to the notion of running away to a different life.

When I was a junior in college they played at my favorite venue in Boston. They had put out 4 albums since I last saw them and my attention with them had waned. In fact, if they were now an up-and-coming band I suspect that I would not even listen to them. Still, I was itching for some nostalgia so I went to the show. It sucked. Hard. Art was the only original band member and had replaced the rest of the band with young guns who probably loved Everclear when they were in college and this was their "big" break to play in a "real" rock band. Art clearly couldn't sing anymore so he limped through a series of songs and I ended up leaving early. I had talked a bunch of friends into going and we had all paid about $40 each, which is a king's ransom at the venue where we saw them so all in all it was a bust. I think then my childhood officially ended (I'm being facetious and over dramatic with that notion).

So when they came to Boston last night to play a free show I was skeptical about going. I knew I'd have to wait in line early to get in because they had enough hit songs where they still commanded some sort of fan base (…or because it was a free concert and an excuse to drink on a Tuesday night) but I ended up going with my friend Darren. I don't know if it's because of my lowered expectations or because they were better but the show wasn't that bad. They played better than the last time I saw them (though not as good as the first) and Art was at least in the ballpark of the range that he was supposed to be singing. I was a little fan boy again, jumping up and down and singing the lyrics that I haven't recalled in many years. There is something sad to be seen in an aging rocker who is fading into insignificance but I think they have accepted their place in the rock pantheon—playing their hits with a few of the deeper cuts for the "hardcore fans" and trying to make everyone just have a good time. I think I'm going to be on an Everclear kick for a little while because they did in fact have some damn good songs.

I would normally be more critical but I had a good time…and it was free so I've made my peace with a band that I used to revere then despised so all and all it was an OK night.