On February 4, 2001, a chilly but not frigid winter night, I went to Toronto to see headline at The Warehouse. The openers on that show? and Volcanic.
Today, 20 years later, I'm thinking about that concert. It was my first real rock show at a venue with a lot of people, strangers, in general admission, jockeying for position and trying to find the perfect space to see the band and hear the music. It feels both extremely normal now because I've done it so many times since, and extremely foreign because just the concept of packing in with that many sweaty, heavy-breathing strangers seems outrageous these days.
I don't remember everything. I don't have notes or photos. This was pre-cell phone (for me), before social media, blogs, etc. It was 'Be there, take it all in. Sing along and have fun'.
I went to the show with a friend who invited me. Her mom drove us from Port Hope to Toronto and then home again after the concert. I have a memory of promising that I'd keep her safe and maybe that I wouldn't let her crowd surf? And as far as I remember, I kept my promise.
It feels kind of bad now because I know they were doing their best to make a living and breakthrough, but I don't remember anything about the first act of the night, Volcanic. Nothing. I know they performed first, but I don't remember a single thing about seeing them.
After they were done though, I remember Nickelback. We were about three rows back from the barricade, looking up at Chad Kroeger on the front of the stage with his long wavy hair and flared pants and guitar and mic stand. I remember thinking that he looked like rock and roll Jesus with the spotlight on him.
I also remember being all-in because I liked songs like Leader Of Men and Old Enough from The State. And I was 18 and it was rock and roll and they were Canadian and it was all very mesmerizing and grand and loud.
Note: I also think I remember the band receiving their Gold Record plaques for The State on stage that night, but I'm not sure.
This was before Silver Side Up was released. Six months before How You Remind Me was released and became the most played song of the decade on US radio. Before they became underrated because they were overcriticized. Ya, I said it. It was when they were young, hungry, fresh, and only had the front half of the stage to work with because Everclear's gear was covered in black sheets taking up the back half.
And oh yeah, Nickelback played How You Remind Me that night, giving me the "I heard it before it was a hit and you all turned on it" cred that I'll never give up. And I have no shame about it.
Everclear, with their gear covered and waiting and ready, was the reason we were there. They were stars. They had hits like Santa Monica and Everything To Everyone and I Will Buy You A New Life. We were there as they were touring for Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How To Smile with Wonderful and AM Radio and The Honeymoon Song and Brown Eyed Girl, and Volume Two: Good Time for a Bad Attitude with Rock Star, Misery Whip and When It All Goes Wrong Again.
Later that year they'd go out on tour with Matchbox Twenty and Lifehouse, they were a big deal. And they were the big deal that brought us from our small town to Toronto for the show.
Because I was 18, simple, and didn't have a ton of back catalogue or deep cut knowledge, I was one of those fans that you could stereotypically shake your head at. Ya, AM Radio was a fun song and Father of Mine has the feelings and Everything To Everyone is a smash... but I really, really, really just wanted to hear Santa Monica. And I still can't believe that it wasn't the last song of the night.
Note: I can't find a setlist from February 4, 2001, for Everclear anywhere on the internet. But, I did find a setlist from the night before in Ottawa, and the last four songs were - Santa Monica, Misery Whip, Father of Mine, and Heroin Girl. I assume they played the same end of set order in Toronto.
Here are some things that I do remember...
We moved back. There was a push forward as the crowd got ready and excited for Everclear to take the stage, and we did not stay in the front section of the crowd for it. I don't remember if we moved right away or after a couple of songs, but we moved.
I remember being happy. I was during Nickelback too. I was there with someone I liked spending time with and seeing music I liked and those were good things.
I remember Santa Monica. And bliss.
And I remember Art Alexakis pulling the most rock star 'this is my house' shit I had ever seen and I'm not sure I've ever seen it surpassed since.
Somewhere in the crowd, to the right of us and maybe a little closer to the stage, someone wasn't having a good time I guess. Because at one point, Everclear's lead singer stopped playing, told the tech to turn on the lights, and ripped into a dude. He asked him if he was having a good time and then called him a liar when he answered and asked why he'd been giving them the finger all night. And when the guy denied it, Art held his ground, telling him that they weren't playing again until he was gone. And then, when the dude got to the front of the crowd, Art laughed in his face when he saw the NOFX t-shirt the guy was wearing. He said (and I'm paraphrasing because this was 20 years ago), "Oh you like NOFX? I'm friends with Fat Mike and I'm going to tell him about this and we're going to laugh about it."
I don't remember my reaction, I'd wager that I was laughing. But I remember the moment and the guy getting kicked out by the lead singer of a rock and roll band in the middle of the show with the threat of ruining it for the rest of us hanging over his head.
I remember singing and swaying and trying to keep my friend safe like I'd promised. I remember the cold snow/rain outside in the dark night after the show and using the payphone to call her mom for our ride home.
20 years ago, in a time before we documented everything, before we all had little cameras in our pockets, and long before I covered music, I saw Everclear and Nickelback at the Warehouse in Toronto. It was my first big rock show. And, while I don't know how much I've forgotten and I haven't/can't confirm how accurate any of these memories are, I know I was there. And maybe that's good enough.
