Last night, I got to watch one of my first and favorite local bands, Breckenwood, play their last show. I never would have guessed when I had first seen them back at Sum 41, when my best friend and I tried to make ourselves look cooler and say we were juniors instead of nerdy sophomores in high school, asking them to sign my tie (which is still proudly displayed in my bedroom) and getting one of their CDs, that I would have met some of the greatest people ever. Seeing them last night was a very bittersweet moment, being that I hadn’t seen them all (except for Will, my favorite bassist of all time) in what feels like years. It brought back memories of me and my best friend seeing them back at the ForVm, back when they “weren’t any good,” and Garrett with his red pants, Will with his floppy little beanie, Cameron and his little jokes. I was just recently able to finally meet Steve and Tony, the new guitarists, and I wish I had gotten to meet them sooner. They seem like really cool guys, especially Tony’s mom.

So in dedication to my favorite band, I wanted to write about things that make local bands my favorite type of band.

1. They’re super humble

I remember back when I first met the guys, and how awesome it was that they didn’t have a god-complex that I knew so many other bands would have had. I still remember buying CDs and tee-shirts from Will, to help them get some gas money. Even just getting to hang out with them before they went on was such an amazing experience.

2. Your chances of getting pulled up on stage are increased by a lot, especially if you make a good impression.

At most big-name concerts, your chances of getting pulled up on stage are extremely slim, and even when they do finally pull you up, you’re confined to one corner away from the band (with good reason, of course. Some fan-people are crazy). But when you go to a local concert, you get to hang out and not struggle to move through the crowd, and sometimes they’ll randomly pull you up on stage (like Will has done to me so many times before). It’s amazing.

3. Free stuff

Local bands are so much more willing to give out freebies (CDs, bracelets, stickers, etc.) because they need the exposure. But it’s always super awesome to get it, because then you get to save your money to buy the really cool stuff, like their posters or t-shirts. And then you have them sign all of it for when they get big and you can be like, “Oh yeah, I knew them back when they were just starting out. I was an original.”

4. You get to see them when they play other venues separately

I can’t count how many times I’ve heard that Will was playing in another show, and I was like, “I’ll be there. I don’t care how much it costs, I’ll be there.” It’s super cool to see the guys rock out with other bands, and hear them play a new sound. And then they get to introduce you to other local bands, who also give you free stuff, and the cycle starts all over again

5. You get a chance to make some lifelong friends

It’s been such a ride getting to see these guys as they've evolved in their music and grown up as people. I’ve gotten really close to a few of them, and I hope that just because half of them are up and leaving doesn’t mean I’ll never get to see them again, which I’m sure it won’t. I’ll stalk them down and find the venues they’re playing, and we’ll get to party just like old times.

(Breckenwood is on iTunes! And their Garrett Shea is too. Check out Cameron's (the drummer) new band CIty Under Siege as well!)