"I was digging my strange"

Sunday afternoon we headed down to Oceanside for the 94.9 Independence Jam. Headliners this year were none other than the Cold War Kids. Nate was kind enough to put us on the guest list. That right there makes me laugh. The older I get, the more of my childhood dreams I seem to live out. Going to shows, I use to think man, how cool would it be to “be on the list?” Anyway, the O-Side Amphitheater is amazing! I had no idea they had shows there. Sure I remember the old street skateboarding contests from the eighties, but being outside at the beach on a beautiful day watching surfers and ironically watching Surfer Blood perform was amazing. We ran into some friends and passed the time drinking beers and seeing some good bands all awhile I exchanged text messages with Nate. It’s rad for the old lady and I to get out of the house and see some live tunes, but I really enjoy talking with Nate and I was looking forward to talking to him about their new album Mine is Yours. We finally met up during the PB&J set, and got to catch up on life and the new record. It’s funny when we get down to it. I’ve been married 5 years, Nate 2. My wife and I hold down desk jobs, pretty traditional “Adult Life” and while my take on the new record maybe a little dark, Nate responds a bit shockingly. He doesn’t really look at it that way, and again, it’s obvious. Nate’s approach to song writing is as honest as it comes and the new album firms up that statement 100%. It’s not dark, it’s just a matter of fact. A mutual friend Tim Rynders of The Knew said it the best the other day during an online chat,
Tim: “Nate is the fucking coolest. end of story.”
Cold War Kids took the stage and owned the fucking night. No question why they were headlining, their set was amazing and they sounded great. In a festival atmosphere, from hippies to jocks, everyone was singing along. I was mesmerized. You can’t pick your fans. We are all fans.