At least a month ago I remember walking home with a group of people. This one guy I had been talking to happened to ask me, "What kind of music do you listen to?" Naturally, I got really excited because it's one of my favorite questions and I'm kind of nerdy when it comes to talking about music. I can't quite remember what I said, but I probably named a few bands like Inside Out, Cave In, Judge, Strife, Floor, and a few others. When he asked me what kinds of bands those were, I replied that they were hardcore. What I do remember was his response. He said something along the lines of, "So you like fashion, you dress really feminine, and yet you like hardcore? Why? Stop liking hardcore!"
Of course when he said that, both of us weren't in any kind of normal, functioning state of mind and I'm sure he didn't mean to hurt my feelings, but still. I'd like to know what's so wrong with me being like that. The majority of my best memories aren't from my hometown, but from shows at the Wallingford American Legion. There was just something about that place - the adrenaline rush you get from it all, all of the familiar faces you see, the overall sense of community. I didn't mean to make that rhyme, that was totally unintentional. Every weekend I possibly could while I still lived in Connecticut, I'd try to go out to shows, even though it was a good half-hour drive from where I lived. The only two things I really had to look forward to during my senior year of high school were shows and seeing my boyfriend. And what I really love about hardcore is that I can listen to it no matter what kind of mood I'm in. If I'm sad, listening to Elliott Smith and wallowing in my sadness doesn't make anything any better!
So of course, when that guy told me to "stop liking hardcore," it kind of hit a soft spot. It makes me wonder: Would it be acceptable for me to like hardcore if I had one of those huge chest pieces, a bunch of piercings, and all I wore were band hoodies? I would never do any of those things. Anybody who knows me knows how passionately against chest pieces I am. Just... no. I have nothing against girls that get them, but I certainly don't want some huge tattoo on my chest to be the first thing people notice about me. I'd rather spend my money on some kind of statement piece that I can ditch when I get sick of it. I'll wear a band's shirt every once in a while, but I love shopping, putting together outfits, and wearing dresses at the same time. Basically, I don't feel the need to showcase the fact that I listen to hardcore just because I'm a girl. Image isn't what it's supposed to be about, not for me at least. It's an interest of mine. But if someone tells me it's wrong, there's something wrong with that.
I found some really great pictures, but couldn't include them in this post due to copyright issues. I'm not sure who took this one, but this was a My Heart To Joy show at the Wallingford American Legion sometime in July I believe. For more pictures of Connecticut shows, click here.
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