I Met Erik and Jaret of Bowling for Soup!
I’ve been a fan of the band Bowling for Soup since the first time I heard the song “1985″. As someone who was a teenager during the 1980s, it’s easy to identify with many of the things it mentions, to say nothing of getting older. “My Hometown” reminds me of my own hometown in southern Ohio, even though it’s written about the band’s hometown in Texas. Many of their songs, like “Almost”, aren’t just about familiar themes but are also just good fun to listen to. They are, without a doubt, one of my favorite bands.
Local radio station WNCI 97.9 has been featuring Bowling for Soup this week. Today, the guys joked(?) that WNCI had forgotten to budget for their meals and they were going to have to start eating with their fans. This ended up becoming an informal call-in contest where listeners offered to provide the band with dinner that night. The wife of someone at my office won that contest. Her husband asked one of his co-workers (a friend of mine) if he was familiar with Bowling for Soup. My friend was invited to the party and told he could bring a couple of friends with him. Knowing I was a big fan, he was kind enough to invite me. I jumped at the chance. I’d wanted to see Bowling for Soup play live for a long time, and it was amazing to think I’d be seeing them in such an informal setting.
Around 7:15, I arrived at the house. On the door was a sign indicating that Bowling for Soup was here, so I knew I was at the right place. Inside I caught up with the friend who had invited me, as well as the co-worker whose home it was. My friend and I spent quite a while chatting with bass player and vocalist Erik Chandler. He talked about the rigors of being on the road, missing his girlfriend, and how it can take a while to settle in when you get back home. Erik’s a good guy and I very much enjoyed meeting him.
A while after that, the guitars were brought in and the guys played several acoustic versions of their songs. I can’t remember the entire set list, but it included at least the following:
- 1985
- Ohio (Come Back to Texas)
- Girl All the Bad Guys Want
- High School Never Ends
- When We Die
- My Wena
- Hit Me Baby One More Time (Britney Spears cover)
- Two-Seater
- Hooray for Beer
Not wanting to be an irritating fan, I did not take my digital camera with me. (I regret that now, since several people did.) I did take my cell phone, however. The good news is that I took a couple of pictures and a short bit of video. The bad news is that in the low light, my cell phone took two blurry pictures and the video is at least as bad. I’ve put the pictures below because they’re all I have, not because they’re especially great or that it’s obvious who they are. I may post the video on YouTube at some point just to share something of the experience.
At the end of the evening, many people posed for pictures with the guys. My stupid cellphone battery was dead at that point, so I wasn’t able to have my picture taken with them… which was a bummer. I did, however, get to shake Jaret’s hand and talk to him briefly, explaining that I’ve been a big fan for several years now and that I am looking forward to their latest (upcoming) album. He said they expect it to be out in September and think it’s probably the best they’ve ever done. I’m looking forward to picking it up as soon as it’s available.
I heard several people comment afterward how talented and fun the guys were (and they were right). Even though it was something of an impromptu, casual event, they gave a great performance. Erik and Jaret were every bit as cool and down-to-earth as you’d expect them to be, given the content of their music. It was an excellent, once-in-a-lifetime experience and I thank my co-workers for being kind and thoughtful enough to allow me to take part.
Erik and Jaret of Bowling for Soup (Live Acoustic)
Erik and Jaret Live Acoustic Show - July 7, 2009