I had fallen sick and had sciatica for months. I was barely able to walk and was in tremendous pain all of the time. However, Bad Religion was coming to town with Social Distortion. I knew this show would be different than many of the previous ones but that I had to be there.

I booked a room at the hotel next to the venue. Driving out would be 45 mins and sitting that long was going to be killer. I had not slept much the night before the show. I was up and on the road early. I got to Mesa and got the car parked. I walked a couple of laps around Mesa Amp to get myself stretched out. As I was completing the second one, I got a text from Brian confirming that I was coming. I had not found my way in yet so that seemed to raise alarms. I confirmed that I would and walked on over.

I got in and immediately caught up with everyone. I shared why I was moving erratically and stood up a lot on the bus. Brian wanted to grab a few things so lined up on a plan. First though, soundcheck needed to happen. While everyone got sorted there, Tess and I hit up Tempe Marketplace for a few needs and then ran back. We arrived just in time to grab some catering and then watch the guys soundcheck. This also gave me a chance to stretch and catch a few songs.

Once everyone was good, Brian, Jay, Jamie, and I hit up Tempe Marketplace. They got what they needed and we then headed back to the venue. By this time, I was able to check in to the Marriott. I headed over, got my things sorted and laid on the bed for a bit to stretch. I needed maintenance to take care of the air conditioning, and headed out when complete. The next few hours were mainly spent just hanging out at the venue, talking to everyone, and enjoying the fact that I was around so many great friends again.

The show picked up a slight delay so Social Distortion went on first. While they played, I hung out with Greg and watched my friends get ready for their show. I headed out to FOH and got settled. To my surprise, Solomon was there and I was able to say hi for a bit. As always, the show was amazing. The band really drew off the crowd and they gave it back. The ripped through one hell of a set before wrapping just before 10. Due to city ordinance, this needed to be an early night.

The show wrapped and I let everyone wind down. As they all got settled, I made my way around and said goodbyes to the band. I watched the gear get loaded out and then got to spend a really great time backstage with everyone on the crew while things were stowed. It was great to sit with Rick and Ronnie, drink a beer, hang with their friends, and just relax. Around 11, I called it a night. I had pushed really hard during the day I was pretty sore. It was all worth it, but I knew I would pay for it.

I woke up the next morning a happy man. That said, I grabbed something to eat and the pain was bad. I knew I would need it so I took the drive home, stopped a few times, and got back to the house to stretch out. I am very grateful to see friends again and to have stepped away from what was happening daily.