I had not seen Bad Religion since their last trip through Phoenix late last year. After such a long amount of time since I have been able to see shows, in addition to needing a break, this was the perfect weekend trip.

I had reached out the week before and cleared everything. With the green light given, all I had to do was count down the time. I needed a break from work, so I decided to head down a day early and check the town out. I left Phoenix around noon and had an uneventful trip down. Friday was a very low key day. I did a little shopping and ate Brooklyn Pizza for dinner. I was ready to relax and called it an early night. I settled in at the hotel, threw on a movie, and relaxed.

I got to the venue good an early and got myself settled in. Everyone slowly started to head out and I was able to catch up slowly as they all made their appearance. It felt amazing to be surrounded by so many old friends all at once. I hung backstage for a while, shooting the shit with everyone and discussing the plans for the day. I had to move hotels, so I ended up heading out and doing that as soon as I could. I got things squared away, grabbed some Brooklyn Pizza again, and hit up the store for supplies. With everything acquired, I headed back.

Much of the next 6 hours were just spent hanging out. Brian and I caught up on cars and Jersey. Rick and I caught up on his business and the next steps. Jay and I watched cat videos and discussed crypto. Ronnie and I told foul jokes. There's too much of the solid hangs to list here, but it felt amazing. It was so good to connect with my friends in person again and the mood was great. Greg got down around 7. He, Brian and I shot basketball for a bit before he and I had a chance to catchup. All around, everyone was prepped for a great show.

The show was fantastic. I checked out Slaughterhouse and really enjoyed their set. If you haven't seen them, check them out. Bad Religion took the stage and it was great to see them all back at work. The crowd was really into it and the band was dead on. The setlist was a nice little mix of old and new. Importantly to me, I was able to see Slumber live. I think that is the first time that I have. I checked the show out from a variety of places and enjoyed hearing live music again.

I had a little while after the show to hang. While the gear loaded out, Greg and I hung out and talked. He needed to get going and Ronnie and I milled around Tucson for a while. We headed back and I said goodbye to everyone as they cleaned up and got ready for sleep. Ronnie, Rick, Jay, and I hung till just after midnight, telling jokes and enjoying the night. They had to get going and so did I. We parted ways and I started the drive to the hotel.

Sunday was a cake day. I got up, got lunch, and started the drive back to Phoenix. It was a smooth ride. I am eternally grateful for this chance to see my friends and am looking forward to the next one.