A friend of mine passed away recently. Tonight there is a memorial show in his honor that I am going to do my best to get to. Jared was a truly talented guitar player, and a great guy. I spent a week on the road with him in 2002; braving some crazy snow storms while on tour with Mara’Akate. Years later Thin Fevers was fortunate enough to play shows with The Dream is Dead, and I was able to capture The video below. It showcases a great example of Jared’s amazing guitar prowess.
I first saw Jared play with a band called Legion my freshman year of college at Ball State University. I’ll never forget watching Jared completely shred a lightning bolt adorned guitar while his hair swung around him. Being a small town kid that had only recently discovered punk rock; that show with Legion was one of my first experiences watching a metal band, and honestly Jared Southwick was part of a moment that quite literally changed my life forever.
Tonight I will go see some of the same bands that played that day, and remember a man that people across the world already miss terribly.