First Posted: 9/16/2013

It seems all too often that periods in our life are defined by tragedies. Last week, Adam Slamas, a friend and tour mate, passed away. While it’s an unimaginable loss, a great tool for recovery is to recount and reflect on all the times that were shared, and it’s safe to say in the community that there are a lot of memories to reflect on.

For me, many the moments I remember most fondly were during the annual Slambfest (pronounced Slahm-Fest) held in the Slamas family garage every summer. The fest was started on a whim to essentially provide a last show for my old band, The Gnarlies. The show went so well that it continued to go on for two more years – each year improving on the last.

The fact that Adam and his brother Nate opened their garage to not only their friends but to an entire community (even at the risk of swift Kingstonian police justice) is the ultimate testament to Adam’s ability to support the bands, friends, and music that he loved. This is a quality that I could only strive to embody as well as Adam.

I spoke a couple of weeks ago about how to book shows and bring bands to the area. When we were in an era where venues were few and far between, Adam didn’t let that hold him back and let us pack kids and bands into his garage. These shows cemented Adam’s love and support for punk and hardcore and continued to show his support by helping out any way he could by touring, putting up bands, and simply attending shows throughout the years.

It’s hard to sit here and write about new shows or new records without acknowledging this huge loss, but the best advice that we were given before we embarked on our current tour with Title Fight was to live like Adam, and now the only way I can approach this article this week is with that advice.

Last time I wrote, I rattled off so many shows and events, so I will give you a quick refresher:

Wednesday, Sept. 18 at the West Side Park in Nanticoke, there is a show with Wisdom in Chains, Take Offense, Fire and Ice, Malfunction, and Alive and Well starting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 28, also at West Side Park, Disengage, Intent, Demolition, Zoom, and Stand Clear will be playing.

I feel fortunate to be able to share not only upcoming shows with you, but also my views and thoughts, and there will never be any way to put into words how much we will all truly miss Adam, but the least we can do is to continue to have shows and have fun just like Adam did.