30 f-ing years.
We can not possibly thank everyone enough who came out to the Longview show on the 1st with Berzerk and Countdown to Life. The show made us all so deeply and profoundly happy. If you want to see what we look and sound like there are a bunch of pictures and videos on Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms. In true throwback fashion, we even posted a show journal entry into this increasingly irrelevant tool known as a web site. Seriously, ya’ll are awesome. Thank you so much for the support.
Show Jounal 2024-11-01
It’s been a long time since I’ve written one of these. A lot of people asked “why did you take this show?” The answer was simply because Countdown to Life asked us to play. The show was definitely a throwback of sorts. We’ve played with Countdown many times over the years, most notably at the Halloween show that wound up on our Rise Again DVD, but many times before and since as well. We had only played a show with Berzerk twice before, with the first time being back in 1999. All three of us had played a show together once before back in 2004, so to say our history runs deep would be an understatement.
The show itself was wild. Dave picked us up in his Coldwar Industries ambulance. If you haven’t seen this thing before it has its own Instagram account and is worth a look. Justin and I were in the back and it was only sketchy when he hit the brakes and all of the gear violently shifted towards our exposed limbs. It was definitely fun all riding together, but that could have been the effects of the exhaust in the back compartment. The venue was pretty great. I had searched it up online and thought we’d be playing in the seating area of a Chinese restaurant, but it turns out there was a bar and large stage in the back, complete with a large balcony.
Berzerk was up first and it was so nice to see them again. They started playing music in their teens which is mind boggling when you think about it. I know our band started early, but they started in high school. They were catchier than I remember, but still super aggressive, which is always fun to see for bands our age. I have always looked up to Berzerk since they were on a real label and had toured with real bands. They had always seemed one step ahead of everyone and I can still see why.
Our set was everything I hoped it would be. Sing alongs, fists in the air, hardcore finger pointing, and even some moshing. There were a few missed chords, but I can’t imagine anyone cared. We did have one cameo that is worth a shot out. Jim’s daughter Luci came up to sing a cover of Rebel Girl by Bikini Kill. She had only sang once before in front of people and she did a fantastic job. Speaking of kids, both Dave and Justin brought their kids as well, which was cool to see. Mine were double booked elsewhere, and at least one of the two let me know in no uncertain words that she didn’t appreciate my lack of planning.
Countdown to Life was amazing. They make playing hardcore look so effortless. The riffs are interesting and recognizable, the music is crushing but catchy, and they have aged wonderfully. They play a genre that a lot of bands play, yet they sound so unique. Danny was completely engaged with everyone near the front and ushered in stage diving for the last half of the show which made it feel like 2004 all over again.
I really don’t have the words to thank everyone who attended. We had people from the Kelvis era, people from The Return era, people from the Rise Again era, the Requiem era, and even a few folks we met since we stopped actively playing. Quite literally, every few minutes I wound turn around, make eye contact with someone and realize I knew them from some point in my life. I’ve never given and received so many hugs in one room. Many brought their kids, which is wild to even consider. A lot of folks wore merchandise that we made decades ago. I especially loved seeing all of the folks wearing their Dustin Wheeler shirts. Although I didn’t get to speak to her personally, Dustin’s mom did come up to Dave and said she appreciated him talking about Dustin. Although we didn’t talk about it, I’m sure Dave and Justin had a moment like I did, where I realized we were in Longview and wouldn’t see Dustin which is still heartbreaking.
We very much appreciate everyone who traveled to attend the show representing Portland, Tri-Cities, Eugene, Bend, Seattle, and even Austin. Seeing that our band has existed for 30 years now, the weeks leading up to the show and the show itself unlocked some seriously deep memories. Our impact on the local music scene is a sliver by most people’s standards, but that little shred means the world to us, and the fact so many people were so responsive after all of these years make us feel complete. Thanks to everyone and especially Josh and Countdown for having us.
It’s giving 2004 vibes all over again
The nice thing about never actually calling it quits as a band is that you don’t have to feel awkward if someone offers you a show and you accept it. The offer in question, is to play with Countdown to Life and Berzerk in Longview. No way we’re saying no to this. Both great bands, and all 3 of us once shared this same lineup in Bend back in 2004. This should be awesome.
Let’s start a war
If you are looking for 800 Octane merchandise check out ColdWar Industries. The business and site may or may not be owned by a member of our band.
Requiem
Last weekend there was a memorial service for Dustin, attended by a large room full of friends and family. The walls were adorned with flyers and set lists from his many bands, and attendees were given drum sticks, as it really was his favorite thing in life. The service was about an hours worth of stories, some serious, and many not. This was followed by an excellent and very touching photo montage. Afterwards, several friends and bands came up to play songs. The three of us did attempt to perform a song written about Dustin, which was hastily finalized that morning. It sounded thin and hollow without drums, which I suppose was how we all feel without him. The whole event was an excellent send off, and although we wouldn’t have missed it individually, am still glad we participated as a band.
We played with Dustin about 8 1/2 years, and if the math is correct, we played (ironically) 138 shows. We’re thinking the number of practices would have to be well over 500 and I can’t even imagine the number of hours in the van. We had a lot of time with him, but given how many other bands he had played in over the years, he really did make music his life. It’s a shame it ended when it did, as he’s the only one among my circle that truly lived and breathed music every day.
Throughout the past two weeks, we’ve told lots of stories, and reminisced on lots of things, some funny, some sad. I suspect “do you remember that time Dustin…” will remain part of our conversations for a long time to come.
Much love to Dustins’ friends and family. You are missed Dustin. RIP.
-Eric
Dustin Wheeler RIP
We got word yesterday that Dustin was gone and our heads are still reeling from it. The details of what happened are unclear, and to be honest I don’t want to know more than I already do.
We’ve been discussing memories of Dustin throughout the night, and most of these moments bring a laugh or feelings of joy. Despite having plenty of stories, we are not the right people to eulogize Dustin. He has closer friends, and closer family, that can better handle that job. We are lucky in that our time with Dustin is well documented. We have many things to look at, touch, feel, read, listen to, and reminisce upon that will bring good memories for years to come. Not everyone gets that luxury, so I’m glad it’s there for us, and also for those of you that knew Dustin.
Rest in peace Dustin Wheeler. You are missed, and will continue to be missed, for as long as I am around.
-Eric
“Punk Rock Halloween – Loud, Fast & Scary” is out now!
The “Punk Rock Halloween – Loud, Fast & Scary” compilation CD is out now. If you are curious what our song is about, here’s the insider scoop. Since we were asked to record a song for a Halloween comp, Dave chose to write a song about other Halloween songs. Pretty clever. Anyway, you can pick it up from a number of online retailers, including Amazon, iTunes, and many more.
Here’s the full track list:
1. Reel Big Fish – Evil Approaches
2. The Adolescents – Black Kiss
3. 999 – Everyday’s Like Halloween
4. The Riverboat Gamblers – Cheap Masks
5. Ghoultown – By The Lantern Light
6. Anti-Nowhere League – Dance Of The Dead
7. Calabrese – Voices Of The Dead
8. Dwarves – Devil’s Level
9. One Eyed Doll – Things Of Darkness
10. Buck-O-Nine – Don’t Be Afraid
11. The Members – Jack The Ripper
12. Guttermouth – Ain’t Life A Bitch
13. UK Subs – I Walked With A Zombie
14. Down By Law – Rip It Off
15. JFA – From The Neck Up
16. Sylvain Sylvain – There’s Something Wrong
17. The Coffin Daggers – Wake Up Screaming
18. Walter Lure – Black Cat Woman
19. The Freeze – Among The Missing
20. The Vibrators – Creatures Of The Night
21. The Independents – Isabella
22. Super Heroines – The Beast
23. Peligro – Halloween
24. Naked Aggression – Trending In Blood
25. Dead Cat Lounge – Candy Kills
26. Bankrupt – Endless Halloween
27. 800 Octane – Heart Of The Dark
Halloween comp available for pre-order
The compilation with our one off song for Cleopatra has a release date. This compilation is looking pretty solid, and we’ve played with at least 4 of the bands on the comp as well. The album will be released on Oct 13, and is available for pre-order now at Amazon and a few other online retailers.
So… this happened.
So, we got an offer to be on an upcoming compilation album. The requirement? Write and record an original Halloween themed song, so that is just what we did. More details to be announced later.
Does anyone still buy CDs?
If so, all CD prices are now $5, which includes postage. Our ordering process is pretty low tech (send money via PayPal) but it does work. Also, for the old school among you, we did uncover some more copies of The Return. See our merch page for more.
Latest Photos