‘Where the Streets Have No Name’ is my first musical memory in my Delphos home because I have parents with taste in a wasteland of country music. If you ever find yourself in an argument with someone who is a country fan and they are trying to legitimize that mess, I have found a tried and true, ‘kill shot’ argument. Simply, either in your most sarcastic, or maligned hick accent voice, tell them, ‘She thinks my tractor’s sexy!’ If they give pushback, simply continue in the same voice, ‘It really turns me on.’ For me, 100% of the time this has ended the argument, and then you can talk to the person about their favorite SEC team.

‘Semi Charmed Life’ by Third Eye Blind was the first song I can remember that inspired a hope to get out of small town nowhere. Not because of the lyrics, about your girl coming around and (Radio edit: being very friendly to you). I want to be clear it also wasn’t because it introduced me to the concept of the drug crystal meth. It was because I remembered hearing it when we would go to the relatively close semi-city of Ft. Wayne, or the real city, Columbus, on the radio. Years later when I got the album I realized it was one of the best of the 90’s and I knew young me had a good ear. Covering, ‘Jumper’ was never anything short of a pleasure.

‘Hash Pipe’ in 2001 was my introduction to Weezer, I’m as confused as you are as to why it took that long. It bashes you in the face in the first 10 seconds with that power chord blast and falsetto opening, when the music video came on I was like, ‘Who is this and how can I be a part of it?’ This of course led me to back track to the Blue Album and Pinkerton as soon as 2001 bandwidth would allow, and what a treat that was. Weezer/Foo Fighters was my first concert, and as the fella says, ‘So I can die with a smile on my face, without feelin’ like the good lord gypped me.’

‘Yellow’ was my introduction to Coldplay, and unfortunately back then where I am from you had to hide the fact that you liked them. This was certainly not helped by the smash comedy hit ‘The 40 Year Old Virgin’ scene from 2005 where the lovable Paul Rudd states, ‘You know how I know you’re gay? You like Coldplay.’ Despite the ignorance I was surrounded by, there was no amount of homophobic slurs hurled in my direction that would have stopped me from loving the Parachutes album. ‘Yellow’ is simple, with a great guitar hook right away, and is basically perfect as a song.

‘Enter Sandman’ and ponying up five dollars American at Walmart to get the Metallica Black Album this month was what I would consider a sign of personal growth. I’ve always had an apprehension toward Metallica because I don’t consider myself a metal fan, but I have forever, as any guitarist should, appreciated the musical aptitude. So after reflection, limbering my mind, and turning it up to 11, ‘Enter Sandman’ is fucking legendary. The guitar is great, the relentless energy of it is great, I’m a sucker for the wah-wah effect, just a banger to the end.