Teenage Garage Sale by Aric Davis

Teenage Garage Sale by Aric Davis

 (sponsored by The Teen Book Scene Tour)

Screeching Weasel LP, white vinyl, silk screened jacket.
It was my understanding that Screeching Weasel made 100 of these that were signed, 300 just like mine,
and 1000 on black vinyl. Pretty much impossible to get, because a lot were lost, and those who have
them do not want to sell. This has been my favorite record that I’ve never heard for almost half of my life.

Leather Jacket.
Still have it, way too fat to wear it in a zippable way. Covered in patches and paint, all I have to do is look
at this thing and I can smell high school, piss, and vinegar.

Composition Books, by Mead.
My journals. Mostly songs, some reflections. The majority of stuff in these make me cringe, but the other
stuff? Kinda good. I could at least write part of a decent song, even when I didn’t know anything about
girls, the world or myself. The good stuff sticks out, the rest is dreck.

Wallet.
Leather with a chain, Harley patch de-threaded and removed. Changed my mind, not for sale. I still use this thing every day.

Three row pyramid spiked belt.
Again, I still wear this every day, so you’re going to need to make a heck of an offer. I’ve cut new belt holes about fifteen times, and sometimes because I lost weight!

The Bounty Hunters, The Answers Don’t Mean Anything, cassette.
I always knew that I would be in a punk band, when I wound up in a good one it was incredible! Our second demo tape sold a few hundred copies, and though I’m not proud of this as much as I used to be, I can listen and remember where I was. If nothing else, that tape let me see about half of the continental US.

White Chuck Taylors.

This was what I wore when I wasn’t wearing Doc Martens. Kind of a revolt against the Ramones,
because they weren’t cool anymore, but had yet to die-they’re cool again after death-so the white Chuck’s
were a small rebellion against their signature black, major label, stretch pant wearing ways. I wear black
now, though I did go pink for a year because I got the pair for eight bucks.

Avail, live with Snapcase in 1996.
This is, and always will be, the best concert that I’ve ever seen. I would rather see it again than sell you
the ticket, but I can tell you about it. There was a stage and a P.A., and the kids came from miles around,
to get messed up on the music. I walked in and a skinny man said, “Hi, we’re Snapcase.” Every show
I played after that, I said the same thing, with my band’s name in place of Snapcase. They killed that
night, instantly becoming one of my favorite bands. But Avail was even better. I was there, I bought the
shirt. Avail was unreal, they knew they were as good as they were going to get, and they loved it. It’s
one thing to play to a crowd, another to be loved by one, and they knew they were loved. A year later,
I met Beau-Beau, their roadie/hype man/back up singer, and he saw my Avail tattoo in a hotel hallway.
He said, “dude, you like my band”, and showed me his own Avail tattoo. I told him about the show, and
about how they may have saved my life a time or two. He hugged me and he meant it. The hug is not for
sale.

Cigarettes.
I’m quit of them now, but I couldn’t get enough in high school. Please just take them off my hands.

Seeing The Riverdales live.

Ben Weasel-of Screeching Weasel fame-in his other band. He swore Weasel was done, but I was there
when Jughead walked on stage at the end of The Riverdales set, plugged into an amp and they played
the song “Slogans”. I have never seen a riot with so many smiling faces.