This city, is in fact, big enough for all of us.

Dearest Reader,

You landed on my blog, congratulations. I moved here from East Los Angeles to Erie County, winter 2011 with just two suit cases and the wanderlust of an infinite dreamer. Soon after became my dark ages of military enlistment, terrible relationships and self-imprisonment in a small town. There was a time when I was comfortable making pizza at a local shop that paid me just enough to pay rent and be a bar fly. I began to meet friends that introduced me to the local jam band scene, taking me to festivals and a club called The Rook that was so out of my comfort zone and I became wildly intrigued with the sound and the patrons who attended. There were bands like Aqueous and Jimkata that played music that incorporated a sound that fused the best of funk, rock with electronic dance music. Soon later, I found the punk scene which I was even more familiar with. One band in particular, Mala Sangre was on a poster describing themselves as Hispanic punk and upon arrival to this very tasteful basement show that was hosted by local legend Marlene, I began to finally feel comfortable embracing my new home in this unfamiliar area. The jam band and punk scenes were vastly different and had very little crossover in terms of what venues they played and people who attended. I planned to be a part of both.

I always played an instrument as long as I could remember. It began with the 1960 Kay acoustic guitar that my mom owned when she was a teenager. Later it was passed on to my older bother and sister, then to yours truly. Later was a drum set my brother bought on impulse and gave to me. With that drum set I had my first band in high school, we did Misfit covers and only played in my garage. My teen years, my brother took it upon himself to take me to punk shows at proper venues to see bands like Slightly Stoopid and Nofx. I took it upon myself to lie to my parents and “sleepovers” meant we were going to punk shows in dusty backyards and abandoned houses. I also went to all ages raves and tarp parties that played EDM all over LA county. That past influenced me as a musician and created my curiosity to find anything that resembled that sound and find a home here through that kind of scene, Later down the line, in my mid-twenties I acquired a mandolin. Soon after when I joined LUCiD I was gifted a drum kit again and my life changed forever, I was becoming the person I was meant to be.

There is a saying “No mud, no lotus” I always thought there was something bigger for me in this area and trudged through hardships that I felt impossible to overcome. Poverty being the biggest obstacle, followed by relationships that stripped me from my worth. There is residual struggle that sometimes gets sparked by those who have deep seeded resentment for anything my friends and I accomplish. This only makes me push back just as hard and forgive them because people tend to judge what they hate about themselves. I hope if I am ever worthy to transcend to their perceived power and impact on the local music scene to the generation that will follow us, I will be helpful in their journey as musicians and organizers. Until that day, I’m looking forward to those people becoming so wildly successful that they do not have enough time to worry about what we do. I have been waiting so long to blossom, and in my late twenties, I found my community of peers who themselves were thought-provoking artists, musicians and activists. I have been introduced to many fascinating facets of existence. I have gained life experience paying attention and learning from those around me who themselves dreamed to make the city of Erie a place of community and good music. I would never have been able to do any of this on my own. It hasn’t been easy, but I have also been very fortunate to have people that helped me curate and change my life. This city is big enough for all of us to live out our dreams and make a lasting impact.

Today I am the drummer for Odd Atrocity and Dysmorphia. I am in a folk punk vaudeville act called Dumpster Garden. I also am a singer-song writer. I am also the hospitality liaison for a non-profit called OddCity Entertainment. I have found my home here in the Erie area playing shows and assisting my friends to put on events that benefit the community. This blog is my stories and photos that give a glimpse of the community we have built over the years. The impact and personal growth inspired me to document these stories for both myself, and curious fans that enjoy what we do.

Your humble narrator,

Rayn