No More Bad Days, an evening with This Wild Life to battle Breast Cancer.
In addition to dying my hair pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I wanted to find an event where I could get more involved by either donating my time or money in support of the cause. My pink hair was cute & brought awareness to the subject but let’s face it, dying my hair pink wasn’t gonna save any lives. So I got on the internet to look for events that were happening around me.
Google led me to nationalbreastcancer.org, the NBCF had a list of nationwide events going on during the month of October that people could attend. This is where I found This Wild Life’s breast cancer awareness show.
Prior to this, I had no idea who This Wild Life was to be completely honest. However I like a little mystery & putting myself in new situations so I was up for whatever I was getting myself into. The ticket was $20 & it came with a free t-shirt so I didn’t even think twice about it. The show was also hosted at Chain Reaction, a venue I had never been to. So the idea of getting to see a new location as well was even more of a plus. I figured that even if I didn’t like the music I could at least leave satisfied knowing that I was there to support a bigger cause.
As I’m walking into the parking lot of Chain Reaction I feel kind of timid & a bit like an outcast to tell you the truth. I felt like I had stumbled across an exclusive treehouse that only the local cul-de-sac children were in the know of. I had pastel pink hair with a mini skirt to match, a heather grey tank top, a heavy jean jacket, & my Rihanna creepers. I felt a bit overdressed for the crowd. Chain Reaction is very small but you can tell that people absolutely love it in its entirety. Its a bit run down but it’s intimate & holds history which is proudly displayed across its walls. You can tell its a local OC gem with its own little community.
I was unsure if there was going to be opening acts but I was pleasantly surprised with performances by Our Last Night, I The Mighty, & Little Envy. The opening acts were good but it was truly This Wild Life’s show. They completely owned it.
The reaction of the crowd when This Wild Life walked out was absurd. Everyone cheering while reaching in their pockets to grab their phones to open up Snapchat. Throughout their whole performance it was like you could barely hear them singing over the crowd. Everyone knew every word & no one was afraid to sing along. It felt so good to be in a big room where everyone was on the same Cloud(ed).
For those of you who are unfamiliar with This Wild Life, they’re a dynamic duo from the LBC made up of Kevin Jordan & Anthony Del Grosso. Their sound can be identified as acoustic pop punk with honest hit-home lyrics. The pair was signed to Epitaph which released their album Clouded & took them to the Vans Warped Tour in 2014. Currently they’re coming to a close on the AP Tour which includes As It Is, Real Friends, & Mayday Parade. They will also be featured on this year’s Punk Goes Christmas.
Musically, TWL proved to have it all. Between their instruments & vocals I was left thoroughly impressed. However it is their personality that pushes them over the edge. I loved that they would take the time to talk about the songs & all the different stories behind them. My favorites included the songs No More Bad Days & Puppy Love. Puppy Love is about Kevin’s dog, Humphrey. In honor of the lovable pup, a giant mascot dog surfed the crowd which was incredibly fun. No More Bad Days is a song about Kevin’s mother & the hard times that they endured between losing their house & his mother going through chemo.
As most would assume, Kevin & his experience with his mother’s cancer was some definite drive for the benefit show. However, it was truly Anthony’s idea to put on the benefit show & raise money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. With a sold out show, the help of Epitaph, & their devoted fans, TWL was able to raise $10,000 for the NBCF. The show was a really sweet & humbling experience. I was so happy to have been there & even more satisfied to know that I was giving back.
For those of you that missed the show but would still like to contribute to TWL’s fight against breast cancer, you can donate directly or purchase an exclusive t-shirt which donates 100% of the profits to the NBCF.
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