"this small part of me..."

The first and only time i saw Small Brown Bike was with my late and great friend Daniel Keeler. I was in my junior year at Plattsburgh State and Danny was in his sophmore. We both had a mutual friend named Dave Terra who hosted a hardcore/punk/etc radio that we would go visit in the studio every weds night around 8pm i believe. It was pretty fun, i can't remember how many cds we stole from that place but anything new and played once was fair game until i think the heads of the dept started to figure out us randoms walking out with hefty backpacks prob wasn't such a solid move. Anyways Diamonds and I bought tickets for the Small Brown Bike and needed a ride, I think my jeep was being fixed or i was just too broke to drive, but i remember it was cold as shit out but there wasn't any snow. It's always like that in Plattsburgh, it could be June, I swear. None the less, Dave offered to drive us all up and that seemed like no problem for Danny or I (I'm pretty sure after 3 years i was just sick of driving to shows and my jeep was broken into in Mtrl soon before). That day i remember i was really excited-i never saw them live and missed them in Albany and Syracuse a couple times before. Ok so back to the story-Dave picks us up outside Danny's apartment (these were the "living with Tim and Jer" years) in the most fucked up piece of shit car I/We had ever seen, I mean this thing was a pile of pure retarded shit with over 6 different shades and colors all of which were not bright. Danny and I looked at each other both said "what the fuck" and climbed in. Dave explained it was his roommate's car and his wouldn't have made it to Montreal and back, as if this thing had a chance. Like i said it was cold, and this thing def had no heat except to snuggle your sneakers under whatever trash was piled up at your feet and put your Bane hoodie up. We get to the border and Dave rolls down the window and I can tell imediately the RED flag is up for this hunk of shit we're rolling in. The normal questions are asked and the ID's are exchanged and of course we are told to pull off to the side, park the car and please wait inside until we are called back out. So, we all sit and wait these hospital like chairs for prob 30 mins until Dave is called up to the desk. Danny and I are sitting there not happy to say the least staring at Dave talk to the frog behind the counter who is also NOT happy. Soon Dave walks back towards us with a displeased look on his face and he sits down and says "shit, im in trouble." Danny and I are now more than worried and ask "WHAT THE FUCK DUDE?" Dave explains that the year before at his apartment they ran out of toilet paper, so instead of going to the corner store or using a fucking paper towel he went to the campus library and decided to steal a back packs worth only to be caught on camera and arrested by campus security. I say, "Sooo, when you were asked back there at the booth if you had ever been arrested and you said No-you lied" Dave said "Yeah pretty much." Danny said "Awesome dude." We sit for another 20 minutes not really saying anything and Danny I are trying to figure out how in the hell we are getting home when we all get escorted back out to the nice metal turd parked outside. That's when shit got real awesome real quick. They start to search the car and sift through the trash-most of the agent speaking French to each other when one says "Ok everyone empty your pockets" I lay out a lighter some cigs my wallet and Danny lays out his wallet and some pocket change while Dave decides to pull out this fucking wad of 3000 dollars in cash. OK, another RED flag goes up and they start in on him once again "What does you's need such money for?" the biggest guy asks "For drugs?" Dave starts to explain that he just cashed his college refund check and didn't go home before the bank-mean while Keeler and I are looking at each other like "holy shit dude." Then RED flag number three decides to show up when this lady border cop starts FREAKING out in French in the front seat where all the agents rush up only to walk back to Dave holding a nice stinky fat ugly mangled piece bud of weed. "What is this? Is dis pot? Smells like pot. It is Pot is it yes?" Dave's response "Uh thats not mine, it must be my roommate's this is his car" Danny and I are looking now at each other like "HOLY FUCKING SHIT DUDE" when RED flag number four decides to join the party. "Ok Mr. Terra, not your drugs? Lets see whats in the trunk" Dave's response, "Umm there is one problem, the trunk doesn't open, it's jammed" "I don't care what it is that trunk is opening tonight" said the big dude again this time holding a crow bar. Now at this point Danny and I are pretty sure we are going to jail too and never going home or getting deported and Im so nervous i start to laugh, Danny on the other hand gets into his "take matters into your own hands" mode and says "YO! gimme that thing, I'll open it." He then proceeds to BEAT THE FUCKING SHIT out of this trunk with those skinny little arms but all in all just dents it even more for about 10 minutes with everyone of us just staring at him. At this point I think even the cops are amused when the big guy says "Ok Mr. Terra, if you ever think you can cross dis border again with tons of money, drugs and a car like dis again you will not make it, now get rid of it and go" he says handing Dave the pot and pointing to Montreal. We all sit dumb founded for a minute pretty sure its a joke and we will be shot at the first sight of movement when Dave says "Ahhhh what?" "GET RID OF IT" said the cop. Dave looks at Danny and I and tosses it over his shoulder into the roadway and walks slowly to the car, as do we. We get in and head towards Montreal in disbelief and none of us a said a word to each other. Anyways, long as story short- we made it to the show in time to see Small Brown Bike and I posted up at the bar and got drunk and Danny stood there pissed off and stewing the whole show and I'm pretty sure Dave went outside and got high most of the set. We headed back still in silence only to be waved by the US customs agent reading a book, ironic.

-This song reminds me of my friend Danny and i would have to say it was one of the best shows I have ever been too and a story i'll never forget and the fact that I got to experience it with a good friend like him only makes it that much more real to me every time i think of it.


Cheers.