Are you a big AFI fan? The band will be in town, in support of its new album Crash Love, on Saturday, March 13, for a concert at The Fillmore Charlotte with The Loved Ones and Scarlet Grey. To go along with the show, we’re giving away two tickets and a chance to meet the band before the show.
So, how do you win? We want to know why you’re such a big AFI fan — why do you want to meet the band? What does their music mean to you? What’s your favorite story relating to their music or lyrics?
Post your response in the comments section below with your e-mail address so we can contact the winner. You have until the end of the day on Friday, March 5, to enter. On Monday, March 8, we’ll post the winner’s entry and notify them about how to claim their tickets, etc. At the end of the day on Friday, March 5, we’ll choose the most creative or meaningful story as the winner.
This article appears in Feb 16-22, 2010.
AFI means everything to me.
Why yes, that sounds silly. But it’s true, they are the fire inside of ME.
I discovered them while going through some tough times, the death of a family member, and serious depression from being made fun of at school. But there was SOMETHING, something about the music that I heard that gave me strength.
I eventually decided to research the people behind the band, and discovered that they were REAL. I watched interviews, and each member was so kind, humorous, and just AMAZING. I had forgotten that people like them actually existed. I found out that they were straight edge vegans, and decided to try it for myself. I have been a vegan straight edge for about five months now, and have no desire to ever go back.
I have always begged and BEGGED my parents to allow me to go to an afi show, but they always refused. My sister had recently disappeared from college for the second time in a year, and ran away to New York City, where she opened a new bank account, disconnected her phone, and refused to have any contact.
Even though I have always been the most relaxed and in control member of my family, my parents were afraid to let me to an afi concert, of fear that I might run away like my sister did. (Which I would never do. I understand their concern, but I have never had any desire to escape from my life. I love every single person involved in it.)
But they have recently agreed to let me go to the Charlotte concert, if I can find my own way to pay for tickets. This however is a problem for me. My sister went to a private college, and worked herself into about $20,000 worth of debt without telling us. Now that she has vanished of her own accord, we have been left to pay off her debt, which has left us with very little money for anything else.
Call it silly, but winning these tickets would mean the world to me. As my world is AFI, as I wish for it to always be.
AFI really is one of the biggest influences in my life. I associate their music with the strength it has brought me over the years. My favorite, most memorable story of how AFI has impacted me goes like this:
For a little more than one year of my life, I was homeless. When I was fourteen years old my mother lost her job, and because we could no longer pay rent, we were soon evicted from our house. My mother and I both got terrible jobs at this sleazy motel working as housekeepers. Instead of actually paying us, the manager let us stay in a disgusting room in the back of the motel. The whole time we were there we never knew when our next meal would be, or if we would even have somewhere to sleep the next night.
Before we lost our house, I never realized how much of a person’s identity is tied up in where they live. When I lost my home, I lost a part of myself. I made some pretty terrible choices during this part of my life. I would go out and drink excessive amounts of alcohol and I began cutting myself, always trying to find what I was missing. No matter how I tried, I never felt like an entirely real person, until I discovered AFI. The music is like nothing else in the world. There is a depth and intelligence to it that really just astounds me. When I would listen to their music, it felt like the piece of me that had been missing so long was finally replaced with something better, something that could never be taken away.
Throughout the time I was homeless, I clung furiously to the idea that there was this dynamic group of people in the world creating something so extraordinary. I would fantasize about what I would say to them if I ever got the chance. AFI was really my solace; the members of AFI were my role models, my standard by which I wanted to live my life. After learning that some of the members of the band were straight-edge, I stopped drinking and became straight-edge as well. I learned to respect myself, and a sort of strength was offered to me through their music. AFI helped me through the darkest time in my life.
Now I am nineteen, and I have really never been happier. I like to think that AFI was a massive part of that. I’m not going to say that AFI saved my life, because I believe that when it comes down to it, you can only really save yourself. I will say that AFI, the music, the way the members of the band present themselves, has had a bigger effect on my life than anything else in the world. This is why I am such a huge AFI fan.
I want to meet AFI just to try and express my gratitude to them for everything they do. It would mean everything to me just to say thank you.
So the question is why do I love AFI so much, musically as well as personally? Well that is a long and always enjoyable story.
AFI as a band and musically has been a huge inspiration on my life as a whole. I have been a fan of AFI since 2001 and a member of their despair faction since early 2004. I met the love of my life through the enjoyment of their melodic melodies and have enjoyed everything AFI has had to offer. Their songs go deep into my life’s twists and turns and have comforted me when it seemed as though nothing could.
A back story on my life will help show what AFI has really helped me overcome and conquer from my past. The date was September 25 in 2005 and after Hurricane Katrina there was yet another Hurricane named Rita. Hurricane Rita was to hit land in a small costal city in TX called Corpus Christi. So like many others that were in the same area we evacuated to the inner states to run from this monster storm…long story short she didn’t hit Corpus Christi. Well as you are probably thinking whew as we were the story does not end there as I wish that it did. Instead as we headed home from our short trip to Oklahoma we received a phone call from a panic stricken neighbor with the words that no one would want to hear: “Your house is on fire!” As we headed through the outskirts of Houston we pulled to the side of the road and sat in total ruin. Since we had evacuated in such a hurry we had left all of our possessions and even a few of our pets inside our once safe and comforting home. So as we returned to our remainder of what we once had so many found memories in nothing was left but the skeletal remains of our home. My cats Havok and Ming were found inside but were no longer there to be by my side the firefighters buried them in the back near the fence. My cockatiel Pete was no longer there but the horrific sight of his burnt cage mangled in the once large den/ family room remains. The firefighters labeled this an “electrical fire” but this was soon to be overturned because the Police found it to be Robbery Arson. The house had been broken into by the back door, electronics and gaming devices as well as my DVD collection had been taken and then the house was caught a blaze. My cats would have been roaming freely around the house as usual and Havok a young addition to the family would have greeted them as they ravaged our home for childish and expendable items. They knowingly closed the door behind them after setting the place a blaze with our pets inside.
This I felt was the worst and most tragic day of my life. Time stopped and it seemed as though the world actually ceased to turn. At the time I could’ve cared less, to me my life was over and there was nothing to comfort me from the pain of emptiness that soon swallowed me whole. There was one thing though that I could connect with that kept my lungs moving and the dim light in my eyes shinning, and it was Davey’s lyrics and the musical instruments of Hunter, Jade and Adam that what you could say saved me. Sing the Sorrow seemed to sooth my screamingly numb soul and found me when I couldn’t even find myself. Fire is a remarkable thing, its power is unstoppable and when it’s done it leaves nothing but ash and remains of what was; this is how I felt. There was nothing left to me but the skeletal remains and a hollow shell of ash of what I once was. But from the tune of Leaving Song to But Home is Nowhere life continued to go. The sun continued to shine and the world seemed to turn once again. Davey’s lyrics played to my song of life and the instrumentals were my soundtracks to my own private movie where I had front row seats. The announcement that AFI was to soon release a new album in the summer of 2006 and this gave me hope for climbing out of my hollowed self. December Underground was the title of this new hope and it again hit home for me. I felt as though I was tumbling in what could be described as a cold December underground alone and with no way out. But with AFI there and their powerful, inspirational, and moving works of art there was a light at the end of my tunnel, and there was a way up from the bottom of the barrel. The recent release of Crash Love has once again blown me away with the ever-changing persona of the sound of AFI; I just can’t seem to get enough of it. The way that the lyrics are designed to describe the flames of love and the dimmer times and make it a point to show love at its higher peak and the destruction that is left behind from the crash of the high.
I now have a forever embedded reminder of what I have been struck with and overcome in my life proudly displayed on the top of my right wrist. The piece (tattoo) is the word HAVOK written over in a cuff shaped pattern. I reminder that I can overcome and there is a way to keep going. As the new me ascended out of the ash of which I once was AFI was there with their melodic tunes and deep lyrical pulse. I became an open straight edge after finding out that there was actually a name to this lifestyle that I was unaware that I had been living. Davey Havok has been what some I guess may call my role model to life. From being vegan and straight edge to standing up for animal rights and against many organizations Davey has inspired me to be who I am and stand for what I believe in. His lyrics are stirring and the depth has no end, the meaning of one song to one may mean a totally different thing to another and it is ok. I feel that the songs are written that way for a reason, so that they are personal and they do more than just bounce off your ear drums they sink into your soul. You don’t really listen to AFI you live it. They say that you either love or hate them but once you’re a fan its forever. There is no I once was a fan but no longer listen to them….its a lifestyle and a way of life.
AFI is what keeps me breathing. They are what helps me through not only the tragic or darken days but the exciting ones as well. If I’m down they bring me up, and if I’m already up then I’m flying on the high of what AFI generates. I would love the opportunity to meet the band as a whole and actually try to put into words what they have done for me, and how they have helped shape the person I am today. AFI moves me to strive for more and aids me to do what I know is right and be the person I know that I really am. Thank you so much for this opportunity and listening to a short story of my life. I am but 22 years old and I still have a lot of life left to live, having this chance to meet the band that has helped me become the “real me” would be a phenomenal achievement and would quite literally mean the world to me!
Thank you again for this opportunity and the time! Much love and appreciation!
AFI means sooooo much to me. Their lyrics inspire me.
You know you have a serious obsession when people know you as “the girl who’s obsessed with AFI”. I have proudly worn that title for about 10 years now. I don’t want to get in to a big sob story but I will say that their music was my only friend at a time when I had no one. I was put in inpatient treatment right when Sing The Sorrow came out and that was what kept me going and made me know I was never alone as long as I had their music.
I live in Austin, TX and have seen the guys in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Oklahoma, and most recently I flew to Portland for one day just to see them. I’ve waited for hours in super cold weather just to briefly see the guys and get autographs multiple times. I have a large AFI tattoo on my back that says “in shadows growing wings”. Two rooms of my house are dedicated to AFI related artwork I have done and various things I’ve collected over the years. The feeling I get when I listen to their music is unlike any other. I feel as if all of my most personal thoughts and feeling have been given a soundtrack.
If I am fortunate enough to be chosen I will drop everything and get on the first plane to Charlotte. There is nothing that would mean more to me than to actually get the chance to tell them how amazing they are in person. Thank you so much for having this giveaway and thank you for taking the time to read this! -Erin
AFI is a big part of my life. Haha, I guess I’m coming off as that crazed fangirl probablly, but it’s true. I’ve been listening to them since I was about… Ten, maybe?
Yeah. I’ve boughtten all of thier music. I enjoy the differences in the sound, unlike others, who complain about it. Personally, Crash Love and Sing The Sorrow are my favorites.
The lyrics to Darling I Want To Destroy You and Silver And Cold are probablly some of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard. They inspired me to right some of my own music, and have helped me out in some tough times. And I swear, on iTunes I have listened to Silver & Cold 87 times. And counting.
The band members are a whole nother thing… I’ve been vegatarian my whole life, and when I found out they were too, they were that much cooler. Plus, they have some of the best taste in humor/music ever. If I’m looking for a new band, I usually look thtough some bands they like and I usually love it too. And when I’m bored or in bad mood I go on YouTube and look up the hilarious things they do.
All in all, I really enjoy them. They have really deep meaning, and have kept me going for quite some time.
I myself have no buisness entering this contest. Even though I am a long-time fan of AFI. Instead, this is for the benefit of my dearest friend, Katie.
Katie was the one who got me into AFI. One day I found her dancing to her iPod in the middle of a hallway during a break at school. I watched her for several seconds, as did many other students, before they began to chuckle at her.
I grabbed the rapidly moving Katie, and tugged her down the hallway. Her eyes were bright and enthusiastic from the music. I was shaking my head in disbelief and her silly dancing, and asked what exactly she was doing.
“Listening to afi!” Was her only reply, and she moved down the hallway, a goofy grin on her face as she seemed to float down it. I looked after her, and couldn’t stop my own face from breaking into a grin.
After school, we both snuck into our favorite hangout spot at school, the auditorium. It was mostly unused, except for when the drama department put on a musical. She plugged up her iPod speakers, and blasted her newly found favorite band into the giant room. I found myself joining her in the silly dancing, and realized that I LIKED this band! But her face told me that she did not just like this band, their music could transport her into another world.
Months passed, and Katie and I faithfully purchased every song by afi we could get our hands on. We watched every interview, and she bought every poster.
This band had brought us even closer together, and we could not stand to be apart from each other, or afi.
Those months developed into a new school year, and Katie and I didn’t have classes together anymore. I rarely saw her in the hallway. We slowly started to drift apart.
More time went by. Soon I heard that afi was releasing a new album. I couldn’t help myself, I felt excited! Even though Katie and I were no longer friends, afi still bestowed me with fond memories.
I went to buy the album the day it came out. While I was purchasing it at Best Buy, I saw Katie buying it too. But she wasn’t the same Katie I remembered. She looked tired, and worn out. She didn’t have that goofy grin upon her face anymore. But there was something, something in her eyes that lit up when she picked up that CD. I could see a glimmer of the old Katie. But then her phone rang. And just as suddenly as the old Katie appeared, she was gone. Never in my life have I ever heard more screaming in a phone conversation. I am not even able to convey what was being said. She screamed, yelled, and cried. A terrified Best Buy manager quietly asked her to leave.
This scene will never leave my mind, I keep seeing it over and over. She screamed one last thing into the phone, shoved it in her purse, and glared at the manager. He backed up, and meekly asked her to leave. She nodded tightly, eyes glittering with rage. She still held the new afi cd in her hand. She slowly raised her arm, tossed it to the ground as hard as she could, and ran out of the store.
I didn’t hear anything else about Katie until two weeks ago. I found out that her father committed suicide. For some reason, I felt guilty. I felt that if I had continued to be Katie’s friend, this wouldn’t have happened to her.
Through a random facebook status, I heard about this afi concert. Is it my last chance to make everything up to Katie? We had once known everything and anything about afi, and it brought us so close together. Could it perhaps bring us together again? I eventually decided to call Katie. The phone conversation was difficult, but I awkwardly asked if she wanted to come over and listen to “Crash Love.” She agreed.
That night, through afi, we were able to patch up our broken friendship. We laughed, we cried. We ate two tubs of ice cream, and watched every afi music video several times in a row. Something magical must have happened that night, SOMETHING about afi changed us.
We’ve talked, and have decided to go to the concert together, if we can manage to get the money for it. Katie’s mother is going through enough right now, and my family isn’t exactly rich.
But despite that, Katie and I want to speak to the boys of afi. To thank them for giving us each other. But most of all, for giving us the magic of their music.
I have already written my post but the more I think about it the more I realize I could and should have said. So here is my addendum to my previous post… There is far more to my love for AFI than just their music. They are each such amazingly talented musicians but they are also amazing human beings. Every single person I’ve ever talked to who knows them or has met any of them says the same thing, “Those guys are so nice”. In a time when so many musicians/ performers are more concerned about their fame than anything else these guys truly care. They treat their fans like equals rather than giving off that “worship me” vibe that alot of musicians can give off. These guys are real and that makes me respect their music so much more. It may sounds a bit strange but AFI has become a sort of way of life for me. By seeing the way they interact with each other and with their fans it shows me that there are good people in the world and it inspires me to try to be one of them. I strive to treat people with kindness and not look down on people. I strive to not live foolishly or excessively. I strive to put more good into the world than I take out. I strive to not do anything to further animal cruelty. Their messages have not fallen on deaf ears. The way they live and what they says inspires me daily to be a better person. Thank you for reading Part 2 of my entry! -Erin
I would like the chance to meet them to simply say thank you (I know they get this alot) but it personally would mean something to me to let them know how much they impacted my life and eventually led me to pursue my dreams and what I love to do and not what others wanted of me. I know their intention as a band wasnt to set out and change lives but that is the result in my case. and to me that is priceless and all I can give is my gratitude.
To me, each album they release makes me excited to listen to music again! (even though I am a huge fan of music) Its refreshing because their album has a new sound both lyrically and musically speaking compared to whats out at the time and makes each cd unique. Each album transcends the previous and I always look forward to hearing which direction they take. AFI is one of the bands that I can look back on on each album in the past 10 years and each one marks a chapter in my life, making it unforgetable and truly a part of me. Most if not all tracks on an album manages to put my feelings and thoughts in to words in a way I cant. These words are timeless. So to look back on them I remember how I felt and the memories that come with it. its like a diary written by someone else about me you could say, because the lyrics are open to interpretation and lets you give them your own meaning behind the words, making them more personal.
I dont have a particular favorite story (and there are alot) about their music/lyrics but I do know what their music has given to me. It has given me some of the greatest memories and surrounded me with the best of friends one could have. I was the black sheep of the family and even when i was in high school (being sXe and vegan and also due to my music choices) so when AFI created the Despair Faction, I immediately joined and it was nice to have that medium and know that there was other people out there like me, who I could connect with especially at a time when most people are finding themselves and resorting to drugs and drinking, I avoided it. I just didnt see the appeal in drinking or doing recreational drugs as ‘fun’ and other usual stuff that happens during High School. Going to AFI shows anytime they were near was an experience in itself. I’d plan for weeks and I’d get to meet up with my friends on the DF who lived far away or I’d even manage to save money to fly out and go to a show or two with them. What makes each show so fun is that AFI is not only a band that plays beyond extraordinary music, they’re also a band that blurs the lines between the crowd and themselves and connects with the audience. They just have an energy about them that make each time a memorable show, its hard to explain unless you experience it. Through them, whether it be shows, or the DF, I got to meet some extraordinary people who I can call my friends and I wouldnt trade that for anything.
So to them, I am thankful and they have truly made a difference in not only my life, as well as others in the AFI family, because we truly are one and saying the word ‘fan’ sounds so inconsequential to what we really are.
also to the people reading this thanks for this opportunity! 🙂
Personally, I don’t think one can be a “bigger” afi fan than someone else. I don’t think I need 80 billion paragraphs to express my devotion. I’ll try to do it in one sentence.
AFI is my passion, my life.
I also noticed that “creative” responses were encouraged. So here you go…
I had pancakes for breakfast. Like whoa.
Thanks for your time, and reading my stupid response. XD
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