Rocky Votolato Orlando 2016

ROCKY VOTOLATO performing ‘MAKERS’ at Backbooth on Tuesday, September 20! | w/ Likeways and Chris Staples

by • September 15, 2016

Rocky Votolato is my favorite storyteller. Makers is an album I listened to over and over when I was starting Shows I Go To. It’s safe to say, Rocky Votolato inspired Shows I Go To.

I went through a really shit time previous to starting SIGT. Times where I questioned my existence, my integrity, and experienced my worst depression. Listening to Makers spoke directly to me. It’s when I began writing with a pen in a journal for the first time. I felt it helped but I also thought it didn’t matter, nothing mattered – “No, I’m not doing alright, I’m just as stupid and desperate as I’ve always been … ALL THE — USELESSNESS I WRITE … “

Bleed my failure into something right.

Facing failure and defeat is the most humbling and sobering mirror to look into. I decided to take all the negativity I was writing about in my head and start something in the opposite direction. I was going to concerts multiple nights a week and I never really liked show reviews. I make a commitment to change the feeling associated with the live music review. I searched URLs and found showsigoto.com was available. The sign was very clear, however I didn’t really understand it read “This Will Save Your Life,” until I looked back at it. ShowsIGoTo saved my life. Rocky Votolato was the soundtrack to my rescue.

Please, please slow it down. There’s a secret magic past world that you only notice when you’re looking back at it.

I decided to stay up late on March 10, 2013 and not sleep until I launched the website, plus the three reviews I wrote as anchors. Since, I’ve had a lot of very late nights which go into early mornings – 6, 7, 8, even 9am. Rocky Votolato continues to play in the background of my mind, effortlessly reminding me that I’m not alone – “I’m gonna stay up all night every night for the rest of my life, till the lines around my eyes grow deeper and more defined, you might ask me aren’t you dead inside and so damn tired, I’ll say I have no idea, I’m not sleeping until after the dying is over.” Fuck. Listen to this:

I’ve never been more enthralled to be wrapped in the center of death. I’m dying because my band is opening for Rocky Votolato on Tuesday, September 20 at Backbooth in Orlando, FL. We’re called Likeways. My emotions will never run higher than performing onstage to a room full of curiosity and whiskey, then screaming stories back at my favorite storyteller surrounded by broken lovers nourishing hope. Yeah, it’s going to be the best day of my year. Please listen to Makers, learn it, and bleed with me.

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$15 cash or Venmo — email mitch@showsigoto.com, subject: Rocky V Tix. 🙂

“We can go and walk in the darkness get relief at each streetlight. Don’t know how much it’d cost us probably more than I’ve spent in my whole life on these silly ideas that waste more time than I had to lose when I woke up this morning.” When I was growing SIGT I was making it all up as I went along,(I still am). A lot of the time, it didn’t make sense. It sucked. I wanted to give up. My mother told me I was wasting my time on silly concerts and I should get a steady job. Maybe she’s right, I thought. But Rocky stood up and calmly reminded me she is wrong and I can do this.

I started going for runs often, doing yoga and focusing on my health and eating right. Now, SIGT is growing at a swift rate and it’s sometimes impossible to manage every direction we’re going simultaneously. We’re true to ourselves and honest but we’re human and we fuck up sometimes. But, even now, I get Rocky reminders, “Seems like I’ve got so much more to lose now than I ever had before.” I won’t fuck it up.

If SIGT was personified, I’d recite Rocky lyrics with a sweet whisper into her ear — we’re married, it’s the only way. This thing I started means the entire world to me now. I’ve never had better friends. I’m so rich with love inside. I know everything ends, but I can only wish I end before she does. “Life keeps on changing you tell it to stay still but it won’t listen I just want you near me like you are now for good.”

See you on Tuesday.

Death keeps calling me, she’s gonna set me free … heaven or heavenless, we’re all headed for the same sweet darkness.

Rocky Votolato Orlando 2016 preview by Mitch.

Get TIX from SIGT — Service Fee Free!
$15 cash or Venmo — email mitch@showsigoto.com, subject: Rocky V Tix. 🙂

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