Status: it's a short story, no going to be a long af story. just wrote it for school and liked it so I uploaded it here.
Lift Your Voices Towards the Sky
Austin Carlile is a cool dude
“If you have enough strength to help yourself, you have the strength to help those in need. Never pass up an opportunity.”
- Austin Carlile of Of Mice & Men
Lift Your Voices Towards The Sky
Austin Carlile walks out to the roaring Warped Tour crowd with a giant stuffed octopus plush hailed as ‘Squidgy’ in his grasp. The crowd grows louder at the sight of it.
“How’s it goin’, Cincinnati, Ohio?!” he shouts out into a microphone, taking a big leap onto an equipment box. Earning screams of joy, he goes onto ask who all has heard their new song. Everyone shouts in response.
“Good,” he smiles triumphantly, looking to his left at rhythm guitarist Alan Ashby and to his right at lead guitarist Phil Manansala. They return his smirk. He stares back out to the hordes of screaming teens. “Now I want every single last one of you to get down. Wherever you are, take a seat.” Without hesitation, everyone crouches as far down as they can get, knees feeling the intense pressure of tiny rocks being poked into them, but they stay put, eagerly awaiting his next instructions.
Initially surprised by this, Austin takes a quick look behind him back at his fellow band members. The drummer Tino Arteaga and new singer Aaron Pauley are grinning to each other in surprise.
Austin faces the mass of fans once more. “Cincinnati, Ohio,” he addressed the crowd again. “We are a family.” - screams ring out into the air - “Remember that. Look to the person next to you…they are counting on you to not knock them in the head when I tell you to finally get back up again. Promise them you won’t.” Murmurs erupt around area. “Great,” he says smiling. “Now not only am I trusting you, they are too...so what I need from you now, Cincinnati, Ohio, is to stay down where you are, but I swear to you, I won’t leave you there. Cincinnati, Ohio,” he acknowledges again, “we’re going to play our new song right now, and when I tell you to…I want every one of you to jump up. You got that?”
The crowd hollers making him smile again.
“We love you, Ohio,” he says blowing a kiss to the crowd. “Thanks for being here. This…is The Depths.” The crowd cheers and seconds later Alan, Tino, and Phil being to play the opening notes to their new song. Taking in the energy of the crowd, Austin can’t contain himself and begins to jump around the stage to the beat, and then, right on cue, as he sings the first line, “Get up!” the crowd flings their fists into the air, their bodies following suit.
Feeding off the bands energy, the crowd jumps along with them, minds caught on this moment right now. Not worrying about school or their lives at home. Just focusing on now.
In the crowd, lie scars on legs and arms and stomachs of many of the attendees, but smiles rest on their faces. This is what they’ve been waiting for. As the lyrics fall out of their mouths, their hearts are beating fast, reminding them they’re alive, and for most, this is why. Their favorite band playing their new song filled with words sharing their own experiences they’ve encountered through their life.
When the song ends, the band is amazed. These people out in the crowd are here for them, stayed for them and are living because of them.
“You guys are amazing,” Austin congratulates the fans. “We truly wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for you guys.”
Much to their knowledge, the feeling is mutual as certain fans wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for them.
- Austin Carlile of Of Mice & Men
Lift Your Voices Towards The Sky
Austin Carlile walks out to the roaring Warped Tour crowd with a giant stuffed octopus plush hailed as ‘Squidgy’ in his grasp. The crowd grows louder at the sight of it.
“How’s it goin’, Cincinnati, Ohio?!” he shouts out into a microphone, taking a big leap onto an equipment box. Earning screams of joy, he goes onto ask who all has heard their new song. Everyone shouts in response.
“Good,” he smiles triumphantly, looking to his left at rhythm guitarist Alan Ashby and to his right at lead guitarist Phil Manansala. They return his smirk. He stares back out to the hordes of screaming teens. “Now I want every single last one of you to get down. Wherever you are, take a seat.” Without hesitation, everyone crouches as far down as they can get, knees feeling the intense pressure of tiny rocks being poked into them, but they stay put, eagerly awaiting his next instructions.
Initially surprised by this, Austin takes a quick look behind him back at his fellow band members. The drummer Tino Arteaga and new singer Aaron Pauley are grinning to each other in surprise.
Austin faces the mass of fans once more. “Cincinnati, Ohio,” he addressed the crowd again. “We are a family.” - screams ring out into the air - “Remember that. Look to the person next to you…they are counting on you to not knock them in the head when I tell you to finally get back up again. Promise them you won’t.” Murmurs erupt around area. “Great,” he says smiling. “Now not only am I trusting you, they are too...so what I need from you now, Cincinnati, Ohio, is to stay down where you are, but I swear to you, I won’t leave you there. Cincinnati, Ohio,” he acknowledges again, “we’re going to play our new song right now, and when I tell you to…I want every one of you to jump up. You got that?”
The crowd hollers making him smile again.
“We love you, Ohio,” he says blowing a kiss to the crowd. “Thanks for being here. This…is The Depths.” The crowd cheers and seconds later Alan, Tino, and Phil being to play the opening notes to their new song. Taking in the energy of the crowd, Austin can’t contain himself and begins to jump around the stage to the beat, and then, right on cue, as he sings the first line, “Get up!” the crowd flings their fists into the air, their bodies following suit.
Feeding off the bands energy, the crowd jumps along with them, minds caught on this moment right now. Not worrying about school or their lives at home. Just focusing on now.
In the crowd, lie scars on legs and arms and stomachs of many of the attendees, but smiles rest on their faces. This is what they’ve been waiting for. As the lyrics fall out of their mouths, their hearts are beating fast, reminding them they’re alive, and for most, this is why. Their favorite band playing their new song filled with words sharing their own experiences they’ve encountered through their life.
When the song ends, the band is amazed. These people out in the crowd are here for them, stayed for them and are living because of them.
“You guys are amazing,” Austin congratulates the fans. “We truly wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for you guys.”
Much to their knowledge, the feeling is mutual as certain fans wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for them.