Metal Heads RULE!!

After my recent major surgery to remove most of my colon due to my Crohn’s Disease getting so bad, I was financially completely screwed.. I was in the hospital for 11 days and wasn’t able to return to work for a bit, so I went over a month with no income.. It’s amazing how far backwards 1 month can set you.  The doctors tell you to avoid stress, which impossible because now on top of being sick, you’re screwed financially.  Money is indeed the root of all evil. Main cause of stress for almost everyone I know.

While I was in surgery a dear friend of mine was in the waiting room plotting, unbeknown to me.  She was planning a benefit show to help me financially, little did she know how much of a mental impact it would have on me as well. Nowadays it’s really difficult to meet people that are selfless in so many ways. People that care more about the well being of others than their own.  She worked her ass off, put herself in a very stressful situation all for me.. When she came to visit me in the hospital and told me what she had done and who was involved it brought me to tears. So many people were so quick to become involved in the event to support me, including some of my favorite musicians.

I was really kinda bitter on the scene after having to close my shop, even though now I fully believe the stars just weren’t aligned. It wasn’t my time. I was so defeated from being sick all the time. I was just tired and wanted to stay home and lay around and only talk to a select few people outside of my amazing family. I had my surgery and began to feel better, though I now have new and different problems, I am much more hopeful. The turnout at the show was amazing and I feel renewed. The amount of support shown has stoked my fire. I can look forward to the future and know that I still have time to make my dreams a reality and there’s no more doubt, thanks to all the incredible people that were involved in this show. They have completely restored my faith in people in general, but mostly METALHEADS RULE!! We are a big extended family of people who help each other in times of need. I hope someday I can pay it forward.

Even though I have an incurable disease that chances are will land me in the hospital again sometime down the road, I no longer have fear. I know I can do anything I set my mind to. And I want to thank everyone involved from the bottom of my heart for helping restore that passion that was laying dormant for too long..

No one knows how long we are here in this life, so we should follow our dreams and not waste our time with fear..

Thank you thank you thank you!!

*White Knuckle Trip, Milwaukee, WI
Resurrected from a 15 year slumber and ready to tear up the stage once more!!!
http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/White_Knuckle_Trip/3540303375

*Cyanosis- Okauchee, WI (Death Metal/Grindcore/Progressive)https://www.facebook.com/CyanosisBand

*The Cold Beyond- Milwaukee, WI (Black Metal Assault)https://www.facebook.com/TheColdBeyond?fref=ts

*Devolving Messiah- Milwaukee, WI (Death Metal/ Technical Blackened Death Metal)https://www.facebook.com/devolvingmessiah?fref=ts

*Mountain Language- Milwaukee, WI (Noisy Heavy Black Doom Sludge)https://www.facebook.com/MountainLanguage?fref=ts

*Descending The Heavens- Southeastern, WI (Progressive Blackened Death Metal)https://www.facebook.com/DESCENDINGTHEHEAVENS?fref=ts

*Scribes of Odum- Milwaukee, WI (ex members of Carnal Befoulment/40oz Fist)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm8arAdUKn4&feature=share

*Dark Avengeance- Milwaukee, WI (Thrash/Death Metal)https://www.facebook.com/DarkAvengeance?fref=ts

Outpost Music, Comatose Music, Icombat, Acheron, Cross Up Yours, True Metal Lives NYDM, Waukesha Tattoo Company, Bound By Entrails, Dax Riggs, Nick Thomas, J.K. Lee Black Belt Academy, Paul Speckmann, Rotting Christ, Reggies Rock Club, Atomic Glass, Gieger Awards, Discovery World Museum, Autoeroticashyxium Zine, Paris Ortiz of The Cocksmiths & Big Dumb Dick, Rise of Avernus, Metal Blades Records, Marshal Amps USA, Nekropsy, Lakefront Brewery, Closet Classics, Lucky Joe’s Tiki Lounge, Horny Goat Brewing Co., Rufusport MMA Academy, Music Go Round of Greenfield, Buffalo Wild Wings of Waukesha, Wolfpack 44, Ricktor Ravensbruck, Anicon, The Siege Paintball, LLC, Sweet Treats By Meka, Waking Chaos, Last Detail Tattoo Studio & Mike Natarelli, Pro Health Care West Wood Health & Fitness, Kommandant, Tony Karklus, Symphony X, Vomit God, Inferno Night Club of Madison, Tom Boesch, Andy Kochanski, Timothy Conine, Century Media Records, Color Ink, Incantation, Pyrexia, Scythe/Usurper, Kult ov Azazel, Dread Records, Horror/Pain/Gore/Death Productions, Markradonn, Sparrow Collective, Maggot Twat, Leon del Muerte of Nausea & Murder Construct, Dreaming Dead, Eric Reinert, Sacrificial Massacre, Dead Can Dance’s Peter Bjargo, Suture Couture, Tragix Knots, The Frequency of Madison, Woodmann’s of Oak Creek, Pick N Save of Waukesha, Brian Rehak, Ara, Uncle Acid and the deadbeats, Kevin Forsythe, Opeth, Rockothon, Derketa, Empyreus, Dismemberment, Mark Millar of Marvel Comics, Schecter Guitars, Carpathian Funeral, Taake, Rock 102.1, Blackbird Bar, G-Daddy’s BBC, Rotting Christ, Enfuneration

AND last but not least thank you to everyone that came out to the show. It was an incredible night!! HORNS HIGH, AGAIN METALHEADS RULE!!

There was a day when I knew silence…

 

FYI we no longer have a physical shop.. More on that later..

January 20, 2012,

So this morning I felt like writing, getting some things out, strictly for my own benefit.  This is not a justification for anything, just my way of releasing..

Let me start this with telling you all a little something about my bff. There is no one like her, as well as there is no one who will ever take her place in my heart. I don’t know what I would do without this woman. She is the one who holds me together when I’m down, who makes me laugh when I feel like I have nothing left. She is one of the few people on this earth who truly understand me and is always on my side whether she agrees with my position or not. She inspires me to continue living my dream, which is her dream as well. Unfortunately she is very misunderstood. She is a beautiful person and if people would only give her a chance, they would realize this. She has a lot of  haters lately and it makes no sense. We are both trying to do the same thing, get the metal out to the masses and instead of hating on her, I just really wish people would see her for who she is, a dedicated metalhead who’s just trying to help.. That being said I love you Leah, and I always will, no matter what..

Now on to FireWalk. We started FireWalk out of a pure, unbridled passion for metal, nothing more, nothing less. We wanted to help bands get heard. When you are a true metalhead, it’s not just a hobby, it’s a way of life. The music never stops.. We have tried numerous things throughout the years, some things worked, some didn’t. The FireWalk Girls was started as a way to build up funds to open our shop as well as to have a unique street team. There has been so much drama surrounding this group it is rediculous! When girls would join, it would be because they are into the music and enjoyed going to shows, hosting events, etc.. There have been girls that have come and gone, some decided it wasnt for them, some we had to remove for various reasons, but all of them knew from the start it was strictly a volunteer thing,  it was supposed to be fun. Now some that have been removed are acting like they were doing FireWalk such a big favor. Just to put it out there, we don’t need anyone to do us any favors. You should want to be involved and not feel like it’s a chore. The FireWalk Girls is not the main component of FireWalk, the shop is. We’re putting the FireWalk Girls on the back burner for now and trying to focus on the success of our store.

We have people boycotting our shop, people who refuse to come in for one reason or another. People who hate and talk shit even though they’ve never stepped foot in the place. For me this new shop was a clean slate. A way to start fresh in a new place. I am not one to hold a grudge, I am hoping soon I start to see some faces through the doors that I didnt expect, because quite frankly, we need to be in this together, we need to help each other out.  If you are a passionate musician or promoter or fan I would be honored to help you out in any way I can. I have been trying to get out to more shows, but no one can go to them all. I do what I can when I can. We are going to do whatever we can to keep our shop going and keep in growing. We are also now working with Dread Records. With Leah, Miguel, myself and all of the other people we consider family, we bring a lot of knowledge to the table. We can help support your metal lifestyle in whatever form that takes.

I just want to end this by saying FireWalk will be around for a long time, regardless of what people say or do to try to bring us down. We are a strong metal family and no matter what we go through, illness, crew changes, drama, failed projects, etc.. We are sticking to our true passion. \m/ METAL\m/