Warped Tour 2003 – Davey
Austin, US
Awkward 17 year old me had been hanging out with Scruffy from the Dropkick Murphies all day. After this photo I asked Davey if he had seen Scruffy so I could talk with him more but I was scared to ask anything of Davey (teenagers are fucking weird) so I mumbled and had to ask him 3 times before he heard me. I’m sure I was beet red by the time he understood me.
How I knew it was okay
Grand Rapids, MI, US
When I was in middle school when I found AFI. I would secretly listen on my mp3 player when my parents weren’t home or asleep. I finally was able to watch a music video and seeing Davey have eye makeup made me so happy. It was the first time I saw a person not designated woman at birth wear it and it made feel like it was okay. Thank you so much.
Besties house
King, North Carolina, US
So my memory goes not too far back in my life but I remember I was 14 years old. I had spent a weekend at my best friends house who I had been like sisters with since 2nd grade lol. How time flies… anyway, I was hanging out with her and got bored and wanted to hear some music. Then she showed me her CD collection it ranged from yall (AFI) to many other bands like The Used, Shinedown, My Chemical Romance, Simple Plan and many other bands but something about yalls album cover that just intrigued me it just caught my eye and from then I found Miss Murder, Love Like Winter and those became like anthems for most of my days as a teen haha and then anything else yall had put out needless to say I had started my own CD Collection and had to have anything yall put out or any other great bands but the December Undergroud record started it all for me as a rock music fan so also in this memory I wanna say Thank You for being a huge part in myself finding my love and heart for Rock music 🤘🤘🤘
I was told a story of crushed velvet, candle wax, and dried up flowers
California, US
I was a senior in high school and never expected to be allowed to make the almost 200 mile journey to a tiny, 300 person venue to see a band I absolutely loved. Imagine the shock when I was given the green light…I was going to see AFI! My friend and I jumped in his tiny car, singing along with Joy Division, Bauhaus, The Cure, Siouxsie & the Banshee, and, for course, AFI the whole way. I remember trembling as we moved into the venue and pushed our ways up to the front. The opening bands were great and entertained us with originals and covers of songs like White Wedding, but my focus was on the main event. They stepped onto this tiny stage with such an energy, it was breathtaking. The chanting began…”Through our bleeding, we are one!” Unifying. Beautiful. Enchanting. Needless to say, I was captivated from the moment they stepped onstage. The teaser came and they left the stage, only to be provoked to return and play a few more for an enthralled crowd. That evening, I was told a story of crushed velvet, candle wax, and dried up flowers that I will never forget.
Warped Tour 2006!
Katy, TX, US
My first time hearing anything by AFI was at Warped Tour 2006, in Houston, TX. A couple of friends from out of town let me tag along with them to Warped Tour in exchange for letting them crash at my house. From the moment y’all hit the stage, I absolutely fell in love with your music and have been a fan ever since.
Miss murder destroyed the old me
Citrus Heights, California , US
Like any other day I went over my friends house and he was like “hey check out this song” and he played the music video for miss murder! From the beginning till the end many moments created goosebumps it was so inspiring and amazing. So inspiring that from that day on I decided to be my one true self as extreme and intense inward and outward. My fashion my love.
Decemberunderground premier
Brampton,Ontario , CA
I was at the premier/listening party for December underground in Toronto on 06/06/06 and then you came on stage and played a short set 🖤🤍 there were rumour you would be playing. It was confirmed when I saw techs setting up the stage. Best freebee show ever. Just one of my many AFI memories. The picture is from years before during a radio interview at theEdge
I bought this album having never heard a single AFI song!
Pittsburgh, PA, US
I was on vacation and watching the VMAs when I saw AFI accept an award. Davey said something in his speech to the effect of, “it doesn’t matter who buys my album, I can be as fabulous as I want to be.” That was the exact energy I needed in my life right then. I stopped at Best Buy the next day to find out and have loved it ever since.
Summers and shudders
Tennessee , US
I’ve been a huge AFI fan for forever but the summer that December underground came out I was a freshman in high school. My best friend bought the album and we listened to it on repeat ALL summer. The first listen through that album I’ll never forget, we were laying on her bed encapsulated by this amazing album and I knew my whole life was going to change. The next morning was my first day at band camp. The entire week of band camp I had to listen to summer shudder every single day over and over. It reminds me of her and my freshman week at band camp to this day. She lost her life to an overdose in 2020. Under the summer rain, I burned away. Under the summer rain, you turned away.
From MySpace daze
Houston TX, US
My handle on MySpace, tumble, livejournal, and deviant art was always some variation of “Before I Was Born” because of my much I loved “Love Like Winter”. The line “I met my love before I was born/ He bit my lip, and drank my war/ From years before”. Thanks for all the music y’all have given us!
The courage to stand up for myself
Memphis, TN, US
I was barely 18 and went to an AFI concert at a local venue. In the mosh pit, a guy kept putting his hands on me inappropriately, and during a particularly raucous moment in the Leaving Song Part II I turned around and broke their nose. I enjoyed the rest of the concert without any further incident.
BUNNY SONG
Thornville, Ohio, US
When my boys were about 1 and 4 years old they would ask for the bunny song every time we got in the car. They saw the rabbits on the CD and decided it must be the bunny song. They loved it and would clap and sing along. They are now 10 and 13. Where does the time go.
First band I really got invested with
North port, FL, US
I was 13 years old when I was watching MTV late at night when they were still showing music videos and Girls Not Grey came on. I remember thinking wow who’s this band. The following day I was at the skatepark with some older guys who I looked up too and they brought up “Hey AFI came out with a new album” I remember buying Sing the sorrow. I listened to that album front to back over and over and over again reading the lyrics and becoming in love with it. I was hooked ever since. I found every album I could from Sam Goode and grew to enjoy every album in different ways. Thank you for the memories and feels after all these years. Happy 30 years AFI!
Transfer
Halifax, NovaScotia, CA
I had just transferred in to my new highschool and already had a reputation of being the emo kid (I went to a catholic school) , and all I wanted for Christmas was this cd, my mom ended up pre ordering it just to make sure she had a copy for me to open under the Christmas tree. I squeewled lime a 6 year old in a candy store . I listened to that CD all day Christmas day , that I could hear my parents humming it by dinner time
Girls Not Grey
Long Island, New York, US
I heard AFI for the first time in elementary school when I saw the Girls Not Grey music video on TV. When I showed my mom, she was already familiar with AFI and bought me Sing The Sorrow that month. Instantly hooked.In the 6th grade, roughly 2005 when I finally had internet access, I downloaded the entire discography. I remember my mom letting me stay home from school on 06/06/06 so we could buy Decemberunderground as soon as stores opened. One of my favorite memories!
The most amazing gift
NH, US
I had the lowest love for myself when I was gifted a drumstick in 2017 at your show in Portland, ME. I’ve been to many AFI shows before but I felt that if I deserved this lucky gift from my favorite musicians in the world, then I deserved to be happy.
Every day has been better than the last since catching that stick. It reminds me of that every day.
Siblings who see AFI together….
San Diego, Ca, US
My siblings and I have seen AFI together over 20 times throughout the years.
What’s so special about this is that as we get older and form our own lives, seeing an AFI show unites us and creates so many fun memories for us to share together.
Thank guys and congrats on 30 years!
Your first tour
Merewether, AU
03 AFI toured Australia for the first time, I went to the Sydney show, met the band at the meet & greet and show Davey my, very bad, A Fire Inside tattoo that was in old English (my 1st tattoo) I then went to Melbourne show, actually got to meet Adam and Hunter after the show in the upstairs bar. On the way home from the airport a couple days later my father got diagnosed with cancer, and unfortunately passed away 10 days later. He didn’t say much in his final days, but he did know that I went to see my favourite band, twice & asked me how it was. (He wasn’t a massive fan of the music I listened too) but he knew I was so stoked to have seen the band, & I told him so. He was so happy for me. This is one of the last things we ever talked about & it means the world too me. Thank you
Summer to be Very Proud of Ya
Moreno Valley, CA , US
The journey started in the summer of 96. My friend and I decided to go to the Mad Platter, a local record stored in Riverside, CA. We took a few buses but we got there but we got there. Once we got there, we went straight to the listening station for the new releases. As I listened to numerous random albums, my friend said hey listen to this! Put on the head phones and it was AFI Very Proud of Ya. Instantly fell in love with this band. That fast aggressive hardcore punk sound was what my teenage soul needed. I’ve never looked back! AFI continues to be my favorite band 25 years later. The evolution of their music continues to evolve like just my life. The journey continues….
I Know More Than You
Miles City, Montana, US
I’ve been listening since I was a little kid. I think the funniest memory I have of listening to AFI’s music is that I wore a band tshirt to my 4th grade class (2004), and my teacher exclaimed he was also a fan. I carried a huge case of CD’s, including Sing the Sorrow, and my teacher played a little at his computer. He started to sing along but got the lyrics wrong. I, a 10 year old child, promptly corrected him. Sorry Mr. Anderson 🙂
The Transformative Power of Rock ‘n’ Roll
St. Louis, MO, US
It was “A Winter’s Tale” that got me, fifteen going on sixteen in a tiny, culturally impoverished town in southeast Idaho.
Back then, the best way to discover new music was to pick up a couple cheap compilation discs at the local record store. The Warped Tour: 2001 Compilation had just come out and my brother and I were giving it a spin as we cruised the desolate nighttime streets. Track 6 hit. I was instantly and—it seems in retrospect—eternally enamored.
Finding out more was a matter of some work. It took a trip to Salt Lake City—about a three hour drive south—to find copies of Black Sails in the Sunset and the Art of Drowning. These albums spun ceaselessly in my portable CD player on the drive home—and for months afterward.
Not long thereafter, I discovered my new aural paramours were signing to Dreamworks and would soon set about writing and recording their sixth LP. I devoured every scrap of information I could find, gobbling up studio updates like manna from heaven. “Now the World” and “Reiver’s Music” offered tantalizing hints at what was to come.
Then, in March 2003, Sing the Sorrow dropped. It presented a suite of music vastly different from what I’d fallen in love with on Black Sails and Art of Drowning. For a strange, aimless kid on the cusp of 18 in a small town, this was perfect music—a case study in the transformative power of rock ‘n’ roll.
To say AFI has occupied a special place in my life is to partially understate and trivialize the case. These guys gave me anchorage when I was otherwise adrift. Their music has enriched, enlightened, and, quite frankly, changed my life.
Father’s Day
Sayreville, NJ, US
After going through a rough breakup, I brought my dad to his first concert in 30 years to celebrate Father’s Day. I introduced him to AFI during my adolescence where you tend to have a rift built between you and your parents. This band helped us keep a bond in tact and share something when it seemed impossible. Thank you for this amazing memory and allowing this moment to happen.
Concert 2013
Detroit, Michigan, US
Out of all the concerts I have been to, AFI concerts are always my favorite. I love the energy that the band always bring for the audience. My first AFI concert was in Detroit in 2013 and even though I had been a Fan since DECEMBERUNGROUND this was my first chance to see them live. It was one of the best concerts I have ever been too and AFI never disappoint. Their music mean so much to me, I enjoy almost everything they have ever released, I am excited to see what is to come and I look forward to seeing them Live again soon.
We are One
Lee's Summit, MO, US
I was 16 in 2007 and had just discovered AFI with Decemberunderground. They came to my hometown of all places to play a Valentine’s Day show. From the first notes of ‘Prelude 12/21’ with the the band behind a huge white curtain, I was hooked. The rest of the show only went up and my forever loyalty was born. I have seen then many times since and always try to bring new people to expose them to the sheer joy and community that is an AFI live show.
love at a distance
kirov, RU
unfortunately, i have no memories about shows or other events because i was lucky enough to be born at the other side of the planet. but that doesn’t stop my love for these guys. found out about them only one year ago during the 2020 quarantine lockdown and fell in love immediately. witnessed the release of bodies. in september got my first tattoo and it is afi themed, of course. love them eternally, hope to see them live one day <3
UK Tour, Manchester 2003
Stamford, Lincolnshire, GB
Lucky enough to meet the band and interview them backstage at Manchester Academy in June 2003. This was first of 3 shows in the UK after release of Sing the Sorrow. Saw them the night after at The Forum in London.
Nervous at only 21 years old but Davey & Adam were so humble and approachable, as were Jade & Hunter. Spoke about the reaction to Sing the Sorrow and how welcoming the UK had always been to them.
The show after was amazing and bring back some amazing memories! Have seen the band ten times from 2001 to 2011 and thank my brothers for getting me into the band around the AoD era! Incredible band!!
First show without parents 2003
Mexico City, MX
I got the chance to see AFI twice in Mexico City being their 2003 show my first show without parents and going with friends instead. They were some of the best shows I’ve ever been to and of course, AFI is still one of my favorite bands. I hope I get to see them live again in the future.
Happy 30th Anniversary guys and to many more to come!!
DF meet and greet
NY , US
I was introduced to AFI during STS. Their music has helped me through so many hard times. The photo was taken 15 years ago in Rochester. I was so excited to be able to meet them and even more so because it was my 18th birthday that day. I was able to meet Davey and Jade; they were both so nice. It was a great birthday.
Thank You
Sydney, NSW, AU
I’ve been a fan of AFI since I first heard Days of the Phoenix in 2005. I fell hard and fast for this band that seemed to have a song for everything I could possibly feel and it wasn’t long before I joined the Despair Faction, through which I met many wonderful people. I got my first AFI tattoo, then another, then another… In 2006 I, along with the rest of the DF, was caught up in the excitement of the release of Decemberunderground. I went to every show on the Australian leg of that tour, during which I met the band for the first time – they’re such lovely guys! The energy of those shows was like nothing I’d ever experienced, the sense of community was overwhelming; for a short time we were family and we were all swept away by the raw passion of the band’s performance. It was a joy and a release. The way AFI brings people together has always been truly incredible. I still listen to all the albums (of course, I have my favourites!) and AFI’s music will always have a very special place in my life; it’s got me through some awfully dark times and I will always be indescribably grateful. Thank you for these and so many more incredible memories. Thank you all so much for everything. xx
Thank you AFI!
Chicago, IL, US
I’ve loved AFI since I first heard them in the mid 90’s, I was in college and immediately loved the music, the energy, the screaming! My favorite show I’ve seen of AFI was a secret show in San Francisco, with the Nerve Agents, around when All Hallow’s Eve came out. I was enthralled and deeply moved by the music. Even though now I’m deep into my 40’s, I still love AFI as much as I back then! I’m grateful AFI is still making amazing music!
The force of AFI
Montreal , CA
The sheer force that AFI was live especially in the early 2000s … at that time they only played Ottawa, Ontario a few times and around the time of Shut Your Mouth nothing seemed heavier. Every record cycle there after when they rolled through you could see the growth, the progression. It was something to see from the outside year after year. I could only imagine what that feeling must have been for the band itself.
Flagstaff, US
Davey, at the point of our meeting I was already a long time fan. AFI had a way to take what was empty, and bring forth new substance and meaning. This was something new to me. Blaqk Audio finished their set, and as I wondered around the Hard Rock, I looked up, and Davey was there, walking in our direction. Weirdest thing is when I saw him, he saw me and it was like a magnet! He came up to us and was very kind. At last, I got express how much AFI has touched my life, and thank him for all that he/AFI have done not only for me, but for us all! “Through our bleeding, we are one”. AFI continues to absolutely blow my mind and inspire me unlike anything else. They’re the reason why I started my band, and continues to be a light in this darkness. Again, I thank you eternally! You’ll never truly know just how much you mean to us!
A Lifeline Of Memories
Richmond, Virginia, US
I found AFI 8 months after the loss of my
grandmother. She raised me and to say that her passing sent me spinning
would be an understatement. I had never felt a loss like that before and
I didn’t know where or how to process any of those feelings. As I sat
going through old pictures at her house, the video to Silver and Cold came on
Much Music (aging myself there). The pull was immediate and I sat fixated as I
listened. It was the first time in months I had felt anything at
all. When I bought the Sing The Sorrow, the first time I ever heard
Miseria, it felt like I had found something meant for me. A home. Somewhere all
of those feelings could go and not feel out of place. A long with all of
that eventually came a group of friends that I would be lost without. They are
my family. We have been with each other through marriages, divorces, life
changes, deaths, births…you name it. The concerts serve as our family
reunions. We sit outside for hours, catch up, and then go inside to where
life makes sense for an hour and a half.
It’s hard to come up with just one good memory for a band
that has given you so many amazing moments. AFI has been so much more than
a band for me. You’ve saved my life on more than one occasion.
You’ve inspired me. You’ve brought me love in the form of beautiful
people I would’ve never met had we not had you guys doing what you love to do
in such an honest way. Thank you for always being so warm and kind any time we’ve
had the chance to speak. It means the world when you get to spend time with
someone who has brought you so much and to have them truly be as kind as you
hoped they would be.
Congratulations on 30 years and I hope you
truly understand what you mean to so many of us and how grateful we are for
what you create and the ‘home’ you’ve given us all.
Ever and a Day
San Francisco, CA, US
When people ask me about AFI I often joke that “every ‘emo kid’ has a band that saved their life, and AFI was mine.” The song that did it was “Ever and a Day”, and it for that it will always be my favorite song… not just by AFI. By anyone.
In March of 2017 AFI played at Fox Theatre in Oakland on the Blood tour. It was the same day as the Oakland Women’s March, so I didn’t have the energy to make for the front row. Instead I camped out by a railing on the right side of the pit, which had a sort of fire-escape ramp on the other side that stretched from the stage to the nearest exit.
About halfway through the show I heard the opening notes of my favorite song and in proper fangirl form I let loose with a mighty roar of joy. I didn’t expect the band to hear me, but it’s possible that Davey did. He immediately hopped off the stage, sprinted up the side ramp to where I was, climbed up on the railing, and stayed there for the rest of the song.
Imagine being a passive observer of your favorite band in one moment, and then out of nowhere you’re suddenly holding Davey’s foot steady with one hand, holding your phone up with the other, screaming lyrics at the top of your lungs so when he puts the mic in your face you won’t look like an asshole, and the whole time a voice in the back of your head is shouting WHATTHEFUCKWHATTHEFUCKWHATTHEFUCK…
I probably took over 100 pictures during those 3 minutes.
This one came out.
Travelling to a different country for AFI
Auckland, NZ
AFI have played once in New Zealand in late 2006 and sadly I could not attend. When AFI were announced for festivals in Australia in early 2010, I grabbed tickets to 2 festivals and 2 sideshows in 2 different cities. I also travelled to Australia for the Blood Tour and if they tour Bodies in Australia, I will do it again. AFI are the only band I have travelled to a different country to see.
Ink, memories, & birthdays!
Vancouver, British Columbia, CA
In 2006, I was being severely bullied in high school and skipped school to avoid further torment. I was listening to the local alternative rock radio station on a portable CD player in the car when I heard the unforgettable Love Like Winter and was instantly mesmerised. The song reached into my heart and I felt belonging. Unfortunately, the name of the band and title of the song wasn’t mentioned, so I listened for four hours, waiting for the mention which never came. Yet Love Like Winter was played a few times and I’d managed to jot down a couple of lines on a napkin: “It’s in the blood. I met my love before I was born.” I searched up these lyrics the minute I could and discovered the music video. I got my brother to listen to the song. He was also moved by it and we listened to it on repeat for the entire evening. We’ve been journeying with AFI ever since that fateful day and we saved up to join the Despair Faction. We both met Davey, Adam, and Smith six days before my birthday in 2017 (I was born in 1991). Best birthday present ever! I met Jade and Adam in 2018. We have your signatures inked and collages of these amazing memories on our walls. Dear AFI, thank you sincerely for all of the memories, music, and inspiration to carry on in a world that is oft cruel to those who don’t conform. We anticipate making more wonderful memories at future shows!
Life Changing Warped Tour
US
My life changed when I saw you guys play in Warped Tour 2001 in Maryland. I was completely entranced and awe struck by your music and performance. How I kicked myself for not listening to my friends who gushed about you earlier. I convert everyone I know to your music, even making mix cds with handmade artwork and lyrics to get the full effect. I even dressed up as Davey one Halloween and performed Days of the Phoenix at a party in true Davey style (see above photo). I almost broke the stereo system with my thrashing!
Meeting Jade Puget
Rialto, CA., US
AFI has been my favorite musical influence since 2001. Ironically I was born the year the band was created. During a brief intermission I had the privilege to meet Jade at Tiger Army’s Dark Paradise EP show. The moment was so surreal as I couldn’t believe I was talking to pretty much a child hood hero. Jade could tell I was in awe but he was very friendly and really just a regular person with me which made me joyful and reminded me why AFI maintain such a true loyal following. Certainly one of the happiest memories of my 30 years on earth thus far.