Us at Music Midtown
From Left: Jack, Canada, Jeetu, Jerrid, Dean
Last weekend, May 3rd-5th, was Atlanta's 9th Annual Music Midtown Festival. Hosting performances by Incubus, Bush, Stone Temple Pilots, Kid Rock, Bob Seger, and many more, Music Midtown is one of the biggest music venues in the U.S. A few of us, including Jack and myself went and hung out a couple of days to watch the shows. When we got there, we realized there were many things to learn about concerts...
We were hoping to be let backstage and able to interview some of the bands... unfortunatley some very large men had a problem with us just walking into the 99x trailer. After Jack recieved a savage beating, we went and got into the crowd for the beginning of the show. I was not aware of this, but apparently at a rock concert it is perfectly legal to smoke marijuana and pass it around to others. Also, when the music begins, people start violently shoving others. I always thought that a mild dance expressed enjoyment, but these people seem to enjoy beating on one another. It was soon after that we became a part of what is called a "mosh pit." This is where a bunch of people just get in a circle and jump into eachother as hard as they can. I found it ironic that although these people looked like they were trying to hurt eachother, everytime someone fell down at least two people would go out of their way to help the person up and make sure they were alright. Also, some people had fun by jumping on top of the crowd and "crowd surf." The only downside to this was that I think I sustained a slight concussion from being kicked in the head so many times. But, in my own defense, I would steal their shoes and throw them across the crowd. The second night we learned our final lesson. If a girl wants to get up on someone's shoulders and watch the band... it is customary to take off your shirt and show your breast to the crowd. Although, I think that some girls were just doing it for fun, especially the two who started making out with eachother... wierd. On our way home I knew that we did not just enjoy many good performances, but we all learned many valuable lessons. I can't wait for next year.
There comes a point in every journalist's life when he realizes, "Hey, I'm just a punk kid making up news and posting it on the internet to show my friends... and for what? A few laughs." I came to this conclusion late one night in bed. I was having this dream about a beautiful girl who was about to... well, that isn't important... suddenly, I woke up in a cold sweat wondering, "What has happened to the past year of my life? Has this whole web site thing a waste? What's in it for me? " I mean, sure, I have thousands of fans, but is that really enough?
A small Kentucky boy, I grew up hoping one day I would become a world-class news reporter, ranked with such greats as Ted Coppell, Connie Chung, and to a lesser extent Geraldo Rivera. After moving to Jacksonville, Florida in 1991, I began making my way to the top by publishing the first edition of the Julington Creek Elementary School Newspaper. I brought kids the stories they wanted, including kickball scores, school announcements, and one of my favorite pieces, "Sloppy Joes: Today's Main Course, or Yesterday's Meatloaf?" I also had intimate interviews with such people as Lunchlady Doris, Principle Reynolds, and the kid who ate worms. My reputation preceeded me and I quickly became the star I always dreamed of. Then, I came to perhaps the biggest low point of my career... Dacula, Georgia.
For some reason, the day I moved to Dacula was the same day that all of my passion for journalism left me. I still had the writing skill, but my ideas sucked. I tried joining the school newspaper at Dacula Middle School, but they turned down my idea on an article about how we should create "one-way" hallways to help ease the flow of students between classes. Vice Principle Nutt loved the idea and when he tried to use his influence to get me in, they fired him and then he was hired at Dacula High School... funny how the school system works. On that day, I put my typewritter away and vowed never to write again. Throughout the next few years of school, teachers tried again and again to persuade me to give the paper another shot, but I refused. Those were the dark years of my life. I began concentrating on only three things: sex, drugs, and alcohol. It was all that I lived for. Everyday I would do lines of coke during lunch and then go to class high as a kite. Many nights I would turn to see the face of a new girl next to me in bed and I would begin to cry until I passed out. I lost all control of my life, I even woke up one day and found out I had quit football and became a cheerleader... the hell? I don't think anyone knew how bad it was until I showed up at a football game with a bunch of my drugged out friends painted blue, wearing clwon wigs, and cheerleading skirts. That was when I hit rock bottom. I began to think no one cared until one day a dear friend came to me, punched me in the face, and said, "Dean, for the love of God... get help, you poor bastard!"
Nolan Peevy is probably the reason I'm alive today. Nolan had been a good friend since the 8th grade, right before I started shooting crank. After he helped me to my feet, he took me to rehab where I spent the month of September in 2001. When I got out, Nolan was the first to see me. We met at the first place a recovering junky always wants to go when he gets cleaned up, the International House of Pancakes. At the IHOP, Nolan showed me something I thought I'd never see again.... old copies of the Julington Creek Paper. He told me he found them in my closet and loved them. I asked him what he was doing going through my stuff and he said I should get back into the news business. I told him about my failed hallway idea and how it ruined. (SIDE NOTE: Mr. Nutt eventually became principle at the high school and tried to use my hallway idea. It was an instant failure.) He then told me about the internet and how we could put out news without anyone hassling us about it. And on that day, Poole & Peevy Inc. was born.
We started off slow, only covering breaking news, and during this time everything was about terrorism. At first it was informative and appealing to the readers but then they got tired of just the news. They could just watch TV for that. Then we realized we needed more, so we expanded. We hired Jack Clarke and Billy Galagher. Jack had recently been firedfrom Dacula's local paper, The Talon, over a controversial self-help article entitled, "So, You're Going to Hell?" We picked him up because we felt his attention grabbing opinions would be a great addition to the site. Nolan discovered Billy one day digging for food in a dumpster. He said that he had been living in the alley ever since his idea for a children's book had failed. The book was titled, The Truth About Cats and Dogs: An Erotic Thriller. We felt Billy's stories would be great for the younger readers. The result in the expansion was amazing.
All at once, the popularity of Poole & Peevy Inc. exploded. Readers told their friends, and they told their friends, and so on, and so on... you know how these things work. We began publishing great stories about sports, entertainment, news, editorials, even a special on "Do Girls Fart?" We also held contests, gave out prizes, and had an advice column. Poole & Peevy Inc. became on of the most popular web sites in the world almost over night. And thats when it hit me... no longer did I model my life after the people on CNN, ABC, and NBC, but after the real geniuses of news; Jon Stewart, Steven Colbert, and Steven Correll. One young boy's dream had come true, and with the help of his friends, they brought the world the best source of news and entertainment the world had ever seen. So, as I move on from Dacula, GA, I know that I will still have a connection with everyone through the best damn web site in the world. God bless America, and God bless Poole & Peevy Inc.