Ohio U. and Justin Steumpfle

We went down to Ohio U. to sing with Section 8 the day after our spring concert in 2004, and Benri had some friends from high school in the group. One guy that was not his friend was Justin Steumpfle, the business manager for the group that may be the most intense man alive. He is a short, stocky, unibrowed monster, and every phone message that he left me leading up to the show always started with him identifying himself in the way an army soldier would. "Travis, Justin Steumpfle, Section 8." The best part about this kid was when he was happy, and he saw you, he would say, "Travis, HA-HA!" and scare the skin off the faces of anyone close by. Justin came up to one of our concerts and to the party at my house afterwards. It was awkward.

At Ohio U, Benri felt really really sick before the show, and he didn't know if he could still go on. He was the recipient of a miracle and went on and kicked the shit out of his solo. We got some standing O's that night, sang more songs that we were supposed to, and sang some face-melting solos. Ohio U has been asking us to come back ever since, and that's why the chotchy DJ's are leaving town the day after the concert this year.

And a Did you know? I met one of my first online friends on the Ohio U. trip. That's awkward.