On the late Jon Bunch, and carrying the spirit of community

Jon Bunch Tribute | Photo by Matthew Shaver for WXPN | brightloud.com

Dear Jack,

I wanted to share with you my story of what your father means to me. I never met the man, and due to the roads life takes us down, I didn’t listen to any of his early work until much later than I should have. I am a fan of Further Seems Forever, and have been since the beginning. By the time their third album came around, I wasn’t expecting much. They had two fantastic releases, but how often can a band like that cycle through vocalists before the turmoil that seemingly causes catches up, right? The first time I put Hide Nothing in my CD player, I don’t think it stopped for a full 24 hours.

Hearing your father’s voice sing those lyrics with such conviction, it really struck a chord with me. I had an iPod in the early days, and there were often times that I would erase everything on it, and put Hide Nothing on, play it on repeat, and shuffle, just to hear the songs from a new angle each time. My emo fan friends would tell me “It’s not as good as the early stuff” and I would promptly tell them “Shove it.” It’s not a technically complicated album, and the lyrics are straightforward enough to grasp at first listen. The true power of the album is the message. Every song is a message of hope, a message to not give up hope, that there are things worth fighting for, and that really resonated with me. Mixed with the bands trademark melodies, it really hit me hard, and has stuck with me from my 20’s to my 30’s, now with a child of my own on the way. A child I want to have that kind of hope.

That album pulled me out of some dark days, but it’s not so simple for many, many people. Your father left us in February – both a global community of fans and, more significantly, your family. But know that if you carry the spirit of the community he helped build, that you will understand all of it on a level that most don’t, and use that to make a better world.

I have here some pictures of the memorial show in Philadelphia, PA. I hope you can see in the faces of every performer, of every member of the crowd, the meaning of your father’s words. Community. People who have known Jon for decades came to pay their respects, and to sing his words with passion. Dave Smalley gave a poignant speech about the meaning of punk. He told the audience it’s not about fighting the cops or the establishment anymore. That war was fought and lost. It’s no longer about fighting the power, being a punk is about taking care of each other, taking care of the community, and watching each others backs. In a world that seemingly wants to tear itself apart, your father, Jon Bunch, had a lasting impact that seeks to unify. I hope you carry his spirit with you all your life.

As he sang so very well:

And all these bad dreams
I wake up to the light
And when I can’t see
I wake up to your eyes
Wake me up
There’s a light up ahead

Bands/performers that came to pay tribute:
Running From Dharma
Second Letter
War Generation
Vision
Dave Smalley
Texas Is The Reason (Garrett Klahn solo acoustic)
Further Seems Forever (Jason Gleason iteration)
Sense Field featuring the following vocalists:
Richie Birkenhead (Into Another)
Jeff Caudill (Gameface)
Ari Katz (Lifetime)
Garrett Klahn (Texas Is The Reason)
Chaka Malik (Orange 9mm)
Fred Mascherino (Taking Back Sunday)
Popeye (Farside)
Kenny Vasoli (The Starting Line)