letter from Katie Lockley who helped with KAB on Warped!

August 16th, 2008 Marysville, Ca

We’re down to the second to last day of tour-and of course I’m asking myself where this summer has gone. You know how the last part of high school, right before you graduated seemed really fun? All the cliques dispersed and everyone became friends? Even though most of this readership might not be able to drive yet-trust me the end of high school gets really fun. Well that’s how the last few shows of Warped Tour are. You forget the 116 degree days in Phoenix and gnarly venues and the long lines in catering because all I can think about is the awesome people I’ve had the opportunity to meet this summer. And I remember that I won’t be able to wake up and step into a different city every morning and hang out with some of my best friends.

This summer has been amazing for me even though it seems like a big blur right now. The obvious highlights were when I turned 24 in Dallas, Texas and celebrated at midnight at the Double Wide and then ended my birthday watching Andrew W.K. in Austin, Texas. Getting a matching Golden Girls tattoo with Erica and Jeneatha in Mountain View, Ca-thanks Oliver. I’ve been able to discover some new bands that I absolutely adore-Pinkertones, 3Oh!3, Gil Mantera’s Party Dream were definitely my top three.

The most rewarding part of the summer has been working for Keep A Breast and assisting the lovely Erica Leite. Erica is one of those amazing people who can look radiant and be ready for anything-even though we’re all running on no sleep. If the world took a lesson from her, we’d all be more polite and smile more and honestly, be more passionate about everything around us. Think about it for a second. Keep a Breast is such an interesting organization that has chosen to target a demographic that is often overlooked with breast cancer. We are committed to the eradication of the disease through early detection. I have had the opportunity to speak with so many different people who have been affected by breast cancer in one form or another this summer. While it may seem heartbreaking and frustrating, I realize that the ladies of Keep A Breast, Shaney and Erica, are doing some amazing things with this organization. Keep on fighting the good fight and I couldn’t thank all of you enough for making it a great summer.