So, here it is; Mindset’s final show ever. May 14, 2016, during REACT! Showcase at St. Stephen’s in DC. Watching them play one last time was surprisingly difficult for me, and even several days removed, I still can’t believe that I won’t have another chance to be a part of the urgency and intensity of one of their shows (at least aside from the @hate5sixofficial video perspective).
People often tend to speak in hyperbole in the wake of a band’s absence, or overemphasize their significance, but as far as I’m concerned, Mindset is the greatest hardcore band of the last ten years. And I can say with absolute certainty that for as long as I’ve been listening to music, no band has had as profound a personal impact on me as they have. While they may not have been among the first bands I listened to, Mindset was one of the first bands that made me want to obsessively collect their records, to make me want to track down photos/videos from their shows, and among the first bands with whom I developed an emotional attachment to. I still remember the lingering excitement after seeing them play for the first time nearly eight years ago, listening to REALPOWER on repeat as I drove home five hours overnight, struggling to not fall asleep and end up in a ditch.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of documenting their final set this past weekend, and for the friendships I’ve forged over the years with people through this band, and hardcore in general. The power of generational bands like Mindset to connect people through their music is pretty remarkable, and something that sets them apart from so many others within the world of music. So, to Ev, Chris, Austin, Dan, Mike; MINDSET - Thank you for everything.
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