Why I Still Love John Silveria

So freshmen year I was broke. I had work-study so I went to Student Activities and got a job. It was awful, but it was beer money (I didn't drink freshmen year mom this is all lies). The next semester there was an empty office that they had us man a phone in. Something called LEGO was starting (NOTE: Lego toys has recently contacted the university with an order to stop using said name) and they needed people to answer questions. Then they hired some guy named John and instead of hiring new people he kindly took us on as his staff and saved us from the hell hole that was Student Activities. For the next couple years John was not only a boss, but a mentor and a friend. In my interview for my current job, they asked me about an experience where I learned something about myself and how I improved my work habits. I remember it like yesterday. It was 8:15am and I had been the dumb kid who signed up for the 8am shift in the office. My phone rang and the voice on the other end was non-judgmental and simply said, "Wolf G, dust off the cobwebs, jump in the shower, grab a bottle of water and get your ass in here." I don't think I've been late for a job since that day (now I only take jobs that start at 10am or later). He truly someone who I tried to be like. After college he had done some work in the music industry with bands like Blink-182 and went back to school and jumped around a bit. He made me realize it was okay to not know what you wanted to do for the rest of your life the first 1, 5, 10 years. As a fraternity adviser, he was an outside voice who had similar experience being a young leader and the pressures from alumni and friends and all the shit that comes with it. Most of all he was no BS and all reality. He told it how it was whether you wanted to hear it or not. And I am truly grateful for that.

Jump ahead a few years. While I was home co-oping before MTV and Australia, I got word that John had accepted a position at Suffolk University and would be leaving Northeastern. I was devasted. In fact I took a day off to drive out to Boston to make sure I was at his goodbye party to let him know I was pissed. (And who doesn't love free food) So every once and a while I shoot him an email and I read his blog (Thoughts From A Train) to catch tidbits of how the kids and his life are. Yesterday I got an email offering me tickets the Jason Mraz show at Suffolk from non other than John Silveria. I jumped on the chance because not only was I not working, but I also love Mraz and have never had the opportunity to see him live. So I show up tonight not sure if John was working and walk through the door and there he is. Smiling as always and not only did I get comp tickets but I got a VIP pass and got to hang up on the balcony level and see another awesome show.

Mraz is laid back and played some new and some old songs. All of which made me wish I was on a beach somewhere (Australia?) with my rainbows (they were on) and the bright sun. He had planned to play Lucky (originally with Colbie Caillat) with opener Lisa Hannigan, but at the last minute bailed. The only other down was he didn't play Geek In The Pink or Details in the Fabric, but overall great show. The crowd was awfully chatty at the beginning and the sound system seemed a little quiet, but by the second half people caught on that they were at a concert and started paying attention.

So thank you John. For the hook up and for everything. Glad to know things are going well and if I get my marathon number in a couple weeks I'll be calling for some more advice, even though at this point I know I owe you a really nice dinner and drinks.

Tomorrow night Matt Nathanson!!

-SW

"And It's our God-forsaken right to be loved" - JM