I’ve been fortunate to meet the right people at the right time throughout my career. Stevie was one of those core individuals for me.
I started managing bands in 2013, and Knuckle Puck introduced me to him that same year. I’m not sure if Second City Prints even existed then. I’m pretty sure it didn’t. I was Stevie’s first customer, and in many ways his last.
When we think about eras in a music scene, we think about bands, records labels, and venues. Fairly so. It’s possible Second City printed merchandise for every single artist in the 2014-2019 emo, punk, and alternative scene at least one time. For one tour. For one 911 restock. For one holiday show. Or for every show for nearly a decade. Stevie built one of the most successful music merchandise companies you could imagine out of nowhere while in a wheelchair in a town the world has never heard of and never will. It was inspiring. For a long time, those artists and I were lucky to have it.
The band members behind many of those acts knew who Stevie was, and they cared about him and his family’s story. Even when that scene fell apart, it never left him. “How’s Cam?” Better. “This is the best Modern Baseball album.” It was. “Remember that time…” I did.
In many ways, Stevie was too generous. Too excited. Too set on what was next. I wish he could have been satisfied more with what he had than what he was chasing next.
Stevie wanted me to succeed so badly. He wanted me to come visit the end of the Earth, Batavia, IL, just so we could talk about the old days. You used to be able to sell Gildan shirts for $15. Those were the days.
I feel tremendously for his two kind parents who have now lost both of their children. An unfathomable loss. His parents were both so kind anytime I visited the warehouse. Proud of the business their son created and happy to help him further it. That always resonated with me.
There are not many people you get to build a career and life alongside, growing together through good and bad. I’ve come to appreciate that more over the years as the world changes, but a few core people stayed the same.
That appreciation has made the last eight weeks an especially bad time. I never piled onto Stevie because what would it have done? Everything was already lost, for everyone. There were days that I wanted to. I’m glad I didn’t. We texted, Slacked, and emailed. I wrote an email to him earlier today, hoping he could do me one last favor.
He did me many.