Nick Clate, Nate, Clack, Nate Click

Before I start to tell you about how awesome Nate is and how you should be terribly jealous that he's not your best friend, I have to pre-date this blog about five years. I hated Nate for the longest time. I mean "I fucking hated him"

Back in the Anchor Basement days if he came to shows I'd watch him and his friends and basically be a total asshole and throw them out for any they did, and on numerous occasions I'd call Nate and the end of the show and just yell at him on the phone just to make him feel bad. It was at the pinnacle of my asshole period and I still feel like shit about it till this day. One instance that we still joke about is when I told Nate that he was "Everything wrong with hardcore and the reason why places get shut down. Don't come to Fort Wayne, Don't act like we're cool".

But aside from me being a total jerk Nate Still became my best friend.

Now I've never had a brother and I am fortunate enough to have several friends with which I was able to form that type of bond with. No-homo but for some reason Nate and I's friendship is on another level. Our girlfriends have made comments that we aren't friends but rather we are dating. Some people may say it's gay or whatnot but to me I've never been more thankful.

Nate has my back no matter what. I mean I have done shit or said shit that has pissed off mutual friends or complete strangers and no matter who they are to Nate he'll stick up for me. That type of loyalty doesn't come into anyones life very often so for that I'll always be grateful. Nate and I both know things about each other that we'd never tell another soul and he has heard my darkest secrets and shit that I am totally ashamed of and never judges me or treats me any different.

Nate's just all around the most talented dude I've ever met. Now I have a lot of friends who are super talented in one area or are super smart, but Nate is good at so many things it blows my mind. Somehow he has time to be an awesome, artist, tattooist, musician, and athlete. I don't know how his brain handles the amount of shit he knows how to do. At 18 he knew he wanted to be a tattooist and set his sights on that. At 18 I didn't know shit from piss and was eating my own farts. I've always been jealous of his determination and wish it was a trait I had more of in my life.

Aside from being super talented Nate is also one of the most generous friends I have. I have seen him pay everyone's way into places or numerous times, buy someones meal, and lend money to friends without thinking twice. I hear about these instances second hand most times and I get so stoked that he values his friends that it's no big deal to drop a good deal of money to help someone out. Nate is also super generous with time. Whenever someone is down or going through something Nate is always down to hang. Even though he has a strict 10'oclock bed time, he'll hangout all night to try and cheer some up. I can't even count the number of people/bands that have stayed,lived with, or just plain mooched off Nate over the years. And even with a bunch of negative experiences he doesn't show any sign of changing this behavior. Lastly Nate is generous with his art. I can't count the amount of free or cheap tattoos that he has done on me. It would be impossible to count those on other people.

Nate thanks for always being my best dude, regardless of how shitty, flakey or moody I can be. You'll always be a person I look up to and even though everyone gives you shit for being you, you're one of the most solid and awesome dudes. I know.

MY FRIENDS OVER YOU

TONY