Dayton
My mom’s college roommate was a woman named Shannon. While I wrote about her once in my books, within this series, she and her husband, Tim, have only appeared in Cousin Simple-themed installments (Columbus Against The World, Full Circle, and Not Just A Background Character, which mostly takes place during Columbus Against The World). Both of the shows depicted in those installments took place in Columbus. On Friday, February 27, 2026, Cousin Simple had their first show in Dayton, where Shannon and Tim live.
At around 7:10, Mom, Dad, Josh, Paige, my friend Elana, her sister Jenna (who also happened to go to school with Paige), and I walked into a pizza shop called Oregon Express. Shannon, Tim, Ryan, Luke, Will, and Dave were already there at a table. Full Circle happened two years ago, so before the show started, we spent our time catching up with Shannon and Tim.
In my head, I’ve broken up Cousin Simple’s discography into 4 eras. The classic/nostalgic era (from their first album, And We Would Never End, to their first two singles, This Is A Robbery and Rockstar). The First Singles Era (their second two singles, Honeybee and Star Destroyers, and their Christmas song, Laughing All The Way). The Second Singles Era (which is most of their remaining singles, We Know, Boy.Girl, Let’s Be Together, You Want It You Got It, Chapstick, All My Movies, Fast Lane, and Candlelight). Finally, the EP (current modern) Era, (their last three singles, Vacation (Taylor Swift), Prima Donna (single version), and Long Way (single version), and their EPs, Sugarcoat, Part Time Job, and You Don’t Have To Sing Along).
The first band that played was a screamo band, and before they went on, the tables were moved so people could dance. Once the first band was finished, Elana and I made our way to the front of the crowd. There was a girl at the front in a We Know shirt. As I always do, I walked up to her to do some crowd work.
“How long have you known the band?” I asked.
“Oh, I’m here for the next band,” she replied, thinking that I was asking about the screamo band. Once I explained the connection, we talked for about a minute, and Cousin Simple started playing. After the first song, I looked to my right and saw Paige and Jenna.
There are two things about Paige you should know.
1. She hates to be the center of attention.
2. She has never come to the front of a Cousin Simple crowd with me.
When I saw her, I smiled, and she knew it was because she was at the front with me. Because she doesn’t like being the center of attention, she jokingly gave me a glare. I responded, “I love you,” with a chuckle. Unfortunately, the girl in the We Know shirt was standing between Paige and me, and because we had talked, she assumed that I was telling her I loved her.
Elena, who saw the whole thing, laughed. “Oh my gosh,” she said, “ you do get yourself into these awkward situations! I thought you were just making them up.”
I laughed. I was once told by a mentor, “Mitchell, you are the best person to have an awkward moment with.” I’ve always been a people person, and I’ve learned that despite the negative connotation of the word, I’ve always taken that quote to heart. Nothing is inherently good or bad; it’s about how you use it. I might be awkward, but I’m awkward with confidence!
Have a Greattastic day and be safe!
J. Mitchie Ulibarri, SBT
