Tales from the Band Van: Rocking down memory lane with Saliva at Victory North Savannah

I woke up Thursday morning saying one thing –– “Tonight is the night."

Tonight isn’t like every other night. Or weekend to be exact. On Thursday, my band Lilakk opened up for a band that most of us have idolized since children –– Saliva.

Now if you would have told me four years ago, those words would have seemed unimaginable coming out of my mouth. But through hard work and determination, I've seen this band grow. We have four members, my husband Kirk Joiner (vocals/lead guitar), Jonathan Covington (bass guitar), Zach Young (drums) and myself, Calli Joiner (vocals/rhythm guitar).

A Little Grunge Never Hurt Anyone: Savannah-based LILAKK already making waves

Our sound is a unique mash up of different genres and melodic tones that are weaved throughout. We have had the privilege of opening up for big bands such as Hed PE, 10 years, Puddle of Mudd, Adelitas Way, Filter, Sponge, and now Saliva.

We arrived at the venue, Victory North Savannah. Two tour buses sit in the back of the venue along with our van. The first tour bus belonged to The 9th Planet Out, who are currently touring with Saliva on their “Every Twenty Years Tour." Beside them are the headliner, Saliva.

As we get out of our "Band Van" (which was once a jail van with caged in windows that we got for a dollar), we were instantly greeted by the lovely staff and venue owner, Brian Goldman.

We had played at this venue once before when we opened up for Adelitas Way during the summer. The experience was great then as it is now. We walked in and the temperature was set to a comfortable cool, The lights are dim and you can predict the mood by how calm the air is.

There’s a sense of security and you know that everything is gonna be OK.

Dreamer of Pictures: Savannah musicians perform tribute to Neil Young at Victory North

As the doors opened at 7 p.m., there was a rush of fans scoping the area and tables. My anxiety started to unravel and what seemed like seconds turned into, Chris Evans, the sound engineer saying, “we’ve got 10 minutes, guys!”

The adrenaline kicked in.

We got on stage and started our usual routine of tuning our instruments. I gazed into the crowd and was confronted by bright lights and a glorious balcony that hung over the main floor. Zach, clicked his sticks, I closed my eyes and the rest was history. I’m not sure how many can relate but when I play on stage I feel almost like this unexplained euphoria that transports you through this different dimension.

Weathering the Storm: LILAKK join Modern Hero for Quarantine Concert

As the music flows through you, you can’t help but zone out as you feel comfort knowing you’re in your own world. We played and we played hard. By the third song, you could hear the crowd singing our songs –– repeating our words and singing our lyrics. It felt like unexplained déjà vu. So humbling and emotionally surreal. We finished our set, drenched in sweat and headed back to the merch table to greet our friends and new fans

As fog filled the venue, it was time for the second band to perform. A production of laser light beams bounced off the venue walls as 9th Planet Out put on an energetic show! A good transition, for the finale …

Saliva!

Unplugged: Diverse styles, up-and-coming acts announced for Savannah Stopover Music Festival 2022

As we were getting ready to move closer to the stage, we are greeted by friends and strangers alike on the main floor. What seemed like a silent moment was this universal appreciation for the songs that brought back those fond memories and connected us to this very moment. As I reminisce of my punk middle school days, I could hear the crowd singing along with frontman, Bobby Amaru. Recognizable lyrics of Saliva’s Popular hits, “Click Click Boom” and “Always” from their platinum selling album, “Every Six Seconds”.

As the night starts to drift, we hold on to the new memories that will once again be shared as we sing the songs we once sung tonight.

Calli Joiner is the vocalist and rhythm guitar player for the Savannah-based band, Lilakk. Her diaries from the road can be found at savannahnow.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Road Diaries: Savannah band Lilakk shares the stage with Saliva