Well there's a lot to say about this show, so i'll try to keep it brief and on-topic. For anybody who missed it, i made the decision to leave the group this past spring. this was my celebratory final show.
i was really excited, as well as understandably bummed out, when the day was upon me. I started from Boston with a rental car and a trunk of gear, and headed up to meet the rest of the band, and a handful of crowd-goers up in Augusta. Piebald, The Jealous Sound, and Avoid One Thing were already at the venue, as i was just sneaking in right before doors opened. Things progressed rather quickly, and in no time our set was on and over - before i could even get situated. The whole show was screwy though; as even with such a bitchin' show, not but a quaint little crowd was all that showed (to quote Travis Shettel)!
As for the Softer set, it was all kind of a blur to me, and not particularly enjoyable. We played a few songs that were completely new to me, which was kind of nervewracking because i had never even heard the other instruments play the song before. But more importantly, i just felt like i was the odd man out, as i hadn't even seen the guys in a few months, and i'd already made the decision to leave. the feeling i had onstage was that of a stranger, or at least a dude who was reintroduced to his family after they'd all transformed into something else.
i don't know how clear it was to people out in the audience, but this was a group of people i'd really never practiced with, and only knew from the occasional live performance - the last of which, for me, was 3 months earlier. every time i see them i see a month or two of changes, in personality, appearance, behavior, etc. it's sort of a freaky feeling, and given the time since i'd last seen or talked with them, i was understandably uncomfortable. during the set it was very clear to me that this was no longer my band, and it helped reaffirm my decision to go through with the whole thing. As the set wrapped, gabe made an acknowledgment of this as my last show, but i was so uncomfortable that i didn't really have anything to say on my own behalf, and really just wanted the whole thing to finish up.
On after us was Avoid One Thing, who was on tour with labelmates Piebald. I'd never seen these guys before (although i have seen Joe in the Bosstones), and they were decent, although i was a bit distracted with post-final-show activities. I did get a chance to talk with them a little later on, and that was pretty worthwhile.
Next up was The Jealous Sound. I suppose i was most excited to see them, because i'd never seen them before (and i've seen Piebald like 4 or 5 times before). i even listened to The Jealous Sound during my ride up from boston, just to prepare. Their live show was really good - a bit stripped down from the studio material, but they pulled it off well. I specifically appreciated the compensation with choruses and synths via vocals and crazy bass-ing.
Last up was Piebald - kicking off their CD release tour. Until this point, the show had seemed rather "not there" and cold, detached, blah blah. Piebald, in their never-ceasing ability to do weird stuff, brought the entire crowd together in their set, and without taking off any clothes. i lost track of how long they actually played, but they definitely kept things moving for quite a while. this was probably the best Piebald performance i've seen, both because it was such an intimate setting, and also they just seemed to be impressingly tight - which i'd never noticed before.
ending as many bizarre shows do, everybody sort of just mingled around and gradually trickled out. conversations were had with the bands and the fans. gear was relocated. sean higgins was pelted with fists - you know, the usual. after stalling for a bit, we (softer and co.) decided to dine as a group one final time before going our separate ways (Maia Chong convinced Piebald to spend the night at her place! omg!). We ended up bumping into Avoid One Thing at Friendly's, and said our nice-to-meet-you's and goodbyes once again. I had a huge burger platter that i could barely eat, and i almost fell asleep. and then i drove 4 hours back to Boston proper.
All in all, it was a rather unfulfilling night in some ways, but in others gave me a greater sense of closure and had elements of a really fun time. I'm really glad it happened, although in another world, i would have been completely satisfied to never have been thrust into the opportunity. It was a good time, but will always be a little awkward in my mind. hopefully the small crowd who was there will always remember the show, and hopefully they've enjoyed Softer as much as i did in the long run. i suppose this is the last one of these that i'll be writing, so i guess it's just "so long".
so long
caleb.
SETLIST
forthcoming...
