in that i broke up with my band
(for Darren)
Several months ago, I posted on Facebook that I had broken up with the band, or something. Darren wanted to know what I was talking about. It's taken this long, but now I'm writing about it.
On November 18, 2011, my dad was diagnosed with ALS.
The same night, I went to Syracuse to see Scythian [the band I had been following] open for a band I had only heard about, Enter The Haggis. Mom called me on my drive up to tell me about Dad. I arrived at the concert feeling, well, numb, I guess. I don't know how else to describe it. I saw friends; I guess I enjoyed the concert. One song stood out. "I'm not gonna stand on the end of the pier/I'm not gonna let you go down with the ship." They were sending it out to someone for some reason or another, but it resonated with me - I needed something to hang on to.
Over the next 2 1/2 years, I followed Enter The Haggis almost exclusively. I did see Scythian a couple of times, but it was ETH that I was driving all over NY State to see. Their song Getaway Car became my song. "Waiting there for you to call when it was just too hard ... You can run, but you won't get far ... We all need some time and space..." As my close friends know, I just didn't have the words for how I felt. It was a dark time.
Fast forward to April 11, 2014. ALS robbed my Dad of his breath, and he went HOME to be with the Lord Jesus. It was hard, obviously, but he is "with Christ...far better" Phil. 1:23. I bawled my eyes out at the funeral. (Not good for the mascara!)
That summer, I didn't see the band, just didn't feel like it.
Then, ETH announced that they were changing their name to Jubilee Riots. It felt like "the end", but I got used to it.
In the fall, I drove to Beacon, NY, to do merch. I worked with a girl that I had met before. [this part should be titled "Why it's hard to be a new fan"] She spent the whole night telling me that I wasn't a "real fan" because I didn't see them back in 2000 (or whenever) and that she was SO much better friends with the band because she's been seeing them since 2000 (or whenever). It was depressing.
The next night, I took my sister & brother-in-law to Syracuse. We had dinner at Alto Cinco (LOVE that place!) then saw the final Enter the Haggis show at Westcott. It was called Exit the Haggis. I bought the shirt. That show was fun because I saw people that I know (& like & that don't make me feel like less of a fan because I only discovered the band in 2011!) and I like the venue. I even met James, the original drummer. :) I posted on FB that it really felt like I had come full circle as The Westcott was the first place I saw the band. I posted that I could "let go". And I did.
Until one cold night in February. (2/27/15) I volunteered to merch in Rochester, NY, because I felt like I could see the band again. It was like a one-night stand - SO fun and I haven't seen them (as a band) since.
In May, Kim & I went to Oswego, NY, to see Trevor with special/surprise guest Craig. That was fun. Trevor's cover of MJ's Beat It was fantastic! But that's been it. I'm planning on seeing them at The Westcott in the fall. It's tradition now. And, besides, I see the people I like there :)
Today, I tried listening to Whitelake, the album that had just come out when I discovered the band, and I couldn't do it. It reminded me too much of the dark times.
(should I sing songs that remind me of the better times??)
Happy Wednesday!
xo
Several months ago, I posted on Facebook that I had broken up with the band, or something. Darren wanted to know what I was talking about. It's taken this long, but now I'm writing about it.
On November 18, 2011, my dad was diagnosed with ALS.
The same night, I went to Syracuse to see Scythian [the band I had been following] open for a band I had only heard about, Enter The Haggis. Mom called me on my drive up to tell me about Dad. I arrived at the concert feeling, well, numb, I guess. I don't know how else to describe it. I saw friends; I guess I enjoyed the concert. One song stood out. "I'm not gonna stand on the end of the pier/I'm not gonna let you go down with the ship." They were sending it out to someone for some reason or another, but it resonated with me - I needed something to hang on to.
Over the next 2 1/2 years, I followed Enter The Haggis almost exclusively. I did see Scythian a couple of times, but it was ETH that I was driving all over NY State to see. Their song Getaway Car became my song. "Waiting there for you to call when it was just too hard ... You can run, but you won't get far ... We all need some time and space..." As my close friends know, I just didn't have the words for how I felt. It was a dark time.
Fast forward to April 11, 2014. ALS robbed my Dad of his breath, and he went HOME to be with the Lord Jesus. It was hard, obviously, but he is "with Christ...far better" Phil. 1:23. I bawled my eyes out at the funeral. (Not good for the mascara!)
That summer, I didn't see the band, just didn't feel like it.
Then, ETH announced that they were changing their name to Jubilee Riots. It felt like "the end", but I got used to it.
In the fall, I drove to Beacon, NY, to do merch. I worked with a girl that I had met before. [this part should be titled "Why it's hard to be a new fan"] She spent the whole night telling me that I wasn't a "real fan" because I didn't see them back in 2000 (or whenever) and that she was SO much better friends with the band because she's been seeing them since 2000 (or whenever). It was depressing.
The next night, I took my sister & brother-in-law to Syracuse. We had dinner at Alto Cinco (LOVE that place!) then saw the final Enter the Haggis show at Westcott. It was called Exit the Haggis. I bought the shirt. That show was fun because I saw people that I know (& like & that don't make me feel like less of a fan because I only discovered the band in 2011!) and I like the venue. I even met James, the original drummer. :) I posted on FB that it really felt like I had come full circle as The Westcott was the first place I saw the band. I posted that I could "let go". And I did.
Until one cold night in February. (2/27/15) I volunteered to merch in Rochester, NY, because I felt like I could see the band again. It was like a one-night stand - SO fun and I haven't seen them (as a band) since.
In May, Kim & I went to Oswego, NY, to see Trevor with special/surprise guest Craig. That was fun. Trevor's cover of MJ's Beat It was fantastic! But that's been it. I'm planning on seeing them at The Westcott in the fall. It's tradition now. And, besides, I see the people I like there :)
Today, I tried listening to Whitelake, the album that had just come out when I discovered the band, and I couldn't do it. It reminded me too much of the dark times.
(should I sing songs that remind me of the better times??)
Happy Wednesday!
xo
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