I’ve had an absolutely glorious music-fueled weekend. Even more so than usual. I sat down to write some concert reviews and a song by the Antlers came on and I was just about knocked down from all the memories that came flooding in. It was a great time of my life. I was 23 and had just started Po’ Brothers. No cares and no worries, we just practiced 4 to 5 times a week. All we did was hang out and make music. Simpler times that somehow fade away over time.
At the time there was no doubt in my mind we would make it if we played enough. I found out over time it takes more than practice to make it. Still those were the days. We had our favorite bar called The Irish Exit that even had a meal named after us. The Po’ Boy Special. Ramen Noodles and a PBR tall boy for $5. Our first album release we did on the top of a skyscraper in Louisville and made around $3,000 dollars.
I attempt to remember other aspects of my life back then and its hard to do. Music permeated every facet of my life. Sadly I’m not sure I made much time to do anything else. I think I’m finally getting to the point in my life where I’m doing other things (and wanting to do them!). Still..there’s a sadness, or reflectiveness, looking back at that period of my life. Good and Bad, but it was definitely an era.
We used to practice in a basement that would literally flood if it rained too much. We’d be there jamming at 1 am, and there I am just splashing in puddles with my amp and peddle board on wooden pallets and concert blocks. My room had a broken window that stayed broken for a while. I think we had people over every day. I used to work at a kiosk selling phones and I was the manager so I got to make the schedule. Looking back I don’t know how I functioned. There was a period of time where we were playing 2 shows a week. Definitely couldn’t do that now.
Anyways, point of all this was I wanted to write some songs down that I hope I don’t forget over time like I almost forgot the Antlers. Crazy how the feeling I get when listening to them isn’t necessarily good or bad. Just very reminiscent. I guess it IS sad that now that seems so far away, like another persons life or a movie you watch. Weird.
Anyways the beginnings of a list:
“French Exit” – The Antlers
“Passenger Seat” – Death Cab for Cutie
“Lenders in the Temple” – Conor Oberst
“Empire Ants” – Gorillaz
“I Stand Corrected” – Vampire Weekend
“The Old Year” – Cassino
“Please Come Home” – Dustin Kensrue
“Ragged Wood” – Fleet Foxes
“Of Moons, Birds, and Monsters” – MGMT
“Sleepyhead” – Passion Pit
“Gideon” – My Morning Jacket
“Ten Years Gone” – Led Zeppelin
“True Love Way” – Kings of Leon
“Little Lover’s So Polite” – Silversun Pickups
“Dissident” – Pearl Jam
“Non-State Actor” – Soundgarden
“But, Honestly” – Foo Fighters
“Ahead of the Curve” – Monsters of Folk
“Is There a Ghost” – Band of Horses
“the Cave” – Mumford and Sons
“Crystal Baller” – Third Eye Blind
“Little Bombs” – Dashboard Confessional