Ending the Year With Thursday and Caspian

This year (I'm still doing posts from 2011, so pretend it's 2011) ended pretty awesomely, with Thursday playing their 2nd to last show ever (at least in the US) the day before Caspian played their 9th annual Last Night on Earth show, always on New Year's Eve eve. I headed to Mass to go to both, and both ruled.

I was pretty bummed out for the Thursday show though. I was going to buy a ticket, but kept putting it off. Then, out of nowhere in November, Thursday announced that they were done, and their current tour would be their last. I freaked out and bought 4 tickets (for 100 bucks), assuring that whoever wanted to go with me would be able to go, and if they couldn't, I could sell the tickets- maybe even for a profit. Then Hilton moved to San Diego and didn't come back for Christmas like he thought he would. Then Dan had to be with his family. Then Talluto just decided last minute that he didn't want to go. Lambert bought tickets and Kevin couldn't make it happen. And after 3 posts on facebook about the show, nobody wanted to go. Or, they wanted to but had to work the next day or something lame like that. Not only was I bummed out that fans of Thursday just didn't go because they didn't feel like it, but people wanted to go but didn't because it meant they would be out late and would be tired the next day. Ughk. I've said it before, but it looks like this isn't going to stop bothering me anytime soon. You only live once. If a band is playing their 2nd to last show ever on a Thursday night, it's probably worth it to go and be tired for 1 day. You'll never see them again! (until they reunite in a few years, hopefully) It makes me truly truly sad how many people seem to want their lives to consist of nothing but work and sleep.

It also bummed me out that people just didn't want to go, or people who may have were too far away. Seeing Thursday always brings back lots of great show memories. I've always had great times at their shows- they're always perfect with tons of energy, and we've always sang and screamed our throats out in sweaty air guitar hilarity. I wish I could have had some of the people I used to see them with next to me. Underhill, you really should have flown back from Colorado. I needed you at the end of "Cross Out The Eyes."

The other thing that made me truly sad about the night was that the show didn't even sell out. Granted, if I had gone earlier, I would have been able to sell my ticket to someone on the street, but since it was like 20 out and the opening bands sucked, I wasn't interested. But just the fact that a legendary band that's been around for like 12 years can't sell out their 2nd to last show is pretty bad. I guess they made the right decision in hanging it up. I blame the producer of their last 2 albums for making them impossible to listen to, American Nightmare for playing a reunion show the same night, and the fact that most of Thursday's fans are probably a lot like my friends- either uninterested in concerts or uninterested in staying out late on a weeknight. Too bad.

The show was great though. Instead of not going to shows anymore, I just show up absurdly late and only watch the bands I want to see. So I showed up right as mewithoutyou were starting, instantly found Lambert (an old friend from Apple who goes to a billion shows) and his friend and my other show-buddy Jeff. We chatted it up and then saw a truly great performance by Thursday.

They definitely didn't play like it was their second to last show though- they played a lot of new songs and the show just didn't have that "this is it, this is the end" feel that you want out of a show like that.  I've seen that at The Receiving End of Sirens' 2nd to last show (where they cried on stage and played a song twice because nobody wanted them to leave the stage), and it was beautiful. But nevertheless, it was a solid set of hits, and they sounded fantastic like always.

good ole Geoff.

The view from upstairs, with a sweet light and the soundboard

I recorded a bunch of songs to send clips to people who couldn't be there (like Underhill, in Colorado) and to just have for myself too. Only, I really didn't want to not sing while filming, so I just sang and screamed like the phone couldn't hear me. Oops, it could. It picked me up sooo well. I assembled a compilation of some off key singing, some half decent note-hitting, and most of my screams. Why? Because I think it's hilarious. Maybe you will too. ("Paris in FLAAAAAMES" at 2:23 is my favorite)

"Me "singing" and screaming to Thursday" from Mike Alexander on Vimeo

Goodbye Thursday, I'll truly miss you. "Full Collapse" and "A City By The Light Divided" are truly incredible albums, and your others are all generally awesome too. I saw you 10-12 times, and you always remained on my "this band is incredible live, don't ever miss them" list. Please come back in a few years, if only for a few one-off reunion shows. I'll go and scream my heart out.

__________________________________________________________________________________

I got to Tobin's at like 3:30 in the morning, ate some McDonalds, and passed out. I visited the mall the next day to eat some mall food (which I horribly regretted), shopped a little, hung out with Katherine a little at Tobin's, then headed back towards Boston to go see Caspian. 

I've seen Caspian probably over 15 times (I stopped counting), which is more than I've seen anyone else. They are one of my favorite bands and definitely my favorite live band. They always destroy everything (including me) live. From being an immense fanboy, I've gotten to know them over the years, and even had the distinct honor of sharing a practice space with them back when Hilton and I (and later Underhill) had a band. Caspian is very special to me. If you know me and don't know that, clearly we've never talked about music.

When I moved to Mass like 8 years ago, I saw that Seneca (a now broken up Boston band who were incredible) was playing a show at the Middle East, which at the time, was a place I had seen only a few ridiculous shows at (including Sunny Day Real Estate, Jim Adkins solo, and Poison the Well upstairs where I guy died). I had found Seneca a week before moving to Mass and was psyched to see that they would now be a local band. I saw that they were playing with a band called Caspian and remember distinctly the first time I listened. "Hilton, you need to come listen to this band, they're playing with Seneca and this is amazing."

So the first time I ever saw Caspian was in the front row, upstairs at the Middle East, at the 4th Last Night on Earth, with Constants (who also play every year), Seneca, and Junius. It ruled. Since then, I don't think I've ever missed Caspian, and I haven't missed a LNOE show. I've gone 7 years in a row, and at this point, I really can't imagine ever doing anything else on December 30th. It's the perfect way to end the year. This was my first without Hilton being there, which was a bit sad, but at least Sean, Tara and Alyssa went, even though, fitting in with the theme of this year, that's like a third of the amount of people who went last year. Pbbbttt.

It ruled though- Caspian's set was one of the best I've seen, and in the top 2 or 3 best sounding sets they've played. Insane lights too. It was just all around awesome. Their set was actually pretty close to the one I suggested on their facebook too, which ruled even more. My neck was extremely stiff the next day from headbanging, and I got completely lost a few times during the prettier songs. 

Here's a new song if you're interested. I taped it (just for the audio, I could barely see the stage) to send to Hilton, since I'd heard it a month before and I was fairly blown away by it. I love this song, it's definitely the best I've heard of the new stuff, but I'm sure there will be rivals once the album comes out.

After the show, things got a little ridiculous. Sean had found a full box of cigarettes in the bathroom and couldn't stop bragging about his untouched, full box of "toilet cigarettes." So, to mark the occasion and promote the hilarity of toilet cigarettes, some pretty horrible pictures happened. Sean got mad when I posted one on his facebook, so I'll just post them here. 

seriously Tara, only 3? pbbbttt

Here's me trying to make out with Tara (and cigarettes):

The blurriness makes it almost look like she's avoiding me, but we all know she was into it.

And here's Sean not letting the joke die, and smoking (he doesn't smoke) 3 at a time outside while a weird guy has a conversation with a painting behind him. 

sooooo much smoke

He loves them. 

A great couple of shows to end the year. 

currently listening to: Jeniferever- "Silesia"