goodbye underoath. a band as influential for the Kingdom as you have been only comes along once in a great while.
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goodbye underoath. you are the greatest proof that a band can do incredible work for the Kingdom, even if it’s completely not “contemporary christian music”.
i just bought the they’re only chasing safety gold special edition vinyl. it’s a sad time.
]]>HEY REMEMBER THIS?! bodyjar | not the same.
if you haven’t heard it before, you most likely never played tony hawk’s pro skater 3. i don’t know what the deal was, but tony hawk games just had some of the greatest and most underrated tunes. this was far and away one of my favorite songs, next to alien ant farm’s Wish.
aside from uncommon instruments [that flying V bass is awesome], super slick power pop punk built on decent vocals and a solid video to boot [considering the genre and the time] make for an unbeatable breakup song.
if you hadn’t heard it til now, you are WELCOME. happy friday!
cheers,
]]>now that i’ve had a few weeks to reflect on @sherwood’s finally calling it a day, i thought i’d post a little for those of you who haven’t heard much from this former california four/five piece.
in short: sherwood is one of the greatest pop rock bands to ever have been. maybe not a jimmy eat world, but on par in terms of influence with the late mae [which broke up late last year].
i picked up sherwood’s first big LP, Sing, But Keep Going, in 2006 or 2007 when tower records was closing. i think i got it for $3 or $4 completely new, and since it was essentially a fire sale everything in the store was for sale.. even the shelves and tables the cds were sitting on. i was trying to find some solid new music to take home, and sherwood caught my eye as one of the bands this particular girl i was really into at the time mentioned. she might not be a part of my life anymore, but for sherwood i’ll have to thank her lifetimes over.
Sing, But Keep Going was, for me, a poignant, honest, and beautiful cd about growing up. well thought-out tracks and clever/painfully honest lyrics kept me coming back for more. in particular, the town that you live in was a song i just listened to, over and over until i couldn’t remember where it started or ended.
Sing laid the groundwork for the 2007 follow-up album, A Different Light. to this day, ADL remains one of the most classic, timeless, perfect albums i’ve ever picked up. i had it signed when they visited [and filmed!] their seattle show at el corazon in 2008. every track [except for Give Up!, which i earnestly think is just okay…but every GREAT album has a track or two that are not quite as strong as the others] is truly a wonder of nostalgia, tight harmonies between bassist/frontman nate henry and telecaster riffer/background vocalist dan koch.
filling out the band was keyboardist/crazed dancer mikey leibovich, who could have and DID single-handedly pump up the crowd night after night, drummer joe greenetz, and, later, dave provenzano to make it a double-tele-outfit [and how else should it be, after all?].
i saw them three times in total: 2007 with mae, at that point still an up-and-comer, and relientk, whose newest cd at the time was five score… everyone flocked to the relientk table in the totally packed showbox venue, but that gave me a chance to talk to the sherwood fellas. they were all much taller than i expected, but also super down to earth and polite guys to hang out with. i told them that ADL as an album helped me keep smiling through my mom’s fight with cancer, and i could tell they were moved by that.
i saw them again on good friday in 2008, at el corazon with houston calls, the higher, and we shot the moon maybe? i had a chance to congratulate jonathan jones [of waking ashland and we shot the moon fame] outside the venue for making great music after waking ashland faded out.
i saw them last in 2010 or -11, i can’t be sure. probably ‘11, at chop suey with BARCELONA, a peerless pop band, moneta, and this day & age’s [also a peerless pop rock band….truly.] jazz-fusion reincarnation, the reign of kindo.
every show i saw, i could tell they brought everything of themselves on stage. whether it was playing their newer songs, covering classics, like the get up kids’ “holiday”, or catering to the longtime fans with older EP material, they always seemed elated to be sharing their work. and it was great work indeed.
at this point, sherwood has no plans of a goodbye tour, though i think most fans would appreciate it. the breakup was essentially due to everyone’s families needing them, a call i can respect. but these guys will be missed dearly.
i’ve attached the Best in Me music video, a delightfully charming little clip with an equally loveable song. it’s a bittersweet way to remember them, but i’d say, mostly sweet.
cheers, and rest in peace, sherwood. thanks for the memories.
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