More on Boston Show

Collin here. Dan covered it well but I just wanted to chime in and add my own take to the mix. I really had a total blast playing Great Scott last night. It was great to see David from Daily Pravda again - the music biz can be so funny, sometimes I don't know when I meet someone if it will be the last time I'll ever see them in my life, or if I'll play another 10 shows with them someday. So it was an unexpected pleasure to see David again, he's such a great guy and I really dug his solo acoustic set. His band Daily Pravda is opening for Spacehog in a week or so, I'm so happy for them.

Martin from Plumerai had told me about The Brother Kite, they did a split 7-inch vinyl single with them a while back. I haven't been able to hear it yet, though, 'cuz I don't have a record player. Did I just alienate tons of indie rock vinyl enthusiasts? Oh, well, I don't have one. Anyway, I figured I would like them, but I was kind of blown away. They're one of those bands where after one song I wanted to buy every CD they've ever put out. They played a song they haven't released on a record yet, and it made me sad I couldn't get it to listen to it again and again at home. I was also wishing my sister Kelly and my girlfriend Sarah had been there to see them, I think they both would have really liked them.

If I wasn't my long-winded self I'd be out of words for how I feel about Plumerai. I've said before I think they're one of the best bands on the planet, and as I told their bassist James after their set, I kind of forget how amazing they are after I see them play. Then the next time I see them I'm like, holy fuck, how could I have forgotten? Their new drummer is really becoming a full team player and providing a very cool element to the sound. I've been fortunate enough that I've seen Plumerai live lots of times, and I was feeling really grateful for that. They put me in a blissful state I usually don't want to come out of. I feel like some people don't even get one experience like that in a lifetime, and I've been given the opportunity many times over. But last night was surely one of their best. James' bass was fat, dark and foreboding, James' guitar was crystal-clear and heartbreakingly beautiful, and Elizabeth sang like an angel come to give humanity the secret to its own survival. It's hard for me to believe sometimes that I can have an experience like that just as a course of living my life. It's pretty awesome.

I had a ton of fun playing our New Year's Eve set at Arlene's Grocery in NYC, and for me last night's show felt like a step up even from that. As Dan said, we were just off the hook in Spin Cycle, Alien Homeland and Binge. And the improvised altered ending of Binge is something I will definitely bust out (this time on purpose!) again. More people need to see that, and I want to do it again!

I feel like as rock musicians we're supposed to act all too-cool-for-school, like we don't care about what we're doing, we don't give a fuck, the promoters suck and the record labels suck and no one gives us our due, blah blah blah. I can still get like that in my mind sometimes, but after nights like last night it's pretty astonishing that anyone who gets opportunities like we do can have one single word of complaint about it. It's the most fun I've ever had in my life, and I get to do it regularly. And yes, our songs are chiefly about anger, rage, getting pissed off, things that are fucked up and not right, people fucking us over, etc. And we mean every word. But somehow we get to release all that shit in what is pretty much a joyous party-like experience for us. Not that I necessarily feel "good" or "happy" in the traditional sense when I'm playing and singing, usually if I'm singing a song about anger (also known as EVERY SONG WE PLAY) I'm feeling that anger at some level. But the show itself is still balls-out fun. Does that make any sense? Hope it does to somebody.

Anyway, I'm truly grateful to Plumerai and especially their guitarist extraordinaire Martin Newman for all the opportunities he's helped us get, including the show last night, to Great Scott, all its staff and Reed the sound guy for making us feel so welcome and treating us so well, and to each and every person who stuck around to watch us do our thing. And Dan correctly singled out our friend Theresa. Her support, along with her boyfriend John's, has been one of the greatest gifts we received, and we will always be deeply grateful to them.

Next stop: our 4th trip to Cleveland, Ohio. HELL YEAH.