You'd Break Your Neck To Keep Your Chin Up

I distinctly remember the first time I heard and saw Copeland.  The Starting Line was scheduled to play Ventura Theatre back in March of 2006 on the 'Screaming Is For Babies Tour.'  Joined with Gatsby's American Dream and Cartel, Copeland was the only band on the package tour that I hadn't heard of.  To my surprise, I found their album 'In Motion' for $3.99 at my work (which by the way had the most scarce selection of cd's ever seen.)  I popped it into the cd player of my '89 Mercedes and drove home from work slower than normal that night.  Needless to say, I was instantly hooked.  I had just gotten out of my first and only serious relationship, my routine was no more, and I felt completely lost as to where my life was going to go.  Thankfully my sister was visiting at the time.  If I close my eyes, it brings me back to driving up the 101 with her while repeatedly listening to track one of 'In Motion', No One Really Wins.  It's over four years later, and I still think of and miss her every time I hear the same song.  'In Motion' will forever be tied to that time in my life.  I will always be amazed at how nostalgic music can be.



On October 29, 2009 Copeland posted the following statement online:

Dear friends,

We have come to an extremely difficult decision. It has come time for us to move on from Copeland and follow other paths in our lives. We are absolutely grateful to have been able to make music for as long as we have. In the last 9 years we've been able to see parts of the world that we never dreamt we would see. We have shared the stage and built friendships with immensely talented artists. We've been afforded the opportunity to make 4 records that we're extremely proud of. Most of all, we feel honored that people have cared so much for our band and for our art. We appreciate every listener who has allowed our music to be a part of their lives. We want to offer our deepest thanks to every individual who has supported us on this ride. It has profoundly impacted our lives.

To put your minds at ease, we assure you this is not a bitter break up. We all individually feel Copeland has run its course in our lives and it’s time for us to pursue what is next. We couldn’t end things without a proper goodbye, so we are planning a final farewell tour in the US this coming Spring, as well as one final jaunt around the world to some of our favorite countries. We are really excited about seeing you all one more time, and we hope it turns out to be the best Copeland tour ever.

It has been discussed and we are not ruling out the possibility of recording one more album sometime in the future. However, this spring tour will be our last.

From the bottom of hearts, thank you for all of your love and support.

Aaron, Bryan, Jon & Stephen

As heartbreaking as reading the above news was for me, it was assuring to know I'd be able to see them one last time.  I'd seen them play multiple times between the first show I went to and the scheduled March 26th show.  The farewell show was no doubt, my absolute favorite time seeing them play.  It seemed as if I wasn't alone in holding this performance near and dear to my heart.  It was a very special and emotional set for me.  Reliving the moments of first listening to them, to realizing how much I've grown as a person since then.  Copeland's music has been there for it all.    

Asking for a better setlist for the evening was completely unnecessary. They did a great job at combining new and old songs to deliver the perfect goodbye.

1. Take Care
2. Careful Now
3. I'm A Sucker For A Kind Word
4. The Grey Man
5. Chin Up
6. Control Freak
7. Coffee
8. On The Safest Ledge
9. The Day I Lost My Voice (The Suitcase Song)
10. Eat, Sleep, Repeat
11. Pin Your Wings
12. No One Really Wins
13. When Paula Sparks
14. California

Encore:

   15.  Love Affair
   16.  You Have My Attention

I can only hope for a reunion someday.  I won't be holding my breath though.  It's safe to say they did such a good job with their farewells that I will still have satisfaction if a reunion never happens.  Until then, I'll keep 'California' as my ringtone and cherish the memories I have with their music, and continue to make more.

'Cause Everybody's Shakin' Like The End Of The World

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a big fan of Bruce Springsteen. I never understood the hype about 'the boss.' A couple of years ago I heard another band's name thrown around a lot, The Gaslight Anthem. I never really gave them a chance because anytime I would ask someone to give me a comparison of who they sound like, their reply would always be Bruce Springsteen. Nooooo thank you.

Boy, was I ever wrong. Maybe I should have actually listened to them, or gone to one of their shows before I let my judgement call rest.

Gaslight's singer, Brian Fallon, had a scheduled acoustic show at my favorite Hollywood venue, The Troubadour. Never really hearing Gaslight, I had a strange urge to go. I'm a sucker for acoustic. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing bands perform live, but if there's someone from a band I like (or in this case, a band I had a stigma against for being known to sound like Bruce) performing acoustically, you better believe I'll be there. In most cases, I'll probably enjoy it more than seeing the actual band live. That may be due to the fact that its more of a rare occurrence, which makes it a real treat. Brian Fallon proved me wrong like a brick to the face. He was amazing.

We were running a little late, so by the time we had gotten there, he had already started. We walked in mid story to a glowing fella holding a guitar, with a HUGE smile on his face. He was so excited about the story he was telling. I instantly took a liking to him before I even heard him play a song or caught on to what his story was about. He was so animated, gave off so many humble vibes, and simply seemed down to earth.

Brian did a good job of making fans in the crowd feel like they had known him for years. He told the crowd stories about how he geeked out when he first met Bruce Springsteen, how he would have swallowed nails when he was younger to sound like Chuck Ragan (now a friend of his), growing up in Jersey, stories of things his mother tells him, and the shock he always had when tough Jersey guys from their hardcore scene would confront him and say, "Hey I like your band." He used a different voice for every new character he would talk about which only made it more entertaining. I'd pay to grab a cup of coffee with him just so I can hear his animated stories.

When he started playing, that was a whole other story. He owned the stage and his entire set was amazing. From what I understand, he played mostly Gaslight Anthem songs rotating between their two full length albums and their EP. He closed with an encore of The Clash's "Lost in the Supermarket." Leaving The Troubadour that night, I have to say my wall of a stigma against Gaslight immediately tumbled down. I can only hope to see their music live as a full band now.

(Unfortunately, I forgot my camera so I don't have any of my own videos or pictures. I snagged the photo below - Photo by Matthew Baldwin for The Daily Titan, and the video of Brian's encore is from youtube.)

Through Rough Seas Our Ship Will Sail

I asked for guest list to see The Temper Trap without any expectations.  I had only heard Sweet Disposition, their song featured in '500 Days of Summer', which was enough to strike an urge to see them. These Aussie boys sure know how to put on a show.  I'm still in shock over the voice that can come out of singer, Dougie Mandagi.  






Their entire set really impressed me. Every song had a great beat that left no one in the crowd standing still. They ended the set with the same instrumental song they end their album with, Drum Song. The energy this band put into their entire show is intense and rare. I picked up their cd, Conditions, and haven't been able to stop listening to it. It's fantastic, and I highly recommend picking it up! I can't wait to see them at Coachella!