AskTheMagic8Ball wrote:
The only time I ever got to see WYPB was at their last show at the Downtown in Farmingdale, Long Island when they were opening for Catch 22. I fell in love quickly, only to have my heart broken realizing it was their last show.
I don't even want to ask how you indirectly helped break them up.
Just because I tried to book them to a Westcott show.
Anita and half the band was excited to play a small show in Syracuse in front of wildly enthusiastic high school kids, even though they'd get little money or fame out of it. They loved playing just to play and Anita said to definitely put them down for the next one.
The other half of the band was furious about the booking, because they'd played several prestigious clubs in Manhattan and opened for big names like The Bosstones. The 2nd faction felt playing the Westcott was a decided step backwards and I can't really disagree from that perspective. If you're advancing a musical career, that show was worthless, no question.
I gather the argument they had over it at a practice was very, very nasty. Anita told me they couldn't play the Westcott after all and she was very apologetic, saying actually, they were going to break up instead. She politely refused to go into details at all, but other band members hinted strongly at what happened and I felt really, really bad about it. I at least give them all credit for not publicly getting into it. That would have served no purpose at all.
But playing strictly for fun -vs- trying to advance a serious musical career are very diametrically opposed goals. That's why I encourage bands to sort that out when they form. It broke up No Refund very quickly too ...