Oh man, speaking of getting into a band right before they break up...
Last year I was in some random music chat room because I was bored, and some kid IMed me and told me to download Passerby by Dispatch. VERY reggae-esque. They're a jam band from Boston, or at least they were. They played their last concert 7.31.04 last year at the Hatch Shell. 100,000 people were there, more than Phish's farewell show.
I had my dad listen to them and he loved them, so he picked me up from a show I was performing in at like 11pm on 7.30 (I do lots of community theatre,) and we drove straight from the show to Boston. We paid $70 to rent a hotel room that we only slept in for 4 hours, and then went down to the Hatch Shell at like 10am.
I waited 5 horus in line for autographs, and they left the table when I was like 5 feet away. Then we went and sat in the grass in front of the stage. There were so many people there, and everyone was being brutal about getting a spot up front. It was above 90 out that day, and sunny all day, I had no sunblock, and we sat there for 4 hours waiting for the concert to start with no water and having only had coffee and a doughnut from Dunkin Doughnuts for breakfast.
The show started at 5. Dispatch played for 5 hours straight. My dad and I were right up front, 3 people from the front rail, center stage, the ENTIRE time.
It was amazing. Easily the best concert I've EVER been to. After the show I went back to the merch tent and bought 2 shirts and pre-ordered their CD/DVD that came out this past November for $5 off the regular price.
When I got home I immediately e-mailed people who work with the band and got in their rep list. I ended up in the first 100 kids from all around the US who signed up to rep for All Points Bulletic (that's the CD/DVD) and so I got some of the first mass e-mails and stuff. I did a crap load of work for them, and in return I got autographed stuff, and a handwritten letter from Chad, their guitar player, because he's amazing and I love him. And then of course the usual rep parties and back stage invites and blah blah blah.
Yeah, so that had nothing to do with ska, but we were talking about getting into a band and then having them break up. I only listened to Dispatch for like 6 monthes before they had their final concert.
I can't wait, I'm working now because they're coming out with a movie/documentary thing. The primiere is the weekend of 7.31 in Boston. I'm trying to convince my parents now to let me hitch a ride up with some reps I've worked with the past year to go.
