First of all, that's bullshit …
It's been two weeks since I last wrote. Man, time is flying by this month. I've been busy with work, job hunting and hanging with friends. And as much as I am enjoying all of those, in five days I will be ending something that has brought me so much joy. Argus, my band of five years, is playing its final show Tuesday April 23 at 7 pm at Shorty's, the on-campus bar at Wake Forest.
I suppose it is similar to ending a relationship. I suppose if I'm smart, I'll write a song about. Lord knows I've written enough songs about romantic relationships. Honestly though, this is going to be a challenge for me. In the past, my band mates and I have always had difficulty letting Argus die. Argus was never about making it big … maybe there was an idea of that somewhere down the line … but it was mainly about creating. Creating music that was ours, honest and true. It's nothing I ever really wanted to let go. For once, I had found an outlet. For once, I felt like I had found something I could do, and do successfully. For once, I had found something that showed my creative side. Not to mention, it was with my best friends.
It sounds silly to say, and probably more silly to read, but Argus helped me realize what friendship is truly about. Erich, Greg and Newp are my best friends. They are my band mates. They are the ones who sat up late at night with me working on new songs. They are the ones who told me what sucked and what was decent. We all were able to go into a room, work on a song and voice our opinions. Friendship, and any other relationship, starts with communication. We've been able to cultivate our already great relationships, and teach each other how to respect and deal with other peoples' opinions. It isn't always easy, but it works.
Anyway, the matter at hand is the end of what has been known as Argus. It really is sad for me. And without sounding like a "wuss," I know I'm going to be somewhat emotional next Tuesday. I don't think I'll cry. I might get choked up. I do know that five years of friendship and music and relationships and trials will come running together, all on that small stage at Shorty's. I've been trying to prepare myself for it for a couple of weeks now. If this sounds melodramatic, think about one thing you've done constantly for five years, and seeing it end. Think about your college graduation, and how it felt after you drove out of your college town on the way to that next city. I know we aren't The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith or The Beatles. But we were something that was important to me. Argus was a part of my life for five years, and the end is here.
Will this be the last you hear of Argus? No. We are finishing up our final CD. It is going to be what we want it to be. It is going to be the sounds we've been dreaming of since we started our own music in 1997. I've been listening to some of the tracks, and I can't tell you how excited I am to share that music with you. If you want to make sure you receive information on the final Argus album, email the band.
Will this be the last you hear of Jay Lowe as a musician? I certainly hope not. I own a guitar, which I really can't play. Lessons are next on my list. Wherever I move next, some lucky guitar teacher will have to deal with my horrible playing skills. Hopefully, I'll be able to mold that so writing my own songs and music is a possibility one day. I'm not going to stop writing, I know that much.
So if you are in Winston next Tuesday, I certainly hope you make the show. For everyone that has supported us over the last five years, I cannot thank you enough. Whether you came to actually listen to the music, whether you came because you felt obligated, whether you came because you thought the lead singer was hot (wink) … it doesn't matter me. What matters is that you showed up, and listened to something we created.
Thank you.
It's been two weeks since I last wrote. Man, time is flying by this month. I've been busy with work, job hunting and hanging with friends. And as much as I am enjoying all of those, in five days I will be ending something that has brought me so much joy. Argus, my band of five years, is playing its final show Tuesday April 23 at 7 pm at Shorty's, the on-campus bar at Wake Forest.
I suppose it is similar to ending a relationship. I suppose if I'm smart, I'll write a song about. Lord knows I've written enough songs about romantic relationships. Honestly though, this is going to be a challenge for me. In the past, my band mates and I have always had difficulty letting Argus die. Argus was never about making it big … maybe there was an idea of that somewhere down the line … but it was mainly about creating. Creating music that was ours, honest and true. It's nothing I ever really wanted to let go. For once, I had found an outlet. For once, I felt like I had found something I could do, and do successfully. For once, I had found something that showed my creative side. Not to mention, it was with my best friends.
It sounds silly to say, and probably more silly to read, but Argus helped me realize what friendship is truly about. Erich, Greg and Newp are my best friends. They are my band mates. They are the ones who sat up late at night with me working on new songs. They are the ones who told me what sucked and what was decent. We all were able to go into a room, work on a song and voice our opinions. Friendship, and any other relationship, starts with communication. We've been able to cultivate our already great relationships, and teach each other how to respect and deal with other peoples' opinions. It isn't always easy, but it works.
Anyway, the matter at hand is the end of what has been known as Argus. It really is sad for me. And without sounding like a "wuss," I know I'm going to be somewhat emotional next Tuesday. I don't think I'll cry. I might get choked up. I do know that five years of friendship and music and relationships and trials will come running together, all on that small stage at Shorty's. I've been trying to prepare myself for it for a couple of weeks now. If this sounds melodramatic, think about one thing you've done constantly for five years, and seeing it end. Think about your college graduation, and how it felt after you drove out of your college town on the way to that next city. I know we aren't The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith or The Beatles. But we were something that was important to me. Argus was a part of my life for five years, and the end is here.
Will this be the last you hear of Argus? No. We are finishing up our final CD. It is going to be what we want it to be. It is going to be the sounds we've been dreaming of since we started our own music in 1997. I've been listening to some of the tracks, and I can't tell you how excited I am to share that music with you. If you want to make sure you receive information on the final Argus album, email the band.
Will this be the last you hear of Jay Lowe as a musician? I certainly hope not. I own a guitar, which I really can't play. Lessons are next on my list. Wherever I move next, some lucky guitar teacher will have to deal with my horrible playing skills. Hopefully, I'll be able to mold that so writing my own songs and music is a possibility one day. I'm not going to stop writing, I know that much.
So if you are in Winston next Tuesday, I certainly hope you make the show. For everyone that has supported us over the last five years, I cannot thank you enough. Whether you came to actually listen to the music, whether you came because you felt obligated, whether you came because you thought the lead singer was hot (wink) … it doesn't matter me. What matters is that you showed up, and listened to something we created.
Thank you.
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