It all started with
Scorpions. I remember where I was when I heard the news. In the car, on the
radio it was announced: Scorpions had called it quits. "NO!" I wailed
in disbelief. Over the past year, I’d become a connoisseur of the finest cheezy
hair metal. "Rock You like a Hurricane" was my favorite song. It was
perfect for jumping on the sofa in my pajamas on a Saturday morning (or
evening. Lame, I know.) For a while, I had the channel VH1 Classic. Often, I
indulged in rockumetaries (rock music documentaries), and films that were
quintessential to the music of the past. At first, I laughed at the 80's video
marathons. Months later, I would find myself still sitting in front of the TV
after an hour had passed still watching. Overtime, Motley Crue, Warlock and
Whitesnake videos became familiar, even the power ballads. I was hooked.
Although Scorpions calling it quits was saddening, break up’s of younger bands
are far harder to swallow.
Just last winter, a very,
very young, yet mature sounding band called Thieves was featured in Hook and
Line. After becoming addicted to their myspace months earlier, I rejoiced upon
hearing their first EP, Divider. The interview questions were very fun
to think about because their music is intellectual. Asking them what their
favorite ice cream flavor was wouldn’t cut it. Thieves managed to convey depth
and, perhaps, melancholy without suffocating the listener in darkness. In my
article, I now realize that I praised front man Ryan Hiser’s voice without
clarity. To me, there is some kind of struggle, or past struggle that I feel
beneath his voice, that is what I find so compelling.
Overtime, Thieves became
rather quiet. There were no more online updates. Fear of the worst arose: a
break up. The thought that no more new Thieves material would reach my ears was
pushed away, just beneath consciousness. Yet, the
omen didn’t spare me from some sadness when the group disbanded. When I was
young, extremely shy, and alone, I forged a strong tie to music. My hunger for
music is one that most don’t understand. Though, my life has become more
positive, emotional ties are still often made to laser discs, cassettes,
pancake shaped vinyl, and now MP3's.
Just earlier this
month, it was announced on Thieves’ facebook that it was over. I will miss the
fruit of their combined efforts, but, alas, everything has a season. I am
looking forward to any projects that the former members. And I’d like it if
Chet Kueffer could help me sharpen my bass skills sometime. *cough cough* -Jocelyn
