Fare-thee-well, Apollo Ghosts!

Fare-thee-well, Apollo Ghosts!

May 9, 2013 | Posted in: Apollo Ghosts 0

I first head Apollo Ghosts when Paul Henderson told me he couldn’t stop listening to this great band from Vancouver that he wanted to bring out to play SappyFest. Their show that beautiful summer afternoon was extraordinary. Adrian wore a cape. Amanda kept a groovy beat and a smile on her face. Jay was silent, a perfect steady bass player. The songs were fantastic, the band was engaged and deeply present in that specific and wonderful moment, and we, the unsuspecting crowd, sung along happily and with gusto, and we all left carrying a record; unless you were slow to the merch table, sucker, as the records, priced at a lowly $5 sold out instantly.

The next summer Adrian came back to New Brunswick and spent a couple of weeks in town as the Sappy Songwriter-in-Residence, writing tunes for a new record. We hung out, went swimming, had some dinners, drank some wine, went to the drive-in for Paul’s birthday, even jammed a couple times. It was great, easy, summer-living.

I don’t remember exactly when Adrian asked if I’d be interested in putting out the new Apollo Ghosts record; it might have been when he was still in town, but I don’t think so. It might have been later on during some cross Canada phone call; always a pleasure, sometimes just a rap from Adrian left on the answering machine. In any event, I loved the record the first I heard it and I love it even more now that it’s been a part of my life for a year or two, and I’m proud it came out on You’ve Changed Records.

In July 2012 I went on tour for a week with Apollo Ghosts. 6 shows in BC and Washington State. The drives were short, the weather was good, I rode with them in their Subaru and I saw them play some fantastic fun and uplifting punk-rock shows. We ate in health-food stores and drank kombucha as they joked about being west coast hippies. That’s the thing: Apollo Ghosts are good, kind, funny, open people and an absolutely fantastic rock and roll band and both of those things are good and important and inspiring and something to cherish. I want to thank them for taking me along on one of my all-time favourite tours. I want to thank them for the laughs. I want to thank them for believing that this was a good home for Landmark. And I want to thank them for the tunes: “What are your Influences?,” “Day of Glory,” “Guitar Brother,” “Money Has No Heart,” “Lightweight,” “Palm of My Hand,” “Things You Go Through,” “Coca-Cola Admen,” and so many others.

It breaks my heart to miss this last show, oh boy. Adrian, Amanda, Jay and Jarret, my friends, in my heart I’m there dancing and singing along and happy to see you play one last time.