Starting Over
Joel, Jeff, Amanda, Kristin, Grant sat down together in Lansing, IL last night to hash out future plans. The crystal ball is very small and can only hold little hazy snap shot glimpses of what might one day be. The shortview is that we will begin practicing 4 or 5 times a month for 5-6 hours at a time at Thorn Creek Church with Nate as a candidate bassist. This means that we will be able to play shows as a full 4-piece band while feeling out the possibility of including Nate as a long-time musical companion. Fully armed, we'd like to play once a month in Chicago in addition to suburban shows and would focus on playing colleges and universities within a 280 mile radius starting in late January. Our main focus will be playing great shows that move people to laughter and tears and outlandishly ambitious world-changeliness. If we sell t-shirts and build a fan base along the way, so be it. But we really just want people to feel what we've been feeling all these years: the costly thrills of failure and the maddening fantasy of overcoming ourselves.
Current doings: Grant and Kristin are paying (with money) for years of uncompromising pursuit of their dream jobs. Ouch. Jeff and Amanda are starting to regain their bright cheery outlook on life with OVERHANG after adjusting to the shock of another child. Joel is in a constant holding pattern, waiting for Janis to send final mixes and money from Denmark. We've gotten one track already and were surprised to see Joel smiling finally after listening to the mix. He has really put himself out on a limb with this whole Janis thing but it seems to finally be paying off. And Nate is looking for work in Chicago. He has a few decent leads and has been getting to know the city. Nate joined OVERHANG at a special Brew 'n' View screening of Talladega Nights and Snakes on a Plane last Wednesday evening, which is the best way to see a bad movie and get to know the people of Chicago's north side. And a good way to feel out the personalities of the band.
And so we begin another month of this high stakes adventure.