Hello all. Long time no see.

Just a couple of quick notes you may or may not care about:

Twelve years ago this week, Texas is the Reason went to Boston and recorded the 3-song demo that became our 3-song EP. Wow.

Eleven years ago, today, Texas is the Reason played a show in Garrett's hometown of Buffalo, opening for our good friends in Snapcase. This morning, when we looked in our MySpace Inbox, Brandon wrote in to say that he has uploaded and posted a video of the show to his new weblog. It's worth a link:

Texas Is The Reason, live in Buffalo. April 20, 1996.

Also worth nothing: Do You Know Who You Are? came out that week. Eleven years ago, this week.

Finally, our talented friend and artist Jesse Ledoux — the man who designed the limited edition silkscreen commemorative posters for our 10-year-anniversary weekend in November — has put the final copies of the poster on sale. These are coming from his own personal stash. So if you missed out on buying one from our merch site, This is your last chance.

Our merch, of course, is still available from our partners at Merch Now.

That's it for now. Be good, everyone. It's been real.

xo Texas is the Reason

Hey everyone-

First off, sorry about the mix-up on the bulletin that was sent out. The six-page oral history of Texas Is The Reason will appear in the current issue of Alternative Press, which is just hitting stores now. It's the March 2007 issue, not the February 2007 issue. And it's the Taste Of Chaos cover, not the Fallout Boy cover. And we still haven't seen it yet, so god knows what kind of smack we talked. Either way, it's a nice little ribbon to wrap this reunion affair up with.

You can check out more information about the issue here. A kick-ass fan who we met on MySpace and happens to be a kick-ass photographer posted a scan of one his photos from the spread here. (He handed one of us a CD of his photos from the first night at the second night; we liked them so much we turned Alternative Press on to him. Who says networking doesn't work?) And the compiler of our oral history, Trevor Kelley, is an old school dude we first met in an Orange County library, like, eleven years ago. He's also an author .. well, he will be when the book comes out anyway. We haven't read his book or anything, but the dude once jumped into a bunch of garbage cans and inexplicably got a free iPod the next morning. I mean, seriously, that's cool. Be his book's friend, too.

Finally, one of you folks wrote in .. and despite the lack of response, we do read e-mail, I swear! .. and asked if we could post that complete concert history of Texas Is The Reason. Seeing as Alternative Press will hit the newsstands with the story, we thought now was a good time to post the actual chronology. Reading this list brings back so many memories, it's unreal; we're still friends with so many of the bands and promoters that made these shows happen. It felt especially satisfying to add the November shows, bringing our official performance tally to a mere 163 evenings of rock 'n roll.

Were you at any of these shows? Do you have fond memories? Feel free to add your thoughts to the Comments section here on the blog or on the main page.

I'll always personally remember October 9, 1995 .. the night we played Brownies with Ida, Danielle Howle, and Trenchmouth (hello, Fred Armisen!). The bill was so radically diverse from one moment to the next, but the show never felt incohesive or patchworked. I also remember Garrett saying out loud what I was thinking in my head as we walked on stage: "Fuck. How are we supposed to follow Ida?" I'll also never forget all the cool people we met at the Neil House in Columbus, Ohio. Or the way our friends in Jawbox and Quicksand helped us out when we were just starting. Or that amazing final U.S. tour with The Promise Ring, whom we feel proud to be aligned with in perpetuity. And don't get me started on how fantastic Europe was to this band.

Chime in or just check it out. THE OFFICIAL TEXAS IS THE REASON CONCERT CHRONOLOGY begins here:

1. 05/12/95- Equal Vision Records Loft, New York, NY w/ Samuel.
2. 06/17/95- The Old School, Long Island, NY w/ Shades Apart, Silent Majority, Daly.
3. 06/24/95- Methodist Church, Chatham, NJ w/ Snapcase, Mouthpiece, Bloodlet, Ignite, Doughnuts.
4. 06/25/95- Z-Bar, New York, NY w/ Moses.
5. 07/04/95- Abc No Rio, New York, NY w/ Christie Front Drive, Portraits of Past, Touched.
6. 07/14/95- Tune-Inn, New Haven, CT w/ Into Another, Engine Kid, Shades Apart, Whirlpool.
7. 07/28/95- Studio 158, Willamantic, CT w/ Split Lip, Samuel, Colossus of the Fall, Cast Iron Hike.
8. 07/29/95- The Living Room, Providence, RI w/ Split Lip, Samuel, Colossus of the Fall, Stretch Armstrong.
9. 08/01/95- Coney Island High, New York, NY w/ CIV.
10. 08/05/95- 67 Handy St., New Brunswick, NJ w/ Split Lip, Samuel, Colossus of the Fall, Walleye.
11. 09/05/95- George Washington University, Washington, DC w/ Farside, Samuel, Walleye.
12. 09/08/95- Sea-Sea's Lounge, Moosic, PA w/ Farside, State of the Nation, Deckard.
13. 09/09/95 (Day)- Tune-Inn, New Haven, CT w/ Farside, Shades Apart, State of the Nation, Threadbare.
14. 09/09/95 (Night)- CBGB, New York, NY (CMJ Revelation Records Showcase) w/ Into Another, Sensefield, Farside, Shades Apart, State of the Nation, Whirlpool, Shift.
15. 09/10/95- Lost Horizon, Syracuse, NY w/ Black Train Jack, Threadbare.
16. 09/21/95- The Cooler, New York, NY w/ Garden Variety, The Van Pelt.
17. 09/22/95- The Academy, New York, NY w/ Quicksand, CIV
18. 09/23/95- Saratoga Winners, Saratoga Springs, NY w/ Quicksand, CIV, All Fall Down.
19. 09/28/95- Centenary College, Hackettstown, NJ w/ Trigger, Cathode Ray, Shirk Circus,
Sleepyhead.
20. 10/09/95- Brownies, New York, NY w/ Trenchmouth, Ida, Danielle Howle.
21. 10/25/95- Tramps, New York, NY w/ Lunachicks, Black Train Jack.
22. 10/27/95- Club 490, Fitchburg, MA w/ Shift, Cast Iron Hike, Hatebreed, Stillsuit.
23. 10/28/95- U of Hartford, Hartford, CT w/ Shift, Iris, Squid Launch.
24. 10/29/95- 242 Main, Burlington, VT w/ Madball, Shift, 12 Times Over.
25. 10/30/95- Junior College, Albany, NY w/ Shift, One King Down.
26. 10/31/95- Showplace Theater, Buffalo, NY w/ Snapcase, Shift, Gathering Ground.
27. 11/01/95- Grounds Coffee House, Detroit, MI w/ Shift.
28. 11/02/95- The Neil House, Columbus, OH w/ Shift.
29. 11/03/95- Nervous, Bloomington, IN w/ Shift, Ativan.
30. 11/04/95- The Church, Chicago, IL w/ Shift, The Wives.
31. 11/05/95- The Neighborhood House, Madison, WI w/ Shift, The Promise Ring.
32. 11/06/95- Extreme Noise, Minneapolis, MN w/ Shift.
33. 11/07/95- Atomic Caf.., Rapid City, SD w/ Shift, State of the Union.
34. 11/10/95- Koos Caf.., Santa Ana, CA w/ Farside, Gameface, Shift, Kill Holiday.
35. 11/11/95- Gallery, Pomona, CA w/ Shift.
36. 11/12/95- Macondo, Los Angeles, CA w/ Farside, Shift.
37. 11/14/95- DV8 Downstairs, Salt Lake City, UT w/ Shift, Godhead Silo, The Stella Brass, 2 Minutes Hate.
38. 11/15/95- The Raven, Denver, CO w/ Shift, Painstake.
39. 11/17/95- Cherokee Blues Club, Louisville, KY w/ Guilt, The Loved.
40. 11/19/95- Continental, New York, NY w/ Garden Variety, J Church.
41. 11/25/95- Abc No Rio, New York, NY w/ Milhouse, Cathode Ray, The Last Crime.
42. 12/22/95- CBGB, New York, NY w/ Supertouch, Shades Apart, Loaded, Brothers Keeper.
43. 01/05/96- Spanky's 4th Dimension, Stroudsburg, PA w/ Supertouch, Cathode Ray, Gravity Wins Again.
44. 01/06/96- Firehouse, Long Valley, NJ w/ Shades Apart, Cathode Ray, Gravity Wins Again, Rye Coalition.
45. 01/11/96- Maxwells, Hoboken, NJ w/ Garden Variety, Dahlia Seed.
46. 02/01/96- Chez Hiltz, Westfield, NJ w/ Sensefield, Gravity Wins Again.
47. 02/03/96- Lost Horizon, Syracuse, NY w/ Sensefield, Supertouch, Baby Gopal.
48. 02/04/96- Brownies, New York, NY w/ Sensefield, Dahlia Seed.
49. 03/15/96- Hardback Caf.., Gainsville, FL w/ Gameface, Frodus, Hot Water Music.
50. 03/16/96- Brothel, Melbourne, FL w/ Gameface, Frodus.
51. 03/17/96- The Blue Chair, Tampa, FL w/ Gameface, Frodus.
52. 03/18/96- Rockafella's, Columbia, SC w/ Gameface, Self.
53. 03/19/96- Tremont Music Hall, Charlotte, NC w/ Gameface.
54. 03/20/96- Twisters, Richmond, VA, w/ Gameface, Damnation AD, Joyburner.
55. 03/21/96- The Black Cat, Washington, DC w/ Gameface, Frodus.
56. 03/22/96- First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA w/ Lifetime, Gameface.
57. 03/23/96- YWCA, New Bedford, MA w/ Lifetime, Gameface, The Promise Ring, Switched On.
58. 03/24/96- Coney Island High, New York, NY w. Jawbox, Shift.
59. 04/20/96- Showplace Theater, Buffalo, NY w/ Snapcase, Chamberlain, Despair.
60. 05/04/96- Gaulsheim, Bingen, GER w/ God's Balls.
61. 05/07/96- Erebos, Spremberg, GER
62. 05/08/96- Klub 007, Prague, CZE w/ Exit Only, No Reason.
63. 05/10/96- Forellenhof, Salzgitter, GER w/ Samiam.
64. 05/11/96- Tommyhaus, Berlin, GER w/ Samiam.
65. 05/13/96- Willem 2, Den Bosch, NED w/ Samiam.
66. 05/13/96- Kompass Room, St. Niklaas, BEL w/ Samiam, Innerface.
67. 05/14/96- Narrowboat, Nottingham, UK w/ Samiam, Shutdown.
68. 05/15/96- Duchess Of York, Leeds, UK w/ Samiam, Hooten 3 Car.
69. 05/17/96- Guinans, Liverpool, UK w/ Samiam, Category 3.
70. 05/18/96- Powerhaus, London, UK w/ Samiam, Shutdown.
71. 05/20/96- Juz, Merzig, GER w/ Samiam, Whole.
72. 05/21/96- CCO, Lyon, FRA w/ Samiam, Gameface, Clean Slate.
73. 05/22/96- The Square, Geneva, SWI w/ Samiam.
74. 05/23/96- Hirschneck, Donnerstag, SWI w/ Samiam.
75. 05/24/96- The Compund, Rome, ITA w/ Samiam, local.
76. 05/25/96- Ballroom, Munchen, GER w/ Samiam.
77. 05/26/96- Conne Island, Leipzig, GER w/ Samiam, Ignite, Miozan.
78. 05/28/96- Schlacthof, Wiesbaden, GER w/ Samiam.
79. 05/29/96- Juz, Backnang, GER w/ Samiam
80. 05/31/96- Ung Kultur, Vastervik, SWE w/ Samiam, Dreadnaught, Forced Into.
81. 06/01/96- Bergslakrocken, Fargersta, SWE w/ Rancid, CIV, Refused, Ignite, Samiam, No Fun At All, Madball, Starmarket.
82. 06/02/96- 1000 Fryd, Aalborg, DEN w/ Samiam, Sovereign.
83. 06/02/96- Zentrum, Autonomes, GER w/ Samiam, Pale, Black Bug.
84. 06/03/96- Buze, Koln, GER w/ Samiam.
85. 06/13/96- Voodoo Lounge, Austin, TX w/ Sensefield, On Earth As It Is.
86. 06/14/96- Activity Center, Tyler, TX w/ Sensefield, Milhouse.
87. 06/15/96- Wade Rd. Skatepark, Baytown, TX w/ Sensefield, Blueprint, Fox Force Five, Badger, Crooked Concept, Objection.
88. 06/17/96- Section 8, Pensacola, FL w/ Sensefield, Super Hi-Fives, Plow United.
89. 06/18/96- Full Circle, Gainesville, FL w/ Sensefield, Tiger.
90. 06/19/96- The Stampede, Melbourne, FL w/ Sensefield, Gray Before My Eyes.
91. 06/20/96- Cheers, Miami, FL w/ Sensefield, Makeshift.
92. 06/21/96- Joe Mocha's, St. Petersburg, FL w/ Sensefield, Hankshaw.
93. 06/23/96- Lizard & Snake, Chapel Hill, NC w/ Sensefield.
94. 06/25/96- The Black Cat, Washington, DC w/ Sensefield, Kerosene 454.
95. 06/26/96- Wetlands, New York, NY w/ Sensefield, Fully.
96. 06/27/96- Maxwells, Hoboken, NJ w/ Sensefield.
97. 06/28/96- Ethical Society, Philadelphia, PA w/ Sensefield, Walleye.
98. 06/29/96- The Rat, Boston, MA w/ Sensefield, Missing Joe, Chubbies.
99. 06/30/96- Lost Horizon, Syracuse, NY w/ Sensefield, Calvin Crime, Endeavor.
100. 07/01/96- Showplace Theater, Buffalo, NY w/ Sensefield, Gathering Ground.
101. 07/02/96- The Symposium, Lakewood, OH w/ Sensefield.
102. 07/03/96- The Shelter, Detroit, MI w/ Sensefield, Blanket.
103. 07/05/96- Fireside Bowl, Chicago, IL w/ Sensefield, Monorchid.
104. 07/14/96- Bar& Grill, Salt Lake City, UT w/ Sensefield, The Stella Brass, Polestar.
105. 07/16/96- Velvet Elvis, Seattle, WA w/ Sensefield, Nine Iron Spitfire, Wankin Teens.
106. 07/19/06- Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA w/ Samiam, Sensefield.
107. 07/20/96- Showcase Theater, Corona, CA w/ Sensefield, No Knife, Lidsville.
108. 07/21/96- The Whiskey, Hollywood, CA w/ Sensefield, No Knife.
109. 07/22/96- Public Library, Huntington Beach, CA w/ Gameface.
110. 07/23/96- Soma, San Diego, CA w/ Sensefield.
111. 08/22/96- CBGB, New York, NY w/ The Promise Ring, The Van Pelt, Joan Of Arc, Jejune, The Last Crime.
112. 08/23/96- Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA w/ Jawbox, The Dismemberment Plan.
113. 11/03/96- Brownies, New York, NY w/ Bluetip, Kerosene 454, Boys Life.
114. 11/04/96- Silk City, Philadelphia, PA w/ Bluetip, Kerosene 454, Boys Life.
115. 12/27/96- The Shelter, Detroit, MI.
116. 12/28/96- Euclid Tavern, Cleveland, OH w/ The Promise Ring, L.I.G.H.T.
117. 12/29/96- Sparks, Louisville, KY w/ The Promise Ring, Union.
118. 12/31/96- Sitcom, Indianapolis, IN w/ The Promise Ring, Cataract Falls.
119. 01/01/97- Rave Bar, Milwaukee, WI w/ The Promise Ring, Joan Of Arc.
120. 01/02/97- Fireside Bowl, Chicago, IL w/ The Promise Ring, Traluma, Spanish Churches.
121. 01/03/97- The 1021, Minneapolis, MN w/ The Promise Ring, Across 5 Aprils.
122. 01/04/97- The Pomp Room, Sioux Falls, SD w/ The Promise Ring, Across 5 Aprils.
123. 01/05/97- Ranch Bowl w/ The Promise Ring, Johnny Clueless, Mr. Hand.
124. 01/08/97- Warehouse, Denver, CO w/ The Promise Ring, The VSS, Tanger.
125. 01/10/97- DV8 Downstairs, Salt Lake City, UT w/ The Promise Ring, The Stella Brass, Veterans Grove.
126. 01/12/97- Velvet Elvis, Seattle, WA w/ The Promise Ring, Juno.
127. 01/13/97- Stage 4 Theater, Portland, OR w/ Sweet 75, The Promise Ring, Juno.
128. 01/15/97- Bottom Of The Hill, San Francisco, CA w/ The Promise Ring, Man Will Surrender.
129. 01/16/97- Public Library, Huntington Beach, CA w/ The Promise Ring, Bluebird, Peso.
130. 01/17/97- The Troubadour, Hollywood, CA w/ The Promise Ring, Gameface, Man Will Surrender.
131. 01/18/97- Soma, San Diego, The Promise Ring, Man Will Surrender, I Wish I.
132. 01/19/97- The Barn, Riverside, CA w/ The Promise Ring, Gameface, Man Will Surrender.
133. 01/20/97- Nile Theater, Mesa, AZ w/ The Promise Ring.
134. 01/21/97- Underground Nation, Albuquerque, NM w/ The Promise Ring, Trisconomy 21.
135. 01/24/97- Electric Lounge, Austin, TX w/ The Promise Ring, Albert Hill.
136. 01/25/97- Rollersport Skate Park, Little Rock, AK w/ The Promise Ring, Low End Theory.
137. 01/27/97- Westend Community Center, Atlanta, GA w/ The Promise Ring, Ripcord, One Kingdom.
138. 01/28/97- Section 8, Pensacola, FL w/ The Promise Ring, One King Down.
139. 01/29/97- The Refuge, St. Petersburg, FL w/ The Promise Ring, Genesee.
140. 01/30/97- Cheers, Miami, FL w/ The Promise Ring, Nobuhjest.
141. 01/31/97- Club Zen, Orlando, FL w/ The Promise Ring.
142. 02/01/97- Rockafella's, Columbia, SC w/ The Promise Ring, Rocketscience.
143. 02/02/97- Lizard & Snake, Chapel Hill, NC w/ The Promise Ring, Rocketscience.
144. 02/04/97-Twisters, Richmond, VA w/ The Promise Ring, Sweetbelly Freakdown, Rocketscience.
145. 02/05/97- The Black Cat, Washington, DC w/ The Promise Ring, Sweetbelly Freakdown, Rocketscience.
146. 02/06/97- Silk City, Philadelphia, PA w/ The Promise Ring, Sweetbelly Freakdown, Rocketscience.
147. 02/07/97- Middle East Downstairs, Boston, MA w/ The Promise Ring, Miltown, Rocketscience.
148. 02/08/97- The Living Room, Providence, RI w/ The Promise Ring, Rocketscience, Seratonin.
149. 02/09/97- Wetlands, New York, NY w/ The Promise Ring, Sweetbelly Freakdown, Rocketscience.
150. 02/19/97- Zwischenfall, Bochum, GER w/ Queerfish.
151. 02/20/97- Alhambra, Oldenburg, GER w/ Queerfish, Starmarket.
152. 02/21/97- Juz, Immenhausen, GER w/ Queerfish, Starmarket.
153. 02/22/97- Pfarrheim, Bous, GER w/ Queerfish, Starmarket.
154. 02/23/97- Schreinerei, Schweinfurt, GER w. Queerfish, Starmarket.
155. 02/24/97- Rock Caf.., Prague, CZE w/ Starmarket.
156. 02/25/97- Knaack, Berlin, GER w/ Queerfish, Starmarket.
157. 02/26/97- Marquee, Hamburg, GER w/ Queerfish, Starmarket.
158. 02/27/97- Geschwister Scholl-Haus, Neuss, GER w/ Queerfish, Starmarket.
159. 02/28/97- Caf.. Atlantic, Freiberg, GER w/ Queerfish, Starmarket.
160. 03/01/97- Juz, Backnang, GER w/ Queerfish, Starmarket.
161. 03/02/97- Falkendom, Bielefeld, GER w/ Queerfish, Starmarket.
162. 11/25/06- Irving Plaza, New York, NY w/ Ian Love.
163. 11/26/06- Irving Plaza, New York, NY w/ Ian Love.

Thank you to the thousands of people who gave us something to remember.

In case you haven't noticed, we're pretty sure we don't really care about Myspace trackers. One clever spammer, however, hijacked a fan's site and left those 2 really annoying comments on our board and then — here's the kicker! — disabled the "Delete My Comment" function. So we all have to look at their multicolored advertising. As if the entire planet wasn't covered in advertising already.

We are putting up the Comments Approval function for a while. Your comments will be approved if you are not a marketing robot. Thank you for your understanding.

Hi everyone.

As you know, Texas Is The Reason is as much a collective effort as it is a band. We come from an independent music scene that takes care of its own. In our upbringing, punk rock was less a style of music and more a community. An esteemed member of our community needs our help now, and we hope you will help us help him.

If you've heard our album, Do You Know Who You Are?, then you know J. Robbins. J. produced our album and refereed our arguments and added instrumentation and made us smile a hell of a lot during that freezing Baltimore winter of 1995. J. is also an incredibly inspiring musician in his own right: JAWBOX and BURNING AIRLINES were, quite simply, two of the best bands ever, and his new band, CHANNELS -- the band he started with his wonderful wife Janet Morgan -- continues in this inimitable tradition.

Callum Robbins, the beautiful baby son of J. Robbins and Janet Morgan, was recently diagnosed with a genetic motor neuron disease called Type 1 SMA, or Spinal Muscular Atrophy. This is heartbreaking news.

SMA kills kids. The disease affects the brain's ability to communicate with the voluntary muscles that are used for activities such as crawling, walking, head and neck control, breathing, and swallowing. Type 1 SMA is usually fatal; most Type 1 babies will die before their second birthday. Those infants who survive into childhood are in for a long road of occupational therapy, wheelchairs, and assistive devices. Despite years of work on its treatment and "ongoing promising research," it has no cure.

As you can imagine, this is perhaps one of the hardest things anyone could ever have to face. In addition to the emotional and physical tolls, the financial aspect to this situation is one that promises to mount. It's exactly this kind of situation that puts our community to the test: We need to take care of our own.

Bill and Kim, the former Jawbox members who also run DeSoto Records, have set up a fund where we can all help. The Callum Robbins Family Fund will help J. and Janet pursue every possible avenue of opportunity to help Cal out and give him the best treatments possible. The members of Texas Is The Reason would like to appeal to our amazing fans, who have been so incredibly loyal and supportive of us all these years, to turn your attention to our little friend Cal and to donate anything -- however small or large -- to his treatment fund.

Whether its in the spirit of community or the holidays or your good-natured heart, let's come together and take care of each other now.

For more information about Cal, SMA, The Callum Robbins Family Fund, and to donate something via PayPal, please visit Cal's site here.

Our personal gratitude for your help at this time is limitless. We humbly thank you.

--Texas Is The Reason

Now that the dust has settled and everyone is moving into the holiday season, we've managed to get all of the remaining merchandise from our two-day anniversary weekend online and on sale for everyone who couldn't make it. We've got three exclusive T-shirt designs, a hoodie, a button pack, and a very limited amount of handscreened commemorative posters available through our friends at Merch Now.

If it's something you think would make a good Christmas present, Merch Now can make it happen if you order before December 15.

These designs were made exclusively for our ten-year anniversary shows and will not be reprinted. Whatever is left is whatever is left, so if there's something you'd like to pick up, now is the time. Happy holidays and thank you for making 2006 a memorable one for Texas Is The Reason. Stay gold.

Now that it's over and we're all able to reflect, I think it's safe to say that this weekend's festivities were a complete success. There were a couple of mostly unnoticed mishaps and a few ideas that unfortunately didn't make it to the finish line, but by and large, we accomplished what we set out to do: We played these songs sincerely, among friends, in our hometown, to a sea of smiling faces. To say that these were the most important shows of our career would be an understatement.

We've made so many talented friends over the years and so many of them helped make this weekend possible, that I felt compelled to compile a quick thank-you list. These shows would have been impossible without:

Ray Martin (our incredible sound engineer), Zach Hendrix (lighting designer), Brian Downey (primary stage tech), Jeff Johnson (stage tech), Jon Sass (who DJ'ed both evenings), John Herguth (the unofficial-official management of Texas Is The Reason and occasional back-up singer), Joshua Wildman (our official event photographer), Tim Edwards and everyone at Flower Booking, David Lewis and the staff at Riot Act Media, the MerchNow crew, Jason Gnewikow (for designing a classy collection of T-shirts, badges, and hoodies for the weekend), Jesse LeDoux (for designing the official limited edition silkscreened poster for the event), John Mockus (whose photos we used on all of our records and again in the opening montage for our performances this weekend), Yvette Wojciechowski (for editing the introduction visual sequence), Jordan Provost (for shooting the original reunion band portraits), and of course, Ian Love and his bandmates for making such stunning music to start the evenings with.

We'll be sharing whatever we can from the affair in the upcoming days, but we're still getting our bearings for the most part. In the meantime, another quick round of questions that have been coming in:

What are the names of the two unreleased songs you played?

The slower track of the two is called "Every Little Girl's Dream." The more upbeat track of the two is called "When Rock 'N' Roll Was Just A Baby."

Can I just say as well, the unreleased songs sound excellent. Are these new songs you put together just for the show or are they from back when you guys were together?

We wrote and finished these songs in late 1996, only a few months before we broke up. We played them on our final U.S. and European tours and have loved them ever since. We wanted to give them another chance to be heard.

What was the cover song you played?

It was a song called "Rafael" by a Chicago band called Seam. We wanted to give them some credit: Of all the mid-'90s indie bands that influenced us in some way, Seam really took home the prize. Ten years later, their records still hold up -- perhaps even moreso than ours. Go check out The Problem With Me (which also features the original version of "Rafael") or Are You Driving Me Crazy?. These records changed lives, too.

I was unable to attend the show. Is there a way to order any merch directly from you and is there any left?

In a special arrangement with our friends at MerchNow, we will be selling any leftover T-Shirts, hoodies, badges, and posters through a webstore on their site. We're still letting the dust settle, but as soon as these items become available we'll let you know. The merchandise for this weekend is limited to whatever we pressed, so whenever MerchNow runs out of these designs, they will go out of print.

Finally, a quick link round-up of show previews and reviews we found interesting: The NY Daily News ran this story. This show review really captured something. This interview answers a lot of questions. And this show review really humbled me.

Most of all, however, thank you. We'll remember this weekend forever.

An amazing time was had by all, and this weekend was exactly the kind of memorable celebration we had hoped for. We're still recuperating from the concert and post-concert activities, but we'll be back soon with a long list of thanks and answers to some of your questions about the show. A post-game commentary, if you will.

We are overwhelmed.

A huge thank you to everyone who made last night so special. It was an incredible experience for everyone in the band -- indescribable, even. As if ten years had gone by like ten days.

Tonight is the final show ever. A totally different bag of feelings to open.

If you couldn't make it out to New York, a video of "Back And To The Left" was posted on MySpace Vids this morning. Go for it.

In four days, Texas Is The Reason will end a ten-year public silence with one chord. In five days, Texas Is The Reason will play its last chord ever. Sounds so dramatic when you put it like that, doesn't it?

I think we're all walking around in a daze this week. You remember that Ten-Year Anniversary thing we've been talking about? Yep. Four days.

We've noticed a new round of frequently-asked-questions coming in via electronic mail over the past couple of weeks, so we'll get into the most popular ones here:

I didn't get tickets to either show! I missed out! What can I do?

In our last missive, I mentioned that last minute tickets that were held by the venue or the artists for any reason are often released close to the night of the show. Even for sold out shows. Really. It's a little-known fact, but it happens a lot.

I happen to know for a fact that a handful of tickets for both nights have been released and are on sale at Ticketmaster now. How do I know? I checked here. If you waited too long the first time, however, don't wait too long now. There aren't many.

If you'd rather not deal with Ticketmaster, several nice people are selling extra tickets for face value through the Comments section of this Myspace page. You can always score a ticket and make a new friend, right?

Will you be recording the show in any format? Can I film the shows for you?

Who knew we knew so many budding film-makers? Thanks to everyone who asked and to everyone who volunteered to shoot the proceedings, but after careful consideration, we've decided that these concerts will not be professionally filmed. There are several deterrents that would keep this from happening from a logistics standpoint, but the most significant point to consider is that we only have two nights here. And we want to make these concerts as special and intimate and natural as possible for ourselves and for the people who traveled so far (and near) to be there with us.

We are not playing these shows for the past or future's sake, but to create a new moment. Sometimes, in the age of technology, we worry so much about capturing a moment that we often miss it altogether. If November 22, 1963, taught us anything, it was to be here now.

What the hell is "Something To Forget" (Version I) and will you play it?

Hmm. Let's put it this way: If we were happy with Version I, there never would have been a Version II. Some prefer it, of course; it's longer, tougher, and a radio signal comes through Norman's amp in the middle of it all. But Version II is a leaner, clearer thought. Trust us.

Will you have new T-shirts at the shows?

Thanks to our good friend Jason Gnewikow, we have a new visual direction and a thematic set of completely new designs. The Ten-Year Anniversary Collection has been exclusively designed for this event: We've manufactured a finite amount of these designs and they will not be reprinted. Once again, it's all about this weekend.

Starting in four days.

Update: Clearly there were some wires crossed with a few of you concerning the news that we were not filming the show. A few of you judged this conclusion harshly, especially considering that we did not disclose the entirety of factors that informed the decision. Why would anyone think that a band would purposely try to alienate their fans? Making a DVD is a multifaceted project that involves an alignment of several factors -- artistic, economic, logistic, personal. I pointed out one, I think, valid point. But the fact is there was one major economic bump in the road that sealed a potential DVD's fate, and I honestly did not think we needed to attach spreadsheets to have our goodwill go unquestioned.

Coming to these shows does not make anyone a "bigger" or "better" fan. We know that. And we care about everyone who couldn't make it for whatever reason -- a list of people that includes some of this band's dearest friends, fans, and peers. But these shows are about more than two nights and four walls: It's about celebrating a few good songs and having a good time with the people you care about. It's about shutting off MySpace and Youtube and Livejournal and just being there, wherever that is. We hope you'll join us this weekend, wherever you are. It's days like these that keep us alive.

We've stepped up the rehearsal schedule, we've been wrangling our friends up to help out with the preparations, we're excited to play your host for two evenings this month. Sometimes, it feels like we're putting together a big party. I guess that's what we're doing. No attitudes, no bullshit. There will be enough of that outside of the walls of Irving Plaza. Inside, it's a celebration.

Can we nod our heads to a few special friends?

First up, big thanks to Jason Gnewikow, who has been invaluable to this entire production. You know him from his work in The Promise Ring -- of course! -- but he lives in New York City now and makes beautiful things for a living. Ours is a lifelong friendship.

Do you know Jesse LeDoux? He's designed records for The Shins, Pedro The Lion, and Elliott Smith, to name a few. This month he designed a limited edition commemorative silkscreen poster for these events, and they are a sight to behold. These posters will be stamped and numbered and available at these two shows only. Make sure to visit LeDouxville. Get to know him.

And, finally, our friends at The Syrentha Savio Endowment have been providing financial assistance to underprivileged women who cannot afford the expense of breast cancer for several years now, and we are proud to be friends with its founder, Mark Beemer. Beemer has seen Texas Is The Reason since the beginning; he took the very first photos of the band when we recorded our first few songs in April of 1995. We are arranging a table for the SSE to disseminate information about breast cancer and their organization at both Irving Plaza shows and we will also be donating an exclusive Texas Is The Reason T-shirt design to Shirts For A Cure. All of the proceeds of this shirt will go to help women who cannot afford breast cancer therapy or medicine. Check out their site for other exclusive T-shirt designs from friends of ours like Lifetime, Refused, Alkaline Trio, Thursday, and plenty more great bands. A new Texas Is The Reason T-shirt will be available in the coming weeks!

Other things: We've received quite a few emails from folks inquiring about tickets. On an official level, tickets for both shows are sold out. But there are options: Lots of fans with extra tickets have been posting information in the Comments section of our MySpace page. If you're selling your tickets for face value, we encourage you to use our space to hook up with likeminded fans who need tickets. If you're looking to make a buck, we encourage you to go elsewhere to hawk your wares.

It is also a little-known fact that straggler tickets often appear on sale through Ticketmaster as showtime closes in. We don't know where these mystery tickets come from, but this happens more than you think. Checking Ticketmaster occasionally will not only be painless, it just might surprise you.

Celebrate good times, come on.