First of all, thank you to all who attended our show last night at Crosstown Station and to those of you who've welcomed me into your homes, your clubs, your ears all across the world by way of the inimitable and uniquely original band Pomeroy.  And of course a gigantic thank you to the members of the band who have let me become a member of their extended family as they've all become a member of mine.

Know this…

We're not parting on bad terms and there's no elaborate story or anything negative on anyone's part that's led me to the decision to leave the band.  It's simply time for me to move onto other things right now, and the agenda and plans for Pomeroy's near future don't really compliment my personal immediate plans.

As much as I love and long for the road (which is quite often actually), I need to take some time to be off of it.  I need to be home to get some things together that will affect my future both from a family standpoint, a business standpoint, and of course a musical standpoint..

 

Pomeroy is one of the greatest experiences that I've ever had in my life.  The band has taught me many many things, just as I believe they've all had opportunities to learn from me (like… how not to set up your equipment).  I've experienced a tremendous amount of "firsts" with Pomeroy including my first time truly touring and travelling the country and even to corners of the world I'd never imagined I would see.  I've met people the world over whose lives have affected me in so many wonderful ways, and in some cases I've even been able to affect other people's lives positively and musically.

 

To me that's really what it's all about.  Getting the music out to the world is key, but touching someone's life, or influencing them to pick up an instrument and make it their own is the epitome of why I do what I do.   The many fans and friends I've met on the road and through the power of Pomeroy will live with me and be a part of me until the day I die. 

This also doesn't mean that Pomeroy is 100% history for me. 

I will be working with Chris, David and Dean in the Lost Wax band here in Kansas City when they're not on the road.  We'll be performing in all kinds of clubs in the upcoming year, so keep a lookout for that.

I will be returning to the band for a short run of shows in March in Austin, Texas where the Red Gorilla Festival and the South By Southwest festivals will be taking place.

I will be releasing a solo album in 2009 and I will certainly be calling on my brotherhood in Pomeroy to help contribute in ways that I feel will make my record a better record.

In 6 years I've seen the individual members of Pomeroy go from being good musicians to stellar musicians.  I've seen them all grow as people and even become BETTER people – even more mature people for lack of a better word. 

Some have married and moved away, and others are unquestionably headed in the same direction, and who knows where these paths will take them… Who knows what all of it will mean for Pomeroy and its future.  But one thing's absolutely concrete.  We as a 5 piece band on our worst nights would make other musicians go home and want to practice their instruments and become better bands.  And on a great night, we'd send them home packing wishing they'd shared the stage with a much lesser proficient band.  We were a machine that in 6 years were a creative force to be reckoned with, and musically created some of the most amazing music I've ever known regardless of the holier than thou snobbery of lame music critics and overflow of Emo-crap that's inundated our stages and airwaves as of late. 

Pomeroy's always done what Pomeroy wanted to do.  Pomeroy's always played the music that Pomeroy's wanted to play.  We never said "well Nickelback's selling a lot of records.  We should try to sound like that."  Even with the record "A New Reflection" – though it was a treading into some unfamiliar waters, we still made it our own.  It was still Pomeroy.

In all the countless shows I've played with Pomeroy, I've made some very dear friends in the process and have become friends with HEROES of mine that I'd always just been a fan of on the outside looking in.  I mean, to this day, the fact that I have some of these people's phone numbers in my phone and the idea that I can call them my friends and colleagues is completely mind boggling to me.

From seeing and meeting by biggest hero Butch Walker in his hometown of Atlanta and seeing one of the best shows I've ever seen to date

to standing on stage with Ryan from Sister Hazel, Gavin DeGraw, and Fred LeBlanc from Cowboy Mouth jamming out Allman Brothers and Stevie Wonder covers,

to hanging out at Dave & Buster's with the guys from Bowling For Soup,

to rocking the stage with LUDO before they were "MTV presents…" LUDO,

to partying with The Effects and Anchondo and eating late night food with Grasshopper Takeover, and recording with The Dog & Everything in the green room of The Ranch Bowl in Omaha. 

(DOG & EVERYTHING)

(VIRGINIA COALITION)

(ANCHONDO!!!)

(BR5-49)

(ANYTHING BUT JOEY)

(MANDOWN)

(GRASSHOPPER TAKEOVER)

The stories and memories are endless and numerous and all of them are amazing and hugely influential to who I am today.

To all the bands I've shared the stage with; you've all influenced me in one way or another.  You've all made me want to become a better musician, a better songwriter, and even in some cases a better person.  I thank you.

To the members of Pomeroy – I love each and every one of you more than I can put into words really.  And though we've had our many differences of opinions, and fights and arguments and moments of headache and frustration, the bottom line is that you've all been there for me in ways that so many never have and never will be.  Six years is a long time.  It's like a marriage like so many people equate it to.  So of course I'm sad to leave.  It's been my lifeline for a long time.  You've been my means of income, my friends, my counselors, my fucking brothers.  You're families are wonderful, and all of you are simply fucking awesome people. 

I'm not burning out or fading away.  I'm not dying before I get old.  I'm just hibernating, scheming, planning, creating, and when I come back, I promise you'll know all about it.