(people are still just finding out that we called it quits so i'm reposting this.)

in 1975 i was 11 years old.
that 11 year old is still very much alive in me. we still love a lot of the same music and laugh at the same stupid stuff.

that 11 year old wanted desperately to learn two things:
1) how do you make rock and roll.
2) how do you get a girl to take off her clothes.

right, wrong or indifferent,i never gave a fuck about much else.
and i'm happy to say i've made that 11 year old kid very proud.

...but it's time to shut out the lights on the golden gods.
we've given it all we had and somehow the cavalry never came. no record company beat down the door waving a giant novelty check for a gazillion dollars - no superstar band took us under their wing and said 'here - use OUR bus!!!'

we just ran out of gas. it takes too much money out of our own threadbare pockets - the cupboard is bare.

...that and the fact that dan is gone. this table only has three legs and when one of them is three-hundred pounds and wears a fur coat, people are gonna notice if you've replaced it.
(you can't replace dan.)

we don't hate each other ...fuck - if you've got $5000 dollars a night and airfare for the three of us, we're not nearly as broke up as we thought.

but i wanna say it's been a gas. while i had to be the bad guy and crack the whip, it doesn't mean that i didn't have the time of my life. i am so proud of what the three of us accomplished and more over i'm so very proud of the great, great friends we made along the way.
i wanna throw down a list but i'm afraid i'll forget someone. ...and where would i start? i 'm thinking about all of your faces and the great times ...and the music.
maybe that's where i could start; here are some bands we've had the great fortune to have crossed paths with:
the mos generator - to call these guys bros is an honor.
murdock - these guys all hated each other but i loved em all - still do.
donny paycheck / zeke - (donny was instrumental in making sure THE THORNY CROWN saw the light of day)
the substitutes - britt pennella has given me some of the best advice i ever got.
diamond lane - these kids LOVE rock.
post stardom depression
3 inches of blood
the supersuckers
lovely - john and amy guffy have made portland, or absolutely feel like home.
the dwarves - mark diamond is a great bro and blag is a genius.

how about some of the people who had us at their clubs:
dana simms - el corazon, seattle, wa.
evin marshall - the king of eugene oregon!
frank faillace / stevie at dante's portland, or
jenny bendel / 4 o'clock rock - seattle, wa. i would marry this broad, no questions asked.
dave gary junior /rockstars and bitches (from back in the day)
taimie down - hollywood. the dude was always high as fuck, but he hooked us up and let us play his club the first thursday of the month for almost a year.
nate and rob at DIVEBAR, LAS VEGAS. these guys are bros of mine from all the way back. i am so proud of them for getting their shit together and starting a real live venue.
britt pennella / D-TENTION - SF. again, our greatest ally - my winston churchill.
the parkside has had a handfull of bookers - we thank them all. we really loved playing there.
jimmy arcenaux - SF - WHO DOESN'T LOVE THIS GUY?

some of the industry types:
joe rock - 107.7 THE BONE SF, CA. this guy loves rock. (check his name!?!) he was very good to us. thank you joe.
nabil ayers - he put out our record. it is because of him believing in the band that we will forever have a place on the great face of Mt. Rockmore - no matter how small. it's all we wanted.
don robertson - we might not have agreed on much but he's put a couple bucks in our pocket. thanks don.
'crazy' craig macdonald - KNAC. lost his fuckin' mind the first time he saw us. thanks for the support craig.
nathan cox - video director / rock fan. always made it to the show. helped us out because he loves rock. a true friend.

how 'bout some of all y'all?
jon barret
jorge nunez
craig heitkam
ryan alberts
dave conrad
daveray
danny even
dj annathena
hiroshi
rob fazio - who let us use his house like it was ours, THANK YOU.
the oliver bros - also hosted us many a night.
pat fuckin' brown!!! if you don'ty love PFB you don't love rock and roll
michael murphy
hefe
jef tyler
jeff angell
aprill lacey
lina
mark diamond
matt brown
metis black (didn't really like the band but we had a mind blowing three way during the recording of thorny crown ...helped me clear my mind and really relax.)
mimi
tonya
neil of steel
johnny wokas
ray - bong
FAST ROSS
phil anderson
brian redman
ricky 6
sheryl g. who always sends pics and actually tries to take pics of me.
zoe.
joe dredd
bonnie fitzgerald

all who worked on thorny crown:
justin weis
paul dorr
pam hawkins
janie hendrix
daniel nolan
bridget christian
thingmaker


look there's a billion of ya - i know i will spring awake in the middle of the night realizing that i forgot (fill in the blank.)
please, please, please drop a note and remind me if i've failed to recognise you.

the one person i really wanted to touch upon is my daughter, annalee.
i am so grateful that she's old enough to have gleaned something from this little run we had - that if you work hard enough, if you really believe and if you have something special you've got as good a chance as anyone.
the day i took her into the tower records and showed her our card in the rock section? i felt like a giant, like a hero.
(you try getting your teenage son or daughter to give you some props and you'll know what i mean.)

and lastly to simon and dan i say thank you.
when we first jammed i thought about how awesome it would be to play rock and roll in a bar in america one more time. (i hadn't in a while.)
4 years, one hundred shows and an amazing rock and roll record later, it draws to a close.
you will not see a single tear run down my face.
i'm not sad.
i count myself as lucky to have been there.

i hope you feel the same way.

-rsd.