So, believe it or not, I still play in a band. We're called End on End. And despite not having played a show (or even practicing!) for over a year-and-a-half, or touring in over 3 years, and living far from each other -  we never officially broke up. But, the time has come to put an end to End on End. We are all at different places in life, and as much fun as we have playing together, we'd rather have some closure, than to just let things fade away. So, we've been driving down to LA the past few weekends for band practice - trying to scrape off some of the rust of not having all 5 of us in the same room for 18 months, and prepping for a great last show.

So, consider this an invite, to come see End on End's last show. I can't think of a better way to go - it's an amazing lineup, with many bands we've spent lots of time with over the years, and some bands that I'm excited as hell to finally play with. And we'll be surrounded by friends old and new, in a venue that we've had some amazing memories of.  We'll be playing with some incredibly bands, including:

-Assailant (from Seattle)
-Broadway Calls (from Oregon. on State of Mind Records)
-Burial Year (LAST SHOW EVER!)
-Comadre (putting Redwood City on the international scene map!)
-Dangers (from Los Angeles)
-End on End (that's my  band. LAST SHOW EVER!)
-Fischer
-Ghostlimb (from Los Angeles. members of Graf Orlock)
-Glass and Ashes (from Santa Barbara. on No Idea Records)
-Trainwreck (from GERMANY)

Saturday, September 8th @ the Half Moon Bay Community Center 535 Kelly Ave in Half Moon Bay, CA
$7 doors at 4pm bands at 5pm

This show is really special to me, for more than just the reasons cited above. While I may prove this statement wrong at some point - I have a strong feeling this may be the last show I ever play. At least the last show with a band that was serious, toured, put out records, and was really a  part of a special community. And after 15 years of playing in bands - I feel like this show will close a big chapter in my life.

When I was 12, I started going to punk shows. And actually, even before going to shows, I was "in" a band with my neighbor - merely because we both had Pearl Jam records and happened to have the sheer luck of having instruments in our house (me, drums - him, guitar.) My life took on a dramatically different direction at this point. Rather than continuing as the school nerd/braniac, and as a respectable soccer player in the Olympic Development Program - I found a whole new joy and community through music. While my initial bands were horrible (and still are my some opinions)- the friends made, the experiences had, and the doors opened via punk shaped my life immeasurably. Over the years - my entire life was immersed in the punk scene - playing in bands, writing for zines, booking shows, traveling, starting collective punk houses, touring with my band and friends', distributing records and books at shows and much more. At one point my identity in punk was something all-encompassing of my life.

Punk fueled my interest into activism, organizing, and radical politics -  which is what has come to dominate my life since I was 15. While I've admittedly become a bit disillusioned with the revolutionary potential of punk rock, it's still something that is hugely important to me, and I still see punk as an invaluable cultural movement that has profound impacts in the world well beyond its musical aesthetics. But over the years - my interest in "the scene" has waned. I rarely go to shows anymore, and the ones I do are largely to see old friends. While putting my Itunes on shuffle might yield Bjork or Young MC as easily as Fugazi or Jawbreaker or Catharsis - the music that still really inspires me and excites me is hardcore punk.

I recognize that many of you receiving this email don't relate to punk, or don't even know this side of me. I'd love it for friends to come and share this day with me - but if it's not your bag, no worries. I think it will be a great time, you can see me hit things really hard while making funny faces, see kids screaming their guts out, see people pouring their hearts into a vibrant community, and people dancing like fools. And for folks that haven't experienced the world of the do-it-yourself punk community, this will be a great show to illustrate it's beauty.

Hope you can make it.  Spread the word.

-Matt