Moonpies for Misfits

HWM is doing a few reunion shows. I thought for sure they would stick to their hometown: Gainesville, FL. Which for me, is out of the question.

But they are playing 2 nights in Chicago. Should I go? Do I really want to buy a plane ticket to see my favorite band - a band who I am not completely enamored with anymore....a band that I was 100% devoted to in high school....a band that changed my life forever? ( <-- a little dramatic, I know....but I was thinking about getting their "symbol" tattoed on me! )

Do I want to fork out hundreds of dollars to go to a show to see HWM perform a handful of songs - some songs that I don't really even like? I sort of gave up on them after A flight and a crash...I just wasn't into it. "Paper Thin" off that album was like a bad remix of "Minno" from Forever and Counting. Both songs about love and loss. But the energy and the emotion in "Minno", both on the album and when performed live... they can never recreate that for me. Sure, they signed to Epitaph before putting out Flight and that turned me off - but the quality of their music went out the window. They lost their ability to lure me.

I've given The Draft a shot - I haven't seen them live. The album isn't bad. But listening to Hot Water Music sans Chuck Ragan doesn't quite do it for me, either. It just makes me want the old Hot Water back.

But I LOVE Chuck Ragan's solo stuff. I've seen him perform at the Bottom of a Hill two times now. The first time he played with Matt Skiba (of Alkaline Trio fame). That show was unbelievable! Chuck whipped out "Rooftops" and the whole crowd went wild. Last month, my friend Nick (who is also a big HWM fan) and I saw him play and again I was blown away. He's still got that passion for music that I can't get enough of.

I digress. Still I can't seem to make a decision about the reunion show. My friend Dave and I used to go to all the HWM shows together in high school. We drove hundreds of miles to see them play. New York, New Jersey, Philly, Virginia...up and down the East Coast and our hunger to see them play live could not be satiated.

Dave bought 2 tickets to the show in Chicago - he said "no one I'd rather have by my side than you"....











I still want that tattoo.