Finding My Way
In January 2004 I told Ataraxis I was bowing out after our schedulued gigs were done. Bold, I know. With Neil back in Virginia, and Jim taking over lead guitar duties in Ataraxis, I was on my own.
But you've got to understand, it was 2004 and everyone was on AOL Instant Messanger. One of my regular chat buddies was a high school friend Danielle Mossman, a guitar player who loved Jimmy Paige and chain smoking cigarettes at Bickford's in the middle of the night (This was a restaurant that was a regular hang out for those too young for the bar, but too old for high school haunts). Somehow, in one of out AIM-chats it came up that I needed a bass player and she offered her services.
Meanwhile, back at URI I was making some friends "IRL" - one of whom was a guy named Justin with whom I'd had some classes. We'd often meet in the dining hall for meals.
Justin and I both loved music and had a similar sense of humor. And then, one day, I discovered that he played drums.
And just like that I'd assembled my 'band.' Or so I'd thought.
The first time we played it was only Justin and me. We played in his parent's basement in West Greenwhich. This went on a few times, but eventualy we linked up our schedule with Danielle and the three of us started to rehearse in my parents garage. One of those rehearsals produced some four track cassette recordings, which included an impromptu but fun attempt at 'Quiet' by the Smashing Pumpkins.
The practices with Justin and Danielle were fun, but few. It quickly became evident that we each had strong opinions about music that weren't meeting in the middle - Justin preferring a more punk-emo style of drumming than I was used to, while Danielle, pining to play lead guitar á la Jimmy Paige, was bored on bass.
By spring the line-up was over and Short Wave was reduced, once again, to a 'solo' act.
I played a handful of solo acoustic sets that spring while I plotted my next move.