He was platinum-haired… and platinum-selling by his teens. But after a series of well chronicled clashes with management, the complete gutting of his core musical group and ultimately, a meth habit that landed him as the unwitting star of an A&E Intervention episode, Travis Meeks appeared to be at the twilight of his career at the tender age of 26.
So perhaps it was only fitting, the Crawler contemplated on the drive down, that the Days of The New founder and frontman would be at Mohegan Sun this fateful evening. For most were really going to see if the evening's headliner could also rise from the alt-rock ashes of his former self like the fabled phoenix firebird and soar once again.
In the end, however, fans who did run to the Sun March 26 found themselves burned as Meeks failed to materialize, canceling the show with no official explanation mere hours before curtain.
Things happen, of course. People get sick, buses break down. But, as evidenced by history, the drama and plot twists of Days of The New's career are only rivaled by those of Days Of Our Lives. And this was a wasted day—and evening—that none of us will ever get back.
One can only hope that Meeks does, in fact, still have a handle on his inner demons. And, of course, tip the cap to Young Neal and the Vipers, the journeymen blues rockers that got the call to pinch hit at the eleventh hour and saved the day like the professionals they truly are.
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Closer to home with a show that is exponentially more likely to happen… Tom Mahnken, who lends both sax and vox to the group Unit 7, admits that any time his soulful septet plies its sonic wares, it's pretty much a party. That said, he expects that this Saturday's show, April 4 at the Black Moon in Belchertown, may very well take the cake. The band will literally be doling out cake and more.
"The gig is literally only a day or two away from four of our members' respective birthdays [fellow saxophonist Greg Lauzon, drummer Joe Fitzpatrick, bassist Donny Hayward and singer/pianist Eric Olsson]," the bubbly brass section member explains. "So we're doing it up pretty big and will be providing free cake and pizza to celebrate."
Mahnken went on to add that with the recording sessions recently wrapped, a similar celebration may soon be in store for the official release of Unit 7's latest studio effort, tentatively titled Pussycat Rag and rumored to feature guest spots by the likes of Erin McKeown and Primate Fiasco.
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In other news, Daniel Hales checked in to report that he will also be toasting a birth of sorts this Saturday, April 4 at the People's Pint in Greenfield. That's the day he and his Frost Heaves will officially spew forth their self-titled debut full-length upon the Western Masses.
"It's been about five years in the making, and moved through three different studios," Hales reveals. "But we were lucky to get several amazing players to lend their talents to it, many of whom will be at the CD release party for what we're calling a 'one time only special ensemble engagement.'"
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Lastly or sadly—you pick—in what is becoming an all too familiar sign of the times, there will be at least one less local record store at which Mahnken and Hales can hawk their new products. About Music, a Greenfield Main Street mainstay for nearly two decades, closed its doors last week. On the flip side, the reliable record store will have a new home in cyberspace—aboutmusic.com—where management states that customers will be able to sample and purchase goods and check out a host of interactive, community-based features, including an area where people can post events, a concert calendar, and much more.
Send correspondence to: Nightcrawler, P.O. Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to: (860) 698-9373 or e-mail: Garycarra@aol.com.
