Tonight Flickerstick will play their final show. Unless you're from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, you probably first heard of them during their time on VH1's "Bands On The Run" (the only reality show that I've ever watched from beginning to end, and second only to "The State" of shows I wish would get issued on DVD). And now, twelve years after they started, eight years after their turn as reality television stars, seven years after sacking drummer Dominic Weir, and four years after the departure of founding guitarist Cory Kreig, they'll be downing their last shots of Jager as a band.
History probably will not be kind to them. Chances are they'll be remembered simply as a reality TV footnote, which is a shame, because they were a really good band. Yeah, their songs could be a bit middle-of-the-road modern rock sometimes, but there were always just enough Radiohead and Pink Floyd kinda influences to keep things interesting. And they were phenomenal live. Seriously. Their show at 328 Performance Hall in July of 2001 would easily rank among the best five concerts I've ever seen in Nashville. And their shows at the Exit/In on subsequent tours weren't too shabby either. I'm sure doing BOTR kept them from ever being taken seriously by some music snobs, but it also took them from being a popular regional band in Texas to having a national fanbase. And the fact that they kept going long after their fellow VH1 costar bands had given up the ghost is a testament to the fact that above all the fleeting pop culture fame, they were in it for the music. So adios boys. And thanks for the memories.
Flickerstick - "The Tourist" (mp3) from Tarantula
Flickerstick - "Coke (Original Version)" from Welcoming Home The Astronauts (226 Records version)
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