A couple of weeks ago, when mentioning Trey Johnson’s show at Allgood Café, I said it would be a “nice warmup for the show I’m looking most forward to this month.” That show arrives tonight at the House of Blues Cambridge Room as Sorta holds their long overdue CD Release Party for their new CD, simply entitled Sorta. Buttercup from San Antonio and “Best Band I’ll Miss Out On” nominees The O’s will open for the band. Cover is $15, and everyone who pays to get in receives the new Sorta disc free of charge.
This is a particularly exciting show, since this will be the first time the band has played in over a year. Many of the members of Sorta have kept themselves quite busy. Chris Holt not only has his own band, The Slack, but also plays on a regular basis with Salim Nourallah, Johnny Lloyd Rollins, and I’m sure there’s a project or five that I’m leaving out. Bassist Danny Balis is now a full time member of the King Bucks. Ward Williams packed his bags earlier this year in order to move to Nashville. The band has recently started rehearsing again to prepare for the show. It will be interesting to hear how the members sound now.
What most audience members will be focusing on, however, isn’t what is on stage, but rather what is missing from the stage. Without the musical talents of Carter Albrecht on stage, the band will not just sound incomplete, they will be incomplete. There will be no incredible keyboard solo on “Hospitals and Sex” or “85 Feet”, nor will he be wailing on guitar during “Fallinlove” or any of the other Sorta classics. The only void larger than the one left in this band is the void left in the hearts of those who had the privilege of knowing the man.
I’m sure this show will have more than its share of sadness and tears. The band, just like Carter himself, was cut short in its prime. Sorta should have been one more step in the evolution of the band rather than the final album. In spite of the sadness and loss, however, this show offers fans an opportunity to both say goodbye and celebrate the music of Sorta. And it allows another opportunity to celebrate the beautiful life of Carter Albrecht.
2 comments:
The red Gretsch sitting all alone between Trey & Danny was powerful. And the last song, with its chorus of "Oh it's over" brought a lump to my throat. What a great band of extraordinarily talented musicians. They will be sorely missed.
i just caught The O's last night at the barely house and it was amazing! they will be playing there again next week 11/5 and i will surely be there. hopefully they will have some cd's this time! haha
Thanks!
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