It may surprise some of my readers to know this, but I have always been a big fan of the band Flickerstick. I saw them for the first time in 1999 opening up for Grand Street Cryers (yet another band that never received the respect I felt they deserved). I don’t remember much about the set, except for the fact that I thought their songs were unusually catchy. It was about a year later when I got to see my second Flickerstick show, and the band had grown by leaps and bounds. One of the things that immediately caught my eye was the stage presence of lead vocalist Brandin Lea. With his Mick Jagger style strut and his ability to connect with the crowd, the band seemed destined for success.
That success almost happened. The band got the opportunity to star in VH1’s reality competition show Bands on the Run, and even went on to win the competition. Epic Records re-released their debut album, Welcoming Home the Astronauts, with some new tracks and some re-recorded tracks. The album failed to perform to expectations, and they were dropped from Epic Records. The band has maintained a highly loyal local following, almost always selling out any show they perform.
I was disappointed to learn that the band is now breaking up. Flickerstick has announced the dates for their final shows. The last Dallas show will be January 24th at House of Blues. The band will play two farewell shows on February 27th and the 28th at Aardvark, which I believe is the first venue the band ever played. The band will probably play for about two hours for each performance, which I hope will allow time for some cover songs (“Fade into You”, “Black Metallic”) and some more obscure favorites (“Execution by X-Mas Lights”). Tickets will go on sale for these shows this Friday, and I would count on all of these shows selling out. The band is known for their energetic live performances, and I think it is safe to say that Flickerstick will go out with a bang and not a whimper.
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