I admit it. I am a full-on nerd for many things. One of these things is music. If you read this blog on a regular basis, you will remember me blogging about Motion City Soundtrack (on more than one occasion). Well, if you’re sick of hearing about that band, you can breathe a sigh of relief, because this post is all about The Farewell Continental Group of North America…
Oh, and you might not want to make that sigh of relief too big, because FC has something in common with MCS … they have the same front man, Mr. Justin Pierre.
Yep, that’s right. FC is the side project band that he started with guitarist Tommy Rehbein. Now, like I said, if you read my previous MCS posts, you’ll know that I’m pals with Justin. Well, guess what? I consider myself to be pretty good friends with Tommy.
Okay, great. I’m friends with these dudes. Why am I writing about this now? Well, because Farewell Continental just released their first full length album, and are currently on tour. And I think you should go buy the album or see them, if they’re playing your town.
This past Saturday (May 21), they rolled into my area of Michigan. Tommy texted me when they pulled into Pontiac, a town just outside of Detroit, and we made plans to meet up before the show. Once I got there, we talked at a coffee shop about all the awesome things he’s gonna be doing soon (really awesome stuff!). Soon after, Justin called to find out where we were at, and Tommy and I met up with the rest of the band and we all headed to a nearby bar for dinner.
As the title of this post suggests, I did in fact bring cookies and books. Like I said in the beginning, I’m a total nerd for many things, and in addition to music, those things include books and cooking. I’ve been sending Tommy cookies in the mail and bringing them to Justin at MCS shows for a while now. I don’t really know why and I certainly don’t do it for every band out there, but I do it for these dudes. I also brought a few books. Like I said, the band is on tour. Reading material comes in handy when you’re on the road, and honestly, those two are just as nerdy as I am when it comes to books.
I should add that this was the first time I met the rest of the band, which includes vocalist and keyboardist Kari Gray, bassist Jim Adolphson, and drummer Josh McKay. There must be something in that Minnesota water that makes people nice, because the rest of the band was just as nice as Justin and Tommy.
After dinner, we headed over to the venue where the group got down to business. They sold merchandise and talked to fans while the opening bands played, then went on to play a great set themselves, and then it was full-on mixing and mingling with fans. They signed autographs, posed for pictures, and made sure to thank each person for coming.
If you grew up in the 90s and liked bands such as Pavement, The Pixies, Sonic Youth, or The Jesus and Mary Chain, you will love Farewell Continental. Tommy is a genius when it comes to noise. He can make the most beautiful sounds – and you would never guess he is making them by sticking forks and scissors in his guitar strings. (yes, seriously).
And as I’ve said many times before, and will continue to say, Justin can write some seriously awesome, heart-wrenching lyrics. For example, on the song New Tile Floor, which is about two alcoholics in a relationship that has more than fallen apart, he writes “She’s back with the liquid and ice, we don’t talk very much, we just fake being nice. He’s down with a fifth in his fist, we don’t kiss on the tongue, we just slash at the wrist. She tries hard to dress up our wounds, but the blood is collecting, it’s starting to pool. He sprawls on the travertine floor, as we laugh at ourselves and the love that we used to share.”
Many of you who read this site are indie crafters and artists. Well, Farewell Continental isn’t that different from you. They are true indie musicians. They are not getting rich off this endeavor. They do it because they LOVE it.
As for the new album, you can purchase the digital download for $7.99 at Amazon. You can also read Justin’s thoughts on what the songs are about by clicking here.
I also suggest you check out their tour schedule and see if they’ll be rolling through your town soon. A ticket will be somewhere in the neighborhood of $10.
And if you go, make sure you stick around to give them a high five after the show. They appreciate hearing what you think. Trust me, I know.