End of everything

This week has been an interesting one for sure. First after 5 and a half years Hercules broke up. Then right after our 3 week tour I started jamming with Prob With Doom, a cover band myself, Vic and Cody started to play the last Ghost House. We jammed everyday this week and it never really hit me what exactly we were doing it for. I didn't really understand until after all of the music was over tonight that it was the last Ghost House show ever.

Ever since I stuck a bottle in my ass as I stood naked in a pool of my own sweat with my guitar over my shoulder on August 10th, 2007 Ghost House has been a huge part of my life. I know I never lived there, but I booked and attended dozens of shows there since I was 19 years old. I can't believe how fast the last 6 years of my life have gone. It's almost too hard and too depressing to even think about.

Tonight was special. I didn't realize it until after. Metal Kin Kins said it best when he told me "We didn't milk this enough, we need to milk more." I agreed with him completely. Sadly I also agreed with him when he said it was the start of the slow decline. I think we all feel that way. A lot of monumental things have stopped in the last week. I know that sounds conceded of me to say since I was in the group known as Hercules. But I feel we contributed a good amount to Nebraska Hardcore over the last 6 years and really bridged the gap between Omaha and Lincoln.

Ghost House has done the same over the last 3 years. Where are we going to go now? is the question that has been on my mind for the last few hours as I sit here in my bed reflecting on the night and my pissy life. Luckily things aren't dead yet, far from it actually. It's dumb to say with every door that closes another one opens (and it's dumb to say "it's dumb to say") but it's absolutely true. Hercules is over but I have Bent Life to focus on, then when Aaron moves back I have Powerslop and Bent Life to focus on. And with Ghost House gone we can really get Mad Ave up and running. Things will be different, but things wont be over.

I think this winter is going to be a really strange transition period for all of us. We won't have Ghost House to go to anymore which will be really weird. With that being gone I see Omaha and Lincoln seeing each other a little less for a few months. But Mad Ave is in the process of setting up some benefit shows. Our goal is to be up and running by early January 2011. I don't see why we can't get this done. Thank you to everyone who has contributed time or money to Mad Ave so far, you don't even know how much we appreciate it.

I left Ghost House tonight with a grim outlook on the future. But after a few cups of coffee and some Famous Monsters / American Psycho I think I see that this was bound to happened. The fact that even with these things ending we still have so much to look forward to actually has me really excited about Nebraska DIY/ Punk / Hardcore. After we all adjust I see things becoming awesome again. We'll never re-live the times we've had at Ghost House. I thought after I moved out of Party Plex my life was over. And it really did feel that way for a while. Then new opportunity's arrived and things have been great. I see the same for the future of Nebraska. Down, not out. Life is good. Fuck the winter. Let's keep this going.

I'm glad we still have the drive to keep it going. I've seen things like this ruin people involved in music. I don't see that happening with any of us. I'm ready and ok with being a 35 year old loser still booking and playing shows. Mad Ave 2011. Bent Life 2011. Powerslop 2011. It's going to be a good year.

RIP Ghost House 08.10.2007 - 11.12.2010