Three years ago today, my bff and I rushed down to New York to see local indie darlings Rainer Maria give their penultimate performance. It's hard to believe that so much time has passed, especially because I still listen to R|M on a pretty regular basis.
I hadn't planned on going; they were my favorites but I was kind of miffed over their last album, which just wasn't very good compared to their previous work. I ended up at the show because of a so-so boyfriend's last-minute cancellation, a spare ticket, and lucky timing.
As strangely as it all came about, I'm glad I went. The show reminded me of why I fell in love with the band, and with bass player and vocalist Caithlin De Marrais. A terribly undersung musician and songwriter, Caithlin's work changed the way I play and understand bass, and so I salute her and R|M onthis hump day.
After we talked about music websites, self-supported bloggers, and hype last night, my friend and I talked and reminisced (and maybe gossiped a little) about one of my favorite bands, Rainer Maria. We talked about what we didn't like about the band's final album, what we did like about the rest of their catalog, and then speculated about the interpersonal issues that led to their break up in December of 2006. She and I are both musicians, and we can talk about this sort of thing for hours. We also went to see them together many times during the last couple years of their career, so I can't think about that particular band without thinking of all the good times my friends and I had at their shows.
And so today, because they are on my mind, I present my favorite Rainer Maria video. It's for their song "Ears Ring", from the 2003 album Long Knives Drawn. (It might be my favorite album by them, even if their other fans prefer their earlier stuff.) Enjoy!
