In the honest and eloquent words of Anne, Colin, Greg, I-Huei, Jeff and Jordan :
“It's with great sadness and anticipation that we announce our final show: Friday January 21 at NYC's Mercury Lounge…
After nearly eight fantastic years, we've accomplished far more than we ever thought possible and met more great people than we ever expected. We've played in venues we only dreamed of, in cities we'd only read about, and performed alongside bands we've idolized and befriended.
Unfortunately, several factors have led us to the decision that we cannot continue. The biggest difficulty we've failed to overcome is the financial challenge of being in an independent band full-time while maintaining any semblance of a personal life, as well. We're each unwilling to carry on with the band if it's anything less than 100% of our effort, and we're simply unable to do that anymore.
Rest assured that we're parting on good terms and will remain close friends who will most likely collaborate on future projects. It's just that Sea Ray as we know it is now going away.
We're sorry to share this news with you, and if you're anywhere near New York in January, we do sincerely hope you'll come out to the show and let us thank you in person for your support over the years, and also help us celebrate all the amazing times we've been lucky enough to experience with the band.”
[Pictures by the lovely and amazing Jasper Coolidge from jenyk.com, who is and shall remain my NYC photo/music/guru icon].
[And one more from Hee Jin Kang]
Buy their wonderfully rich album, Stars At Noon
Sea Ray – Revelry
Sea Ray – Quiver
Sea Ray are being ushered out in style tonight, with some help from their good friends THE MOBIUS BAND, CHALLENGER (known for their crazy take on Led Zeppelin’s “When The Levee Breaks” with “Goddamn American Dream”), and an original, way-back-in-the-day LARS favorite, SAY HI TO YOUR MOM. Again, the Mercury pulls through with an intrinsically great bill. Get there tonight and buy everyone band member you see drinks and wish them well. I guarantee we’ll hear lots more from these talented musicians. Until then, Manhattan’s music scene has lost a great deal to revel over.
Say Hi To Your Mom – Let’s Talk About Spaceships
Say Hi To Your Mom – Hooplas Involving Circus Trips
Rock Photo:
Not to go Donovan/Nilsson crazy or anything, but here’s a tangential music story for you:
I’m not a regular TV watcher, but when I do watch television, I watch it differently from my friends and family. It’s more like eavesdropping on the television’s programs, if that makes sense. I’m constantly ear-checking what’s playing in the background, and often it’ll get me either really excited (like this story) or really fucking pissed off (like every car/allergy medicine commercial that uses great rock songs for horrible means). That was actually how I first heard “Revelry” on MTV, when the show used the guitar instrumental in the song for 10 seconds in an episode of “Real World” (so I’m not a Masterpiece Theatre regular, so sue me).
Anyways, I was watching some shows last night and came upon one of the best songs of all-time that, up until that point, I had known nothing about. The song? “I Guess The Lord Must Be In New York City” by Harry Nilsson of Midnight Cowboy/”Everybody’s Talkin’” fame. It’s an amazing song and keeps within the same vein of Nilsson’s beautiful echoing guitar-picking and falsetto vocals.
After having listened to this magnificence on repeat for a good hour, I coupled it with some other songs on iTunes, among them Donovan’s great hit, “Jersey Thursday”. Curious to find which LP the song came from, I checked CDnow.com, only to find one of the greatest cover photographs of all-time. I love this photograph, in fact, I can’t stop staring at it. Magnetic. Anyways, this one’s to be included along with a Henry Diltz and a Nilsson cover. Because good things always come in threes.
Donovan at the Hollywood Bowl in 1966. Taken by Henry Diltz for CORBIS.
When I say we'll be cool/I think that you know what I mean-S
