Coda

My good friend, Billy, who I befriended during my high school years in Sioux Falls, moved to Portland just this week. I'm very excited about this, not just because I am reunited with an old friend, but also because Portland will provide Billy the perfect anecdote to those South Dakota blues. Likewise, Billy will provide a fine match for Portland's progressive, bike-loving, music-loving, expressional ideals (I couldn't think of any more adjectives, sorry). So, Billy, meet Portland, Oregon, and Portland, Oregon, meet Billy.

Billy and I became friends through music. I played bass guitar, he played drums (and still does). Together with a friend I've known since elementary school, we started the trio, "Seven Day Sail". Our mission (although largely subconscious) was to do something different than the seemingly ubiquitous, yet monotonous three-chord anger ballads. Many of the Sioux Falls bands at the time liked to play loud and hard with overtones of vocal screaming. Granted, there were some bands like "Floodplain" that performed this music very well, but there were many that did not. Gathering on influences from Sunny Day Real Estate, Sense Field, and Into Another, Seven Day Sail engineered some novel emo-like sounds (a term that was at the time undefined) for the late 1990's Sioux Falls music scene. Now, I don't mean to sound pretentious as this was YEARS ago and my vocals, while I did attempt to sing, were far from elegant. But in retrospect, our only "professionally" recorded album, "Systomatic Entropy," showcased some musical chemistry and creativity that was something special -- especially for 16 and 17-year-old kids. Upon high school graduation, I departed Seven Day Sail to pursue a college degree (and eventually graduate school, which is why I'm here in Portland), but the rest of the musicians evolved to form a new and improved band, "Billy Music". This band produced in its later years what remains as one of the best albums I own, "Midwest Index". Their sound was intense, passionate, technical, and original. It was as though they took the best ingredients from all my favorite bands and blended them into an delectable sonic elixir. It is an absolute shame that Billy Music parted ways, thereby depriving listeners of more music. But alas, such is the fate of most good bands. Their legend lives on through MySpace, which I encourage you to visit: Billy Music

It is interesting that after moving thousands of miles away from my home in Sioux Falls, SD, I can once again call a great friend my neighbor. Is it my presence and rave reviews of Portland that brought Billy out here, or is it more a result of us sharing unique, albeit quirky personality traits that caused us to choose Portland? I argue that it is the latter. Either way, I look forward to sharing new stories and experiences with my good friend, all the while reminiscing about our old stories and experiences. Welcome, Billy.