After Ten Years, Texas is Still the Reason

I'm going to start this with a confession. I was not a fan of Texas is the Reason the first time around. In fact, I didn't even know who they were. I was a thirteen year-old Metallica junkie when the band played its last show ten years ago. The ensuing decade saw my musical taste grow and diversify though by the time I dipped into their catalog in early 2002, while I was impressed with their music I was more impressed with their reputation and their influence. Then last night I listened to them pour their hearts out during the final show of a two day reunion gig. I watched one of the most powerful and moving sets I've ever been to and I fell in love.

For sixty minutes on a cold New York Sunday night pure, unadulterated, non-caricatured emo existed in all of its raw, heavily melodic-yet-somehow-driving, drop-D tuned glory. The energy in the room was desperate and electrifying, filled with the bittersweet joy of being granted one last night with a lover who has long since passed away. The set was raucous front to back as the band unearthed songs laid to rest years ago, including two previously unrecorded, unreleased tunes.

"We wrote these songs ten years ago," said lead singer Garret Klahn. "Tonight we're giving them to all of you."

This declaration was one of the very few pieces of between song banter as the group was left practically speechless at the deafening cheers that erupted every time the music stopped in a massive outpouring of support for songs not heard since 1997. The original reunion was scheduled to be one show, but tickets sold out hours after going on sale and when a second date was announced it sold out in mere days.

The group blisteringly burned through their entire catalog and towards the end of the set tears began to fall in the crowd who, even after years with no hope of a new record or live show, could still scream back every word to every song. For one night in this mix of twenty- to thirty-something indie- and punk-rockers it was OK to be emo. It was OK to be unrestrained and passionate, to strip away the years of built up wry detachment, to be young and confused and vulnerable. And to feel, if only for a moment, what it meant to be part of something meaningful.

At the end of the night, as tears flowed freely both onstage and off, as hugs and handshakes were exchanged Klahn's final words as lead singer of one of emo's most powerful and innovative bands echoed in the air.

"Now, everything belongs to you."

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