Only a band like Copeland could bring together such a vast array of individuals. As I scanned the crowd once Copeland ended the show, I saw everyone from ravers to indie kids, wannabe hardcore kids and punks, Jesus freaks and people over 40 years old. That diversity didn’t matter, though, because despite that diversity, there was a unity. There were different points during their set that Aaron Marsh, the band’s vocalist, stopped singing and the crowd took over. In that moment, you could sense the deep emotion and hear it in the voices of the audience. The emotion was easily seen on their faces, as well. Few were almost moved to the point of tears, especially during “Priceless” and “Brightest” from Copeland’s first full length CD, which they played during their encore. Copeland is one of those bands that had a drawing power, amidst their melodies and harmonies, cute lyrics and the deep passion that was their driving force for the many years they played under the name Copeland. I remember sitting down with Aaron a couple of years ago, on a tour stop in Seattle when they played with Switchfoot at what is now Showbox SoDo, while I was still running my old website, and he spoke with such sincerity and genuine passion for the music him and his bandmates created. He was such an awkward fellow but eager to talk about his music. It was in that moment that I developed such a bigger respect for Copeland. I’m going to very much miss this band.

Joining Copeland on their farewell tour were Deas Vail, Person L, and I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody’s Business. Deas Vail is a band that I had been hearing about for a very long and I had ashamedly ignored. They played with a certain melodious warmth that I found to be perfect for the opening of this show. Much of their sound reminded me of Copeland, which made them easily accepted among new and old Copeland fans alike. They maintained high energy, all the while appearing very passionate about the music they were playing. I took a liking to them for their indie sound and the random jam moments through out their set.

I loved that Person L and I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody’s Business played on this tour together. When I first got into the Seattle music scene and started going to shows back in 2003, my first show outside of an arena was the DTR Invasion Tour. DTR standing for Drive Thru Records, of course. That tour featured all of the poster children for 2003, The Early November, Allister, Home Grown, Senses Fail, and The Starting Line. Watching Kenny on stage, with what looks to be, little boy and nervous antics, along with fast movement on stage, brought me back to that show and all of the times I watched the DTR DVD Volume 2. Anyone else do that? I loved that DVD, and still do. Creepy man hug, oh man. Good times. But alas, I’m beyond thrilled that Kenny has persevered and continued making the kind of music he does best: good ‘ol pop punk.

Last, but most certainly not least, is I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody’s Business. I first took a listen to this side project of Ace Enders’ while he was still the front man of the infamous The Early November, around 2004. It was in early 2003 that I developed a love for the music this man creates. It has never mattered how many people were intently watching his performance, regardless of whether it was a big or tiny venue, he played with his whole heart. This show was most definitely no different. He, along side his beautiful sister, Robin, on keys and Jose on drums, delivered each heart-felt song with a deep passion that only great musicians can. They had a good balance between the first CD and the newest release, The World We Know, which was released March 23rd. As it was with the first I Can Make A Mess album, the new album carried the very similar theme of the struggles and changes in growing up and maturing, which created a comfortable flow when they’d switch between the two albums through out the course of the set. Out of all of Ace’s side projects, I Can Make A Mess is by far my favorite. I have a huge liking for the folk sound that this project has always had and I strongly feel that he’s one of the most underrated musicians in the scene.

You can view all of the photographs from this tour here.

A big thank you goes to Gary of Reybee Productions for the opportunity to do some coverage on this amazing tour.