DON'T DO ME LIKE DAT!

END OF A YEAR

I must address one of the biggest disappointments at a show i'd ever had the misfortune to experience.  End Of A Year has played shows with me and my friends many times.  We've given them places to stay and food to eat when they were on tour on a few occasions.  We like the guys.  Aside from the undertones of pretentious attitudes among certain members, they've always been thankful and nice to us. 

But last night they broke my heart.  It was a free show at Trinity College in Hartford, CT With Pissed Jeans.  They were advertised to be playing the show and beside Pissed Jeans they were the one other band i was equally as pumped to see, yet they pulled a little stunt.  Their set was actually played by people who had all at one point been in the band, weather it was to fill in for a tour or perhaps a recording, im not too sure.  But there was no Patrick or Hans or Doody, or that insane drummer to be found.  After these mystery people set up we all heard Patrick's voice (the singer) speaking back at us through the monitors telling everyone that the real band was in Hawaii recording an album and that this was the band we'd have to see instead.  What???  

I knew he had some "clandestine" point to make or a "lesson," if you will to, "teach" all of us.  He explained that the band feels no obligation whatsoever to please their fans, i.e. bumming everyone out by misleadingly claiming to be playing a show.  Granted, it was a free show, perhaps the best time to pull a lame stunt like this, if there ever was, but still...  Messin' with my emotions man!  I can respect the idea that the band operates completely independently of their fans.  At the band's status, that is commendable.  But did we all need to be bummed out just so that they could prove a point about this to us?  He used the word "respect" when referring to the fact that none of us should care that it would be a totally different band playing their songs and not them...  Im so glad that Patrick STILL got a chance to let us all know how much he doesn't like, or appreciate us, as in the fans.  Great...

I've hung out with the guys on a few occasions.  They've played with Dangur, Dan set up shows in Florence, they stayed at my dorm room...  This whole thing is totally indicative of the convicted expression of Patrick's attitude towards people that like and appreciate his band.  I was always in opposition to his views on this and this whole stunt just brought it to another level.  Im not attempting to discredit him or the rest of the band here.  They wanted people like me to feel this way, yea, yea, i get it. It just seems to me that the band went so out of their way just to prove some pretentious point that they don't give a fuck, but can't they do this less publicly, and pretentiously???  Do we really have to hear another preachy rant (beside the fact that Patrick is quite the comedian) about how he feels about music and his opinions and gripes with this and that?  Who cares what you think?  Fucking, let the music speak for you.  If someone gives a fuck what you have to say they'll look into it.  I feel like I wouldn't give a fuck enough to address my own opinion of my band and people who liked it in front of an entire crowd who wished to see me play.  Id say thats a little more like really not giving a fuck.  Seems a sort of cop-out to me.  It was unnecessary, and guys... Your ass holes.  =(  

I doubt they'd ever get to read this, but i'd love it if they did.  Im actually thinking about e-mailing Patrick about it.  None of what i've expressed has any personal implication.  It really is nothing personal.  I like the guys and this bullshit would never change how much their music means to me, but fuck, that was annoying.  But i get it.  Thats what they wanted.  I just think that it was a dick move to go out of your way and disappoint people who you know respect and look up to you, just to show how "transcendent" and so much more "intelligent" you think you are than your silly fans.  I laughed when i heard Patrick say something along the lines of 'show me respect...'  Pretty ironic.  Yes, yes we know: you "understand that europeans are sexual people."  Blah blah.  BOOOOO!  Never thought i'd be saying this about this band, but thumbs way down.

I dunno what do you guys think??? 

p.s. - Without people like me, there would be nothing for you to bitch about, which I know you love to do.  I feel like the band should appreciate the fact that people out there feel the way I do.  Think about it.  You don't give a fuck what we think, and i don't give a fuck what you think, End of a Year.  Just keep making amazing music.  don't stop to be spiteful.  I just don't care what your opinions are because they're totally elitist. 

GOD, IF YOUR REALLY THAT FED UP WITH FANS THAN LEAVE YOUR RECORD LABEL, STOP SELLING TONS OF MERCH, AND STOP TOURING.