empires - through trial & tribulation comes triumph

label: saw her ghost records
released: 2006

i'd seen these fellas open for jucifer in sioux falls,sd back when this album came out.
when they took the stage i was sitting at a table next to jucifer's merch booth.
i was there with my then girlfriend and i was telling her of my journey through the crowd as i was making my way back from the bar with my soda and i'd run into ed livengood (aka the other person in jucifer) and we were talking and i was all like "hey,man? you want anything from the bar?" and he was all like "no,man. i'm good. you want somethin'?" and i was all like "already got somethin'." and then i was all like "how many times are you going to play yourself off of your stool tonight?" and he laughed and was all like "see ya later." and took off.
i'd seen jucifer a few times before that (the previous time was at the place we were currently in) and he'd always manage to almost fall off of whatever he'd be sitting on while he'd be playing.

but i digress....

i'd been sitting at the table when empires started.
and by the time they ended their set i was standing near the stage.
they weren't half bad.
they reminded me alot of pelican and neurosis a little bit.
i bought this album at the show.
the next day i put the cd into the stereo and i hit the play button.
and then i hit the skip button.
and then i hit it again.
and then i hit it again.
the pelican was still there.
the neurosis wasn't.
it left me a little underwhelmed.
but they were picked to open for jucifer for a reason,yeah?
yeah.
maybe they're just one of those bands that need to be experienced live.
i don't know.
maybe i was a little tired.
i'd tossed and turned most of the previous night kicking myself for not taking ed up on his offer.
why the fuck did i turn that down?
what the fuck,bro.
i could've been all like "sure. a bag of chips would be pretty sweet."
i could've been all like "sure. i'll take some beef jerky."
and then i could've come back home and told all of the cats "hey,cats! guess who bought me [insert item here]. fucking ed fucking livengood. yeah. we're totally besties now. meownvy me,fuckers!"
sigh.
what could've been.

DL