by Matt Carter @m_j_c73
Documenting All of Green’s first rehearsal in over four years.
The last time I saw All of Green perform was on New Years Day 2011. I can still remember guitarist Andrew Butler leaning in towards the mic and saying, “That’s it folks. We’re done,” while an exhausted audience cheered enthusiastically for “one more song”. Butler wasn’t just referring to the amazing performance the band had just delivered to a tightly packed venue on the first day of a new year, he was talking about the band. All of Green was finished.
It took a few months for me to realize the impact those words would have. While I may have been a latecomer to the band’s loyal audience, I was no less devastated to learn I’d never have the opportunity to enjoy another live performance from a group I consider to be one of the most original sounding bands to ever come from the City of Stately Elms, and one who could always deliver a stunning live show.
All of Green held a special place in our hearts and it took a while to come to terms with their demise. As the months became years and the members all moved on in their lives, I eventually grew tired of asking when their next show was. I think we all did. What started off as a slight dig – a gentle and friendly reminder that we all still hoped the band would someday return to the stage – eventually became an indicator that it was time to move on. The joke had grown old. An era had ended and we had to accept the facts.
It’s probably safe to say I’ve listened to the band’s only album a few hundred times over the past four years. That’s no exaggeration. I’ve always found a unique comfort and satisfaction in those songs and unlike a lot of albums I’ve spent time with, To This Point’s 12 tracks continue to reveal something new with each listen. There’s a brilliance that runs through each of those tracks that no other ensemble could hope to conjure. I guess that’s part of the reason their end dealt such a strong blow.
So you can understand my excitement when Feels Good Folly Fest announced All of Green as part of their 2015 line up. What’s even more exciting is that fact that “other performances” may be in the works.
When I heard this news I immediately sent a text message asking if I could document the band’s first rehearsal – their first time revisiting these tunes in over four years.
And so it goes. Last weekend, tucked away in an upstairs rehearsal studio in uptown Saint John, Matt, Steve, Andrew, Tayce and Caleb plugged in and just like that, All of Green was reborn.
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I am forever grateful to the members of All of Green for letting me be a fly on the wall during their rehearsal. Thanks so much guys!
