The Lions Rampant perform Shotgun Shells at The Oregon Express in Dayton, OH

Live in the lounge - 1/10/07

The snow is changing to rain and back again in Cincinnati, OH. Every window gleams white and cold. And every year on the first snow it brings back these feelings of nostalgia and loss. It’s a perfect moment to listen to Bad Veins. Maybe because hidden within the sounds of old, scratched vinyl, there’s an element of comfort in the honest lyrics, that can be self-aware enough to admit that you are completely and utterly believing in the lie. And though it sounds modern, it still sounds as if its continuing a story that left off in the 1960’s. That even though it’s moving forward, it’s still very much connected to the past. And maybe that’s where some of the comfort lies. Timeless music has a way of transcending the ordinary, dull moments of our lives. And as Steve Earle brilliantly pointed out, most people avoid “trancendence at all costs, mainly because the shit hurts.” But if you stick with the journey long enough, you start growing because of it. This capsule of moments from spending time with Ben and Sebastien will hopefully give you a glimpse of what and why they are making the music that they are making. The songs they are creating are big and grand and from the unreleased tracks I was granted to hear, I truly believe they’ll be going to bigger and grander places. Affecting and transcending the lot of us along the way. – Kevin Bayer