The Squad held forth at the Carousel Lounge last night.  In part, it was an experiment.  For the first time, we played an entire show without a set list.  For a big fan of planning like me, this was a revalation more than a revolution, because we got to find our way through the night, exploring rather than simply following the tracks to our familiar destination.  That was cool.

What made it even cooler was the combination of our home advantage at the Carousel and the marvelous folks who came out to support us.  My old neighbor and playwright extraordinaire Hank Schwemmer, a posse from my work at Apple, Ally Means, herself a snazzy performer, fans from Comfort Fest, Thomas Monclova of the Barebones Orchestra, Ms. Megan, who is not only our most loyal fan but also performed "Omega in Love" with us for the first time without having rehearsed it (mad props Megan!), and many others.

The night started mellow, as Isaac and I made our acoustic way through WRS classics and tunes we don't get to play with the full band. Isaac brought out his Devo-esque rocker "Terrible Feeling,"  and a jump to keyboards led to the premiere performance of "Dreams of Svengali."

And then the rock began.  As we powered through the set, the energy in the room started to hum, then throb, then explode into action as the crowd wildly gyrated and the band kicked it up even higher in response.  It's no exagerration if I say this was our best show ever, and the cherry on top was the encore of "Electromagnetic Pulse" requested by none other than Moy, the awesome bartender (go to the Carousel, drink heartily, tip mightily).

That was the climax, and the weary Squad eventually made our way back to WRS-HQ to unload and decompress.  But it wasn't over.  Jonny_Dub had some news.  We had just played our last show with our friend, compatriot, and bass player.  Last night, Jonny_Dub requested to be discharged from the Squad.  So here it is:

Jonny_Dub, the World Racketeering Squad hereby honorably discharges you from service.  We loved the spiritual energy you brought to the band, the deep knowledge of vocals and how to bring them to new heights, the dedication you had to perfection and innovation, the fun you brought to every rehearsal and performance, and of course the steady reliability your bass presence brought to every song. 

Goodbye Jonny.

We'll see you soon, but we'll miss you sooner.