30 years ago? Damn. Dave, Trent, and I cruised around EGV on our BMX bikes, concerned with nothing more than meeting up with other dudes, hitting some jumps, then scratching together enough cash for a one-liter. Simple times. My musical tastes were pretty varied at this point – I had already been indoctrinated into the Chicago punk scene by way of Naked Raygun and the Didjits, but I also held a spot for the weird saxophone etude in Tears for Fears “Listen”. I had James Brown and Joe Jackson records.

Trent mentioned these guys having read about them in a guitar magazine – something along the lines of “best band you haven’t heard” – and Gretchen Goes To Nebraska quickly became a significant part of the soundtrack the summer I came back from college. Not sure if they were a metal band or Christian, but the music was both heavy and melodic, and the labels didn’t matter. They sure don’t feel like a metal band, and if they’re primarily Christian, they’re hitting on the parts of Christianity that I appreciate. They’re no Stryper, in other words.

The chord progressions, drum parts, and lyrics are emblazoned in my memory forever, probably. As luck would have it, I might get to see them live for the first time in a couple weeks. I’m keeping my expectations low, but I’m pretty excited to see the power trio that was such a part of our lives.

Here’s a milder example of their stuff:

Nice, right?