We all fall apart in the same way.
"Anniversary"
Sooner or later, if we're lucky, we're going to stop writing about how the world was affected by COVID-19 (I think). Sure, the constant cries of "we're in this together," overplayed as they were, reminded us that there was a reason for everyone to be upset, but certainly there were some who lost much, much more than others. We won't have to write about how bands had to postpone album releases, tours, announcements, or how some of the unlucky ones were unable to make it through the two years of shutdowns, mask mandates, and general hysteria. It's certainly made the moments we've had since restrictions began to be lifted much, much sweeter, but there will always be a lingering aftertaste of what was lost. We all have things that we weren't able to do the way we wanted to. For now, though, let's talk about what Tigers Jaw lost.
I won't care how you remember me: searching for truth, or ignoring it.
"I Won't Care How You Remember Me"
By anyone's standard of measurement, Tigers Jaw's career was altered completely by the pandemic. The band was gearing up to record and release their follow-up to spin, a transformative record released on the now-defunct White Cement Records, an imprint meant to be a bridge between major labels and Will Yip's well of bands who refuse to work with anyone else but him. The band found a new home in Hopeless Records, where a single "Warn Me" was released, and the band waited until it was deemed "time" to release more new material. Once two weeks of a lockdown turned into an indefinite shift in our way of living, the songs that would become I won't care how you remember me were left in limbo. The band kept themselves as busy as they could, opening up Yip's Live at Studio 4 sessions with a livestream that spanned the band's entire decade-plus career. Later in 2020, it was finally time to reveal the album the band--and their fans--had been waiting so long for. I won't care was released in March of 2021, and a stream of the band playing the entire album was played on Youtube. Concerts were still a distant dream, but at least the band was able to put their songs out. The shows would surely follow.
A few months later, it was announced that Tigers Jaw would be in the direct support spot for Circa Survive's long-delayed Blue Sky Noise tour, slated to start in the fall of 2021. While it wasn't the headlining tour you would have expected for a band who just released a new album, it united the band with another PA scene staple, and marked the first full US run they were able to go on in years. COVID, as you probably guessed, had other plans, and the tour was postponed to early 2022. The band was able to schedule a few one-off shows, including a hometown record release show at Union Transfer in Philadelphia, but that elusive tour escaped their grasp once again.
As the Omicron variant ran rampant through the US for the first months of 2022, more postponements for the Blue Sky Noise Tour came. Then, a final nail in the coffin was hammered in when Circa Survive announced that the entire tour would be cancelled as its members dealt with personal issues. This left Tigers Jaw, once again, with a new album released, and no tour to promote it. The truth of the matter is that none of the circumstances that lead to this unpleasant position were their fault. The truth is that lesser bands and lesser people would let the situation harden and bitter them. However, yet again, Tigers Jaw found a way to see another truth, and embrace the opportunity they were presented with.
Hold on for June, it brings new season. "June"
Despite having a cross-country tour cancelled with little to no notice, Tigers Jaw got straight to work on organizing their own tour, with their band's early DIY days helping them create a special experience for their fans: different openers every night, small rooms with smaller stages, and absolutely no barriers between stage and crowd. It would just be the band, their rotating cast of openers, and the fans who were chomping at the bit to see them play live once again. It was appropriately titled the "Last Minute Magic Tour," and that magic was brought to Crossroads in Garwood, NJ this week. After an opening set by Cave People, who show some real promise and a positive resemblance to bands like Modern Baseball, the band announced their arrival with the title track from I won't care how you remember me, leading directly into spin's standout single "June." The crowd was unsurprisingly ecstatic, and the night only improved from their. With a setlist focused on I won't care but still featuring tracks from throughout the band's career, anyone in attendance should have left the bar happy, no matter when they first discovered the band, and no matter their ranking of the band's discography. Despite being limited to a much smaller piece of stage real estate then usual, Ben Walsh was his usual energetic self on stage, bouncing as he strummed his guitar and singing through his hair that constantly hung in front of his face from all the headbanging he was doing. Brianna Collins was all smiles herself, constantly looking out to the crowd of bobbing heads and--I still can't believe I have to type this--brief mosh-pit sessions. The night's biggest surprise was drummer Theodore Roberts, who clearly has more free reign to show off in the live setting, as he provided especially eye-opening performances during "Commit," "Can't Wait Forever," and during the extended outro of main-set closer "Anniversary. Tigers Jaw have been a well-oiled machine on stage since the first time I've seen them, and this night was no different, even in a smaller venue than I'm used to seeing them play in.
And what about your friends, do they make you happy?
"The Sun"
I alluded to the mosh pits that formed through out the night, particularly when the band dipped into their older material, and I want to clarify something. While I was certainly surprised to see them opening up, that doesn't mean I didn't appreciate them. Sure, I gave some spin-kickers some serious side-eye, but no one got hurt, so what's the harm? Those who were lucky enough to make their way to Crossroads got to see a band they likely hadn't seen in months, possibly years. there was a lot of pent-up energy and emotion that wanted out, and if the heightened room temperature was any indication, everyone got out what they needed to before the end of the band's set. Tigers Jaw were the little band that could early in their career, emerging from the Northeast PA scene to heights very few of their peers have reached. This wasn't lost on Cave People, who spent two separate occasions during their opening set to talk about how much they admired Tigers Jaw, and what their band has meant to them. Cave People certainly aren't the only band out their who can speak to Tigers Jaw's influence, and there's a great deal of bands out there who should look at how the band have dealt with the dirge of shitty hands life has dealt to them. Choosing to ignore the truth of their misfortune, and choosing instead to search for another, they found a truth that will serve them well: Tigers Jaw is simply unflappable. Not once have they shown signs of frustration and what's happened to them during this album cycle. They've simply kept finding a way to keep going, because that's what the great ones do. We live in a world where the future has never been more uncertain, but believing that Tigers Jaw will always work to find a way to keep themselves moving forward is the closest thing we have to a sure bet these days.
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