I started in Texas music around 2007. Since then there have been bands that have come and gone. They break up for a variety of reasons, but usually, it’s just because life happens. Someone wants to settle down, have a normal life that doesn’t include going on tour every Thursday, Friday, Saturday night and getting home on Sunday afternoon. I get that. The normal routine of life can look pretty great after sleeping in a van for a few years. But there are a few bands that I wish would get back together. Bands who were on the cusp of that next level. The first years of a band can be tough. In many cases you play to lightly filled rooms, or in some cases empty ones. You make a fan, you make another. After a while though, if you put all the pieces together right, it multiplies and grows. That’s when the bands start having to make other decisions. It’s not just music anymore. It’s a business.
I’m not including bands that had already reached that high level, like Cross Canadian Ragweed, or The Great Divide. So let’s forget all the fights that happened among them, or whatever caused the breakup, and get back on the road. Here are three bands I want to see again.
KYLE BENNETT BAND
We’ll start this list with the most contentious of all the breakups. This one played out through the rumor mill, on the radio, and for at least a few years (I haven’t heard otherwise, but I’m always hoping people can settle their differences) of bad blood. The six years they were going, they were flooring a lot of people. They were a great balance of rock and country. Kyle was the country side, the rest of the band like Beau, Jon, John and Rody were the rock side. After the breakup, Kyle attempted to do solo work for a few years, but never released another album. The band went on to add singer Ace to their lineup and created The Thieving Birds. They’ve put out FIVE albums. Kyle now works on roofs and has played one show in the last three years.
SIX MARKET BLVD
For five and a half years, they toured out of Stephenville and had really started growing their fan base. But apparently the band had seen a change in lead singer Clayton. He started getting more into religion, and at some point realized he wanted to do more with that. The band had a few farewell shows, and then one night in Stephenville, the music stopped. They had a reunion show at the Larry Joe Taylor Music Fest in 2016, but the band has moved on. Guitarist Josh Serrato plays with William Clark Green. He also opened a recording studio with Six Market bassist Ben Hussey. This breakup seemed really amicable, but we hope the band will get a chance to make an album for their many fans. I mean, they could do it pretty cheap with Josh and Ben producing it. It’s an idea!
NO JUSTICE
This band from Oklahoma had a lot of people sad when they stopped touring in 2013. They started in 2001 out of Stillwater, and by 2007 when I got involved in the industry, they were hitting their stride with Horseshoe Lake, and other great songs. Due to health issues, Steve Rice dissolved the band, but still plays some mostly in the immediate area around Stillwater. These were guys I had a lot of fun with. Reunion tour maybe?
I know I left out a lot of bands that deserve to be on this list. Who did I miss?
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