Skybombers in the USA

It's not often Nyssa and I truly get to share a local band. Thus is the problem with living halfway around the world from each other - she in Melbourne, Australia and me in Texas. Aside from big label bands who can afford to travel between our countries, we're usually seeing completely different bands and sharing about them over Twitter or our respective blogs.

Which is perfect - music is how we became friends. We were both members of a band fan club in the early 2000s and haunted the music section of the message boards. While the initial band brought us together, we found we had a lot of other music in common despite the distance. It quickly became our routine to check in daily via message board and BS about the music we were digging, our naive impressions of the music industry, and whatever else crossed our minds.


Today we're social media friends, but still haven't had the pleasure to meet in person. So it was kind of strange to stand in front of a band member who knows Nyssa so well, he met up with her in California he was on tour with Rooney and while she was visiting for a friend's wedding in Las Vegas.

It's crazy how music can bring people together.

If you've followed me over the last year...you know I'm a little crazy about Rooney. (By crazy, I mean I trekked through three states to see them six times last August...) When Nyssa noticed her friends Skybombers would be touring through the US with Rooney this spring, she told me to make sure I was there for them - and to tell them I knew her, just for kicks.

With nothing better to do on a Tuesday night, we arrived to the miserably empty venue a good 30 minutes before the music even started and then slightly suffered through Voxhaul Broadcast (their music was decent, but the singer was less than stellar and had no stage presence whatsoever - but I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. Playing to essentially empty venues sucks.)

Skybombers at Warehouse Live

Once Skybombers took the stage, I was immediately taken with their music. (And also their drummer, whom Nyssa later informed me is already taken. *le sigh* At least "Last night I fell in love with an Australian drummer" made for a good Facebook status...) They are one of those unique bands who can put a touch of blues in one song, then turn around and do straight rock the next only to be followed by a "sea chanty," as bassist Will put it, without losing their core sound.

I fell hard.

But then, it wasn't that surprising since Nyssa has yet to disappoint with a music recommendation. All I could think was, "How cool is this that I'm watching a bunch of her friends play?" I may have been a bit wrapped up in the magic of the moment...

But those are the best kind of musical moments - the ones that feel so fantastical yet are completely real.

Rooney at Warehouse Live

Following their set, I kept looking for a chance to talk with one of them but it never presented itself before Rooney came on. I resigned myself to hunting down at least one band member before leaving.

Luckily, Hugh was hanging out at the merch booth as we were leaving, so I bought a CD, presented it to him to sign (something I haven't done in ages...) and proceeded:

Me: So, I'm supposed to tell you that we have a friend in common.

Hugh: Oh, really?

He gave me a curious look like, "Who in the WORLD could this tall Texas girl possibly have in common with me?" And when I told him, his face exploded into a giant grin.

"No way! I just saw her in San Francisco last week!" And we proceeded to chat about Nyssa asking me what American candy to haul back to Melbourne, how tragic it was she had come to the States but not Texas, and how I'd been looking forward to seeing his band for months solely based off her recommendation.

When he handed the CD back to me, this is what was written inside:

With lots of encouragement to return to the Lone Star State, I wished him a safe trip home before leaving - and if nothing else, sent an Australian band back home knowing they made at least one genuine fan in the United States...even if it was via a mutual friend.