Lakes

When I was a preteen, my cool older brother was into the local punk rock scene. It was pretty small in my little beach town of Pismo Beach. But we still managed to get ourselves pumped up and thrash around empty Rec centers, and still have blood stains on old t-shirts from being punched in the face to prove it. I wore studded belts and pink converse shoes and let my long black bangs hang over my eyes. This phase didn't last long, but it was real, alright.

One of our favorite local bands was Watashi Wa, which meant "I am" in Japanese. Who went softer as each album passed. I still have a hoodie from when their album "The Love of Life" came out on Tooth and Nail. My brother took their album to boarding school in WA, and being as strangely offbeat and charismatic as he is, got all his friends stoked about it. More than a decade later, and with a few genre shifts, they're still making wonderful music.

Last night Amy and I went to their CD release party. Split up into different bands, the former lead singer Seth Roberts, is now fronting a band named Lakes.

During setup, we laughed as we discussed our wondering about if our childhood crushes and infatuations would resurface as we would watch him onstage. And he was very much the same as he was a decade ago, warm, funny, passionate, and unassuming. Their music was a bit darker this time, twinged with a more bluegrass feel, and Roberts was pitchier than I've heard him since he was 16, he appeared weathered, and almost sad.

But I'm excited to hear their album in its entirety. I think Seth is a wonderful and unique musician, who produces music you can grow up to, sing along with, and dance to.

Weathered or not, I sure smiled a LOT last night.

Lakes - The Agreement from Lakes on Vimeo.