Mean Creek holds a very special place in my heart, as they were the first Boston band I ever auditioned with before joining the Boston music community.  It was September of 2007, I was entering my senior year at Stonehill College, and I decided to take a leap of faith by exploring local bands looking for drummers. I came across Mean Creek’s music and heard they were looking, so I scouted them out at a show at TT the Bear’s and met Chris for the first time. He was very kind and welcoming, and an incredible performer. He left me with a copy of “Around the Bend” and a demo EP for me to check out. From there we set up a rehearsal at their old space around the corner from The Model in Allston. Their original drummer, Andy (now of Bent Shapes), was leaving the band to attend grad school, and Matt Sisto (Spirit Kid) had recently joined as their bass player. The band was in transition but had an energy and momentum that was palpable. I couldn’t have been more excited and invigorated to dive right and and start playing.

I remember driving up from Stonehill in my old station wagon with drum set in tow, dragging it through the cramped rehearsal space, where it seemed like every corner of the building was buzzing. We got set up and played a few songs from the full length, plus a few newer ones, including a song called “Beg & Plead.” This was the song that gave me the bug, and when we played it for the first time it felt like everything just lit up in me. We hit it off really well both musically and personally; they were sweet, a little goofy, yet totally serious at the same time, and I remember being impressed by their professional manner and their ambitiousness. I wanted to drop everything I was doing and join the band, but ultimately I couldn’t forfeit my last year of school to make such a leap. I’ll never forget that one night though, it’s what lit the fire in my belly to pursue my dreams as a musician, and left an indelible impact on me.

The Boston music scene is going to miss Mean Creek, but they’ve made a huge impression on this town and won’t be soon forgotten. They’ve set the bar for what it is to be good people and and good artists at the same time. I look forward to seeing what all of them do next, and wish them the best of luck!