Forgetters (Blake Schwarzenbach of Jawbreaker) Coming to Birmingham! | Thursday, 1.10.13

This show isn’t until Thursday, but since I’m about to make the case for a 3 hour drive through Alabama, I wanted to give you a couple of days to plan for it. You might remember how much I loved Forgetters‘ self-titled debut LP back in November. At the time, just the record alone came as a surprise- the actual east coast tour announcement that followed was the icing on the cake. Rather than frame this like a typical show preview, I’m going to instead make the case for why YOU should absolutely make the trek to Birmingham to catch this show:

• Frontman Blake Schwarzenbach is a musical legend; the influence of his previous bands Jawbreaker and Jets to Brazil is immeasurable.
• Drummer Kevin Mahon kicked off his career playing for seminal Florida band Against Me!, so he’s got real punk cred.
• Though he’s not in the band, Jawbox‘s J. Robbins produced and played bass on Forgetters’ incredible new album.
• Schwarzenbach has spent the last decade teaching, bartending, writing literature, and getting involved in activism- his musical output has greatly diminished since the ’90s, as has his performance schedule.
• Forgetters is the closest thing to Jawbreaker we’ll probably ever get from Blake, since he’s remained consistently opposed to a reunion.
• A two year gap occurred between the band’s debut EP and LP- the speculation seems to be that they could dissolve at any moment. Schwarzenbach’s track record would lend credence to this.
• Though they’ve toured intermittently, Forgetters have never played Nashville. They came close in 2009, hitting Atlanta, Chattanooga, and Memphis, but haven’t been anywhere nearby since. The band typically plays under 20 dates a year, so who knows when or if they’ll ever perform nearby again.
• Forgetters are a real, old school emo/punk band: their shows are cheap, small and intimate, and mostly take place at D.I.Y./underground type venues. This show’s no exception.
• Birmingham is only a three hour drive.
• Let me reiterate: this could be your ONLY chance to catch the ever-more-reclusive Blake Schwarzenbach perform anywhere close to Nashville ever again. He’s hard to predict and it’s not like this band is his livelihood. He’s doing it for fulfillment and when that fulfillment runs out, he will most certainly stop. Will he start a new band after? Probably, but who knows. And I bet they won’t sound anything like this one.

Forgetters are performing this Thursday, January 10 at The Forge in Birmingham (5055 1st Ave North). The Forge is an all-ages, alcohol-free art space, so it’s going to be a Jawbreaker circa-1992 vibe. Supporting acts include Bitter Blessings and The Urns. Doors are at 6:30PM, the show’s $10, and you can find more info here. You really, really don’t want to miss this one if ever you were a fan of Jawbreaker, Jets to Brazil, or grew up on the ’90s emo/indie/D.I.Y. scene.

Here’s the type of small, punk style show you have to look forward to: