It's Not Over

"You think you're over with it/Don't want to talk about it/I'll tell you something you don't want to know."

When I heard that and other simple, insightful lines like it on Face to Face's Big Choice album, I knew I'd found the punk rock band for me. I always wanted to like punk, but I don't listen to music for the rhythm. I listen to music because I'm too lazy to read poetry. I want a song to show me a piece of music via intelligent lyrics, and if its melody's genre makes it rock, or rap, or country, whatever. Still, the fast-paced perpetual youth of punk music always courted me, but until Face to Face, I'd never invited it up. In fact, I still haven't; Face to Face is the only punk band that has consistently managed to get my foot a'tappin' to their breakneck beats and my heart a'poundin' to their vulnerable, sophisticated lyrics. Consider this, one of my favorite bits of theirs:

"You're boring and predictable/Doesn't everybody want to get their hands on everything that they desire?/I know you're not afraid/And I know exactly what you want to be."

I can't think of a more exquisite combination of disdain, sarcasm, social commentary, and righteous indignation. These themes run through most of Face to Face's discography, yet in their final two albums, a sense of personal reflection becomes more prevalent:

"Pride is a worthy adversary in the struggle for yourself."

I missed several opportunities to see Face to Face live, both in Phoenix and here in Southern California, and when I heard that the band was going to break up, I had to see them -- and did at the Anaheim House of Blues. The show was so good, I kicked myself for those missed chances. Now, I have a chance at redemption; Face to Face has reunited! What's better, thanks to my girlfriend's diligent perusal of upcoming concerts and events, I've scored a ticket to their first show in five years! This Thursday night, I'll be face to face . . . with Face to Face.

Big choice? Buying that ticket, I had no choice.