Spent reunite for 20 years of Mergefest

Spent were/are from Jersey City, New Jersey. In 1995 their debut album came to our radio station in Bloomington,IN. It came in a Merge promotional mailing with a Cakekitchen CD and a Portastatic EP. I am not sure quite how it happened but Mark and I as well as quite a few people quickly fell hard for this band. I credit this band for one of the reasons why Magic Marker exists. Mark along with our friend Paul and Chris from the radio station "booked" their first show with Spent headlining. They were on tour supporting Seam (or was it Licorice?) but instead of playing their scheduled show I think in Cleveland. The guys had convinced their booker to play the all ages club Rhino's in Bloomington for $400. This was a lot of money for 3 full time college kids but the fact that they could just call a booker and get your new favorite band to play a show you are setting up they just had to do it. The album had come out in the spring and I had graduated that summer and moved home to live with my parents and work 12 hour shifts in the rubber factory to save money. So when the show was booked there was no way I was going to miss it. I drove the 3 hours from Ft. Wayne to Bloomington for the show. The rider had promised them a meal so Mark borrowed my car to take the band to get some food. I was too nervous to talk to them at first but we hung out before the show and I told them that after the show I was driving back and that I had to work the next morning. I requested "Ready, OK" off the album "Songs of Drinking and Rebellion". John, Annie, and Ed all wrote songs for Spent and they all sang their respective songs. I am always amazed how distinct their vocals and songwriting were but they sounded so great together. The show was fantastic probably one of my favorite shows I had ever seen at the time. I drove back home through the night and showed up at work so beat but still they played "Ready, OK" and dedicated it to me.

Spent put out another great album "Seat Beneath the Chairs" the following year.Mark had kept in contact with them and they were suppose to give a song for our first release. They broke up and had run out of recorded material so it never happened. I attended their surprise last show at CMJ. Ed and John continued playing together and Annie put out two solo records over the years.

Spent are reuniting for the Merge XX fest in North Carolina on July 22-26. I am envious of the people attending. I am glad I have a reason to pull out those records again.

Spent have a myspace page.