The Early November announce hiatus

About a week and a half ago, I was lucky enough to score some tickets to what looks to have been The Early November's final NYC show at Irving Plaza, though I didn't know it at the time. The band issued a statement Tuesday on their website announcing an "indefinite hiatus." But lest the rumor mill grind into motion, the official word is that there are no hard feelings:

We all love and care for one another tremendously. We're as close of friends as we have ever been and, as long as the five of us exist, we will continue to be so. This "hiatus" or "break" is just a result of time and life. As we grow older, priorities change. We've decided we need to take some time and see that life isn't all dirty rock clubs, rest stops at 2 am, and long distance phone calls. We have to be where we haven't been in the past six years; with our friends, family, and loved ones.

It's sad to see a good band go, but it's sadder to watch a good band go bad. Coming off a fantastic 3 CD record and a successful tour, with their last scheduled show at The Bamboozle for their hometown Jersey crowd, I respect their decision to go out on top. And I admire their commitment to their fans. At the show I saw, they played a set filled almost entirely by requests to a crowd that didn't want to let them leave the stage. I'll bet audiences at the remaining shows can expect similarly fond farewells. Especially in East Rutherford.

The Early November's remaining tour dates can be found here.