DESCRIPTION:
This was the final Signal To Noise gig, though we had no knowledge of that at the time. This was filmed at the Silver Dollar Sports Bar in Crawfordsville between studio jaunts. Though we worked tirelessly in the studio to finish the album that we'd been working on for six months, "Slaves of Notion", I think maybe on reflection we could see the writing on the wall. We'd drifted from our established sound into a more nu-metal approach and interest within the band was waning.

Just a few weeks after this show, Dirt and Matt left the band. After long consideration, Chris, Greg and I decided to let it die peacefully than spend another six months finding another guitarist/bassist.

I moved to Alabama just two months after this gig and started work on my own album before finally settling in with Blackeyed Susan. Dirt hooked up with Anything But Normal for awhile and eventually left for California about a year later. He would then join Society 1. Greg and Chris would go on to Frank Einstein. Matt focused on his family and his work with church.

The music to "Dog Years" was written in early 2001 during a typical rehearsal in Matt's basement. The lyrics were actually written in early 1998 shortly after the dissolution of my marriage. Mother Gumball had basically fizzled out, my marriage came to an end, I was unemployed and suicidal, spending days locked in my tiny duplex alone contemplating how my life had taken such a drastic turn. Even though that period was extremely dark, it was also inspiring. The song was written as a confession of sorts. Feeling like a disappointment to the human race. I lost 54 lbs in barely over a month's time. I remember staring into the mirror at my gaunt face and thinking, "How did I wind up here"??? The lyrics are among my favorite because they were brutally autobiographical.

Eventually, through disciplined use anti-depressants and a lot of soul searching, I came to a better place. Another song, "Lightning In a Bottle" was written after my recovery which could be considered the "sequel" even though it was integrated into our repertoire over a year before this song.