I first heard of Obits about 20 minutes before I saw them. It was Pre-Fest 2013 and Sarah and I were trying to figure out who we should watch to fill the gap before Toys That Kill. In my memory, we were sat in The Bricks Bar, but that's also where we first realised we should watch United Nations the day before, so I might be getting my memories confused. Both times we immediately headed over to The Crow Bar to see the band. In the case of Obits, the guide mentioned that they featured members of Drive Like Jehu, so we knew it would be worthwhile watching.
The room wasn't packed out for Obits, I think they impressed everyone there. It was exactly what I wanted from them - surf-edged punk-rock, and full of energy. Having had no expectations meant I was all the more impressed, and very pleased that we'd come across them. Afterwards we both bought copies of their new album, Bed & Bugs at the merch stand. At $20, it was twice the price of most LPs that weekend, but more than worth it. I remember it being one of the records I was most excited about hearing when I got home.
Luckily, the record captures the live show brilliantly. It's one of those rare records that is really good but you could also play at a barbeque in the summer and people would probably be into it (how rare that section of the Venn diagram is depends on your friends). Highlights are Taste the Diff, This Must Be Done and Malpractice. Even the instrumental track in the middle, Besetchet, is great. The penultimate track, Machines, is very different to everything that came before it, but quite enjoyable still. This is the Sub Pop "Loser" edition (the only Loser edition record I have) and the colour looks lovely. The die-cut sleeve has just enough space around the label that a bit of the vinyl glows through and looks slightly golden in the right light (see the last picture), which really does make it feel like a great record to have in the collection.
Anyway, Obits were so good that first night in Tampa that we went to see them again the next night in Gainesville. I remember having a blast the second time too. Sadly they have now broken up, so I have to make do with my memories but luckily I have a record that takes me right back to that first time we saw them.
Format: 12", die-cut sleeve, picture sleeve
Tracks: 13
Cost: £12.60 new
Bought: gig
When: 30/10/13
Colour: Transparent orange
Etching: none
mp3s: Download code
