These days, This Will Destroy You have their hands full.
With good reason, of course: Today marks the arrival of their newest LP, Tunnel Blanket, an album that finds the band growing even darker and denser and, somehow, even bigger than their epic offerings have showcased to date. Meanwhile, the band will play the HomeGrown Fest this weekend, too, participating on a bill that also features acts such as Ishi, Neon Indian and School of Seven Bells.
The instrumental four-piece has played the region several times over the years -- sometimes with great results and sometimes not. But the band didn't start out by headlining places like the Granada Theater. Instead, they, like so many other bands, played their first show in Dallas at a tiny venue, before a tiny crowd.
In anticipation of their new release, their impending performance this weekend, and also in advance of their free in-store performance at Good Records tonight at 9 o'clock, we caught up with founding members, guitarists Jeremy Galindo and Chris King, to talk about their first show experiences as fans and as a band. The non-Dallas contingent of the band can seem to remember very specific matters, but not necessarily dates, of their early show-going memories. Read on about their experiences after the jump.
What was the first show you remember seeing?
Jeremy Galindo: I was raised in a religious atmosphere, so my first show
was DC Talk. Huh huh heaven ha ha ha ha heaven ha huh heavenbound!
Lame.
Chris King: Sonic Youth and The Smashing Pumpkins.
Did your parents take you?
Chris King:
Nah, I rode my Huffy.
What was the first show you saw with your own money?
Jeremy Galindo: I snuck out and went to go see the Smashing Pumpkins. Shit was tight.
Chris King: That Sonic Youth and The Smashing Pumpkins show. It was a birthday present, if that counts.
This Will Destroy You have played many shows, but do you remember anything about the first show you played?
Jeremy Galindo: Our first show was in a gay, goth dance-club-turned-music-venue called the Sanctuary in San Antonio. Luckily, our previous band
had quite a following, so we had a nice turnout for the first show. I
think we only played four songs.
Chris King: People were trying to pay us to stop playing, and some guy asked to try out to be our singer "for free."
A related question: Do you remember the first show you played in Dallas?
Jeremy Galindo:
We played at The Cavern. Don't remember the year. I
think there was only 15 people there. We never thought we would be
playing here much.
Chris King: We played with Mom. There were like three people that looked really, really bored.
