Moving and Joining

DCOI started in 2003 and released two full length CDs, two seven inch EPs as well as two bass players by the time I joined the band in 2008.

In 2007 I was living in Washington State while being thoroughly depressed and discouraged after both bands I was in at the time came to a screeching halt and disbanded.

So when I received a call from DCOI guitarist Justin asking if I wanted to fill in for their bass player and join them on a Canadian tour, of course I said yes right away.

Prior to going on this tour I had only met Justin once or twice through our separate travels and really had no idea what to expect.

They drove 12 hours straight after playing in Berkley and picked me up at my house before continuing the rest of the drive Canada.

After five minutes of being in the van I felt at home.

The first show we played together was at a venue called the Cobalt in Vancouver, B.C. We had never practiced together and I had learned about half of their songs on my own by playing along to the CDs in my small apartment.

The venue was not what you would call a pleasant place by any means; the alley behind was frequented by all sorts of drug users and was riddled with hypodermic needles and broken crack pipes. This was defiantly not the ideal place for Darby, the resident band dog, to run around and play with his ball.

As we got deeper and deeper into the tour the guys and I became more familiar with each other while becoming better friends. We literally spent about 95 percent of the trip together, sleeping in the van, indulging in substances and cracking weird jokes that made no sense to anyone unless you were delusional from staying up for 30 plus hours.

The biggest shows on this particular tour were in Calgary and Edmonton, where we were scheduled to play with some old friends, unfortunately they had to cancel because half of the group decided to go on a team building camping trip; they received some severe hassling next time we crossed paths.

By the end of the tour I was so incredibly stoked on these guys, the music they were making, and where they wanted to take their band (everywhere).

I mentioned to them that I was moving down to California in hopes that they would just ask me to join. About three weeks later I was receiving “love letters” telling me to hurry up and get down to California so I could join their band.

In August of 2008 I was living in California, commuting about 80 miles three times a week and playing music full time again.

I would go insane with out this band. It keeps me productive, creative and happy. Long live DCOI and the friends I have gained.