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LOOKING BACK



SSRi - "go! fight! win!"


Looking Back is a column where we ‘look back’ on why albums are important to us.

In the early 2000’s one of the local NJ bands I could always count on for a fun show was SSRi. Naming themselves after an anti-depressant could not have been more apt for a band that prided itself on making infectious pop rock. Mix the pop sensibilities of early Evelyn Forever with the joy of early, upbeat Weezer songs, and add to that lyrics that were brilliantly constructed, without taking themselves too seriously. For instance, “give it up”, is a funny song about trying to get laid. Lyrics like, “I’m gonna rock you like Chewbacca ‘cause I’m looking for a Leia”, is silly and to some infantile, but this song, as does the rest of SSRi’s only release, “Go! Fight! Win!”, puts a big smile on my face. That’s not to say all their songs were that silly, “chance games” and “anymore”, for example, show a different side of their songwriting abilities, while remaining true to their fun, pop roots.

I was lucky to get to see SSRi a lot when they played in NJ. As of last time I spoke to them, the band members are all still friends, but with members having moved to different states in the mid 2000’s it is unlikely we will ever see them play live again. Thankfully I will always have the memories:

- The first time I saw them at Broadway Central Café singer John kept getting shocked every time he got to close to the microphone. Eccentric owner of the bar, Wayne, came by and affixed a cocktail napkin over the mic with a rubber band to try to fix the problem. It did not work, but John fought through the shocks and still delivered a great show. (somewhere I still have a minidisc recording of this show)

- Images Nightclub when guitarist Kevin forgot a guitar pedal or cable, and had to rush home and back. To cover, the drummer, Howie, took to the mic, while singer John took to the drums, for a spirited cover of Shaggy’s, “it wasn’t me” that the crowd loved.

- An evening at the Cue & brew where they played 3 sets, mixing covers with originals, and an audience that was largely unfamiliar with their originals enjoying them just as much as their covers. It’s great when a band can win over an audience, and SSRi always seemed to be able to do that.

- 2 memorable acoustic shows they did as part of BlowUpRadio.com’s Folk You! Series. The first was just John and Kevin, and was an incredible set followed by an after show set where about 20 people were hanging around and they played completely unamplified for another hour. The second would be the last time I saw SSRi play, and (to my knowledge) the only time the full band ever played acoustic. It may not have been their tightest gig, but it was still pretty sweet seeing them playing their songs unplugged. The only sad thing was they did not want me to record that show so I have no record of it to listen back to.

However, I still have their one and only album, “Go! Fight! Win!”, 8 songs of fun that I listen to a lot and enjoy just as much as I did when it came out back in 2003.

- Lazlo