Haste the Day Bring in Former Members for ‘Vs. Haste the Day’ Show

Indianapolis' Haste the Day have changed members as often as most clean people change their undergarments, but despite that internal hiccupping, the band never loses momentum. However, the band will celebrate the release of its new album, 'Attack of the Wolf King' with a record release party at Rhino's in Bloomington, Ind. on June 29. But this won't be a run-of-the-mill record release event, either. It's being billed as Haste the Day Vs. Haste the Day, where the band is bringing back the original lineup to face off with the new lineup for an extended set of old and new material.

"This may turn out to be the best Haste the Day show that will ever happen," bassist Mike Murphy told Noisecreep. "It's hard when band members grow older and no longer have the energy and passion to stay on the road. With HTD, our purpose has always been bigger than the individual members. We want to be a voice to kids at shows that they are loved and important. So, as members leave, they pass the torch to the newer guys and the mission continues. There are no hard feelings within the HTD camp and we're blessed that both versions of the band are essentially one big family. To bring those two groups together for one show just demonstrates the true purpose and unity of this band."

Demonstrating the purpose and unity doesn't come easy. "We need to practice ... probably a lot," Murphy said. "I don't even know if some of the older dudes even know how to headbang anymore. It's been a good five years since we will have all been on stage together, but I know that the chemistry will still be there."

Die-hard Haste the Day devotees will be please to know that they will be playing a gaggle of old songs. "To play older songs that haven't been performed live in half a decade is going to be so much fun. Since the dawn of music, no matter who the band is, people want to hear the old stuff: the songs that they grew up with, the songs that usually sound horrible on CD but have insane energy live." Murphy said. "With this show, we're saying, 'Here ya go! We're gonna play you the old stuff, with the old gang.' Then we'll trade off between the old and the newer lineup, showing how the band has progressed throughout the years. I believe the most important song of that night will be 'When Everything Falls,' since the lyrics have always been powerful.This band has stood, and will continue to stand, when everything falls away."

The band's longtime manager Mark LaFay, who worked with the band since Murphy and former member Brennan Chalk were in high school, also commented, "[Singer] Stephen [Keech] originally brought the idea up to do the show, although he was thinking a full-on tour. I don't know that he thought I would take him seriously, but I thought it was a great idea." After some discussion, it was logistically and financially impossible to pull a tour off, given ex-members' post-HTD jobs and other sundry responsibilities. The next best option was the album release show. The show is being held down the road in Bloomington due to no available venues in their 'Naptown hometown.

LaFay also astutely pointed out, "I think some bands might want to hide from the fact that they have been through a substantial number of member changes, but I think in the case of Haste the Day, it's great for them to embrace it."

Haste the Day tour dates

6/4 -- Allentown, PA -- Crocodile Rock Café

6/5 -- Lemoyne, PA -- Championship

6/6 -- Philadelphia -- First Unitarian Church

6/7 -- Farmingdale,-- NY Crazy Donkey

6/8 -- Worcester, MA -- Upstairs at Palladium

6/9 -- Hartford, CT -- Webster Theatre

6/10 -- Montreal, QC -- Underworld

6/11 -- Toronto, ON -- Annex Wreckroom

6/12 -- Syracuse, NY -- Lost Horizon

6/13 -- Buffalo, NY -- Xtreme Wheelz

6/15 -- Cleveland, OH -- Peabody's

6/16 -- Columbus, OH -- Basement

6/17 -- Wilmore, KY -- Ichthus Festival

6/18 -- St. Louis, MO -- Fubar

6/19 -- Cordova, TN -- The Arbor

6/20 -- Little Rock, AR -- Village

6/22 -- Houston, TX -- Warehouse

6/23 -- San Antonio, TX -- White Rabbit

6/24 -- Corpus Christi, TX -- House of Rock

6/25 -- Austin, TX -- Emos

6/26 -- Oklahoma City, OK -- Conservatory

6/28 -- TBD

6/29 -- Bloomington, IN -- Rhinos

6/30 -- Grand Rapids, MI -- Mixtape

7/1 -- Iowa City, IA -- Blue Moose

7/2 -- Marietta, IL -- Cornerstone Festival, Encore Tent