As of June 2009, the bittersweet announcement has been made. Harvey Danger, the phenomenal relic of the 90s, has decided to call it an end by August of this year. The public memorandum/farewell was made available to all via the band’s website in what was a letter most likely written by founding member/lead Sean Nelson:
After 15 years, three albums, hundreds of shows, and far more twists and turns than we ever imagined possible, we’ve decided to put Harvey Danger to rest. The decision is totally mutual and utterly amicable. Everyone is very proud of the work we’ve done together, but we’ve also come to feel that our collaboration has–in a very positive way–run its course. We’re all eager to try our hands at other projects, musical and otherwise. Chances are we’ll all work together in one form or another; if we’ve learned anything, it’s that you never know what will happen. Of course, putting an end to something we’ve been working on since our early 20s can’t help being accompanied by a soupcon of melancholy. Nonetheless, as the Chambers Brothers remind us, time has come today. Rock bands have life spans, and Harvey Danger’s has been longer, and more eventful, than even we would have predicted.
We’ve been incredibly fortunate throughout. We’ve made great friends, shared the stage with incredible bands, worked with truly inspiring people. Beyond question, our greatest good fortune has been the relationship we’ve been able to maintain with our audience, particularly those who have followed the band through its various phases and line-ups. It’s a corny rock band trope to extol the virtues of “the fans,” but in all seriousness… The fact that our music genuinely has meant something to people, and that we have been able to get to know so many of those people (both in person and online) and learn about how they connected to our songs–that interaction became a lot more than just a way of connecting to our increasingly private public. It offered the rarest gift: an opportunity to learn what our own work actually meant. We’re deeply grateful to those who know they are. Being in this band has been a long, rewarding experience, and without you, it would probably just have been long. We hope that the relatively small body of work we’ve left behind (a bit more than the Sex Pistols, a tad less than Prince) continues to find a place in people’s music libraries. But regardless, it’s a legacy that will always mean a lot to us. Thank you for listening.
If there were ever an open letter to mind, it would be this one. We could sit and discuss long diatribes about bands that never got a long enough moment in the sun, but one could argue that part of Harvey Danger’s charm is acquired taste and a limited body of work the members can be proud of. Harvey Danger went from distortion-riddled alternative to indie rock persuasions to pop and folk and maintained that all important sense of sincerity. To all of those involved in Harvey Danger’s presence and inspiration, we as fans appreciate you making your mark in musical history – and reminding those other creative minds out there that they might not be mere zeros “drowning in a sea of higher numbers”.
Thank you and good night!
Harvey Danger 2009 Tour Dates:
08/15 – Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s
08/22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Largo
08/28 – Seattle, WA @ Vera Project
08/29 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
