As you all know, I was blown away the last time I saw Los Halos, so of course when they came back to town I cleared my schedule for the entire weekend to make sure that I could be everywhere that they were at all times. And a good thing it was, too, since my imaginary girl friends Dana and Liz called me up on Friday to tell me we had to go interview Samezvous before the show (you can read all about it over there; here, I would just like to take a brief moment to say OH MY GOD!).

Getting a second chance to see Los Halos live is a lot like sleeping with an ex-girlfriend. You know what it is that you love about it, and you know that it's not going to last, so you forget about the big picture and focus on the details — the parts you want to take with you when she leaves. Several people at the show were disappointed because the set was so short (only about six songs) and because most of the songs were newer, unrecorded material. Because it only got released in 2001, lots of folks in this town still consider the self-titled first album to be fresh material; in truth, it was recorded in 1995, and Samezvous has come a long way upward since then. I, however, understand that my ex-girlfriend has continued to live her life since we've been apart, and I appreciate the nuances that have made her her own person. The songs from "Leaving VA" definitely had a lot more punch live than they do on the album, and the band has come a long, long way since their show last August (which, rumor has it, was the first time they ever played a live show as a band). Still, for all the positive changes in her life, I still love it when my ex-girlfriend and I can fall into the groove we used to have and just get lost in what we were; which is why, when they played "Infinity Bitch," I had to wet my pants (see Mogwai).

If Friday's show at the Crocodile was a reunion borne of desperation, Saturday's solo performance by Samezvous at Victrola Coffee shop was a Final Affair to Last Through the Ages. No sense in going over the particulars, as you've heard them all before (and, honestly, it's kind of a private matter if you don't mind); let's just say that, taking into account the trials and tribulations in the Life of Samezvous, we were very lucky indeed to have this opportunity (also, when he broke his high E string three minutes into "Sugarbear" and kept on playing it for another ten explosive minutes, I had to wet my pants [see above paragraph]).

I know that I need to get over Los Halos, and I'm trying, but it's just that, seeing Samezvous sit there, holding his guitar, spilling his guts out to a room full of strangers, it would take the most calloused of individuals not to go weak in the knees. It is so rare to find an individual that matches virtuousic guitar playing with near-flawless songwriting and yet doesn't fall victim to the intellectualism of his own art, but instead glows with a passion for the primal instincts that drive us all. I miss you, Los Halos. I miss you and I love you.