Who remembers the classic Washington Math-Rock Outfit Botch that brought classic albums like We Are the Romans and American Nervoso?
Despite seeming to consistently shoot down the idea of reunion shows, Botch played a surprise show at longtime producer Matt Bayles’ birthday party in Seattle this past weekend, and now, they have officially announced their first proper shows in over 20 years! They happen on February 24 & 25 at The Showbox in Seattle with “special guests.” Tickets are on sale now.
Bassist Brian Cook, who has previously been vocally against a Botch reunion, stated:
“Over the last twenty years, I’ve routinely had friends, fans, journalists, and promoters ask “so when is Botch getting back together?” For me, the answer has always been easy: never. I was proud of our legacy and honoring it meant leaving it in the past. Over the years, I eventually had to acknowledge that my bandmates didn’t necessarily feel the same way. And maybe the consistent questions about a reunion meant there wasn’t closure for our audience either. At some point saying “never” felt less like a triumph and more like me standing in the way of other peoples’ happiness.”
Cook continued with his statement saying “That said, this isn’t a selfless endeavor. A reunion is only respectable if the members involved are still emotionally connected to the music. While it wasn’t originally intended to be a Botch song, working together on “One Twenty Two” served as a reminder of the passion we held for the things we built together. If I cared so much about the music, why was I withholding it? If I really wanted to look forward, maybe I needed to settle up with the past. So here we are. We got a couple of shows for ya.”
Cook concluded his message by stating “Tix on sale tmrw. I’m turning off notifications and ignoring my inbox. If we’re friends IRL and we’ve talked about reunion stuff, I’m sure you’ll understand the radio silence. Love y’all and thanks for givin’ a hoot.”
Guitarist David Knudson added:
Cannot wait to play these RIFFS pic.twitter.com/sbVNO6CqhS
— David Knudson (@DavidKnudson) October 19, 2022
While the shows sold out in 13 seconds, both Botch and the venue are making sure that tickets are going to fans instead of scalpers and bots. We are excited to see this classic band get back together and you can get tickets HERE to the show at the Showbox.
