.:: FINAL SUMMATION ::.
Author: Biff
Final Summation is:
Bear Williams - Guitar/Vocals
Jordan Wolfe - Bass/Vocals
Patrick Shelley - Drums
Albums released:
United Yet Divided (2000)
To Progress... Or To Fade (2005)
A New Approach (2008)
.:: INTRO BY QUINNZEL ::.
Well, here we are folks. The very first band to be featured in Myooze's little "This Band is RAD!" segment. And I can tell you right now, no band deserves it more than Final Summation. We've gone out and seen them live and we even got to interview them specifically for this article. Biff pretty much hit the nail on the head with these guys. So, please. Read and learn. Open your heart to the radness that is this band. Also, to close the article, we asked some of the fans what they think... including a very special statement from Danny Secretion (The Secretions). Alright, kiddies. Enjoy!
.:: THIS BAND IS RAD! ::.
When most people hear the word "punk," a number of things might come up into his or her head. Disturbing people with strange hair cuts that want to bring down the government, stupid kids with a bad sense of fashion, or, god forbid, the generic "emo kid," with a tendency to think that cutting themselves is cool and perfectly normal. While some of these terms may be correct, I can say, without a doubt, that when some people think of the word "punk," the first things to come to mind is inspiration, hard work, and passion, to name a few. This isn't the scary, anarchy-driven punk that scared your grandma and grandpa in the 70's and 80's, and this certainly is not the over-played, sold at Hot Topic pseudo-punk that your high school classmates listen to. This is Final Summation.
Final Summation was formed by Bear Williams (guitar, vocals), and Jordan Wolfe (bass, vocals). Bear and Jordan met in high school in '98, and both of their bands (Bear's band, the Peeping Toms, and Jordan's band, Cheap Shot) were going through problems and eventually broke up. Wanting to be in a band with less B.S., Bear called up Jordan and asked him to play bass, with himself on guitar. A year later, Final Summation was formed, with Tom Veling on drums. Initially, Final Summation looked up to bands like The Bouncing Souls, and other DIY, hard-working, touring bands from the 50's and beyond. "We always wanted to be the band we wanted to see," says Jordan.
Having admiration for these other artists, Final Summation took a sort of unofficial oath of hard work and dedication to the band. Through a lot of formation changes, they have stuck with it devoutly. After Veling left the band, Bear took up the drums and Final Summation picked up Kiel on guitar who lost intrest and quit. And after his departure, they picked up John Powell on guitar while Bear stayed on the drums. John's involvement in the band was cut short through a highly unfortunate event, to which this writer will not repeat. After John, Kiel rejoined the band this time on drums and Bear moved to guitar. He stuck with Final Summation for 2 years (and it is this band formation that I first saw). However, tension started to build between Kiel and the rest of the band so he would once again depart. Soon after Kiel's leaving, Patrick, a local, 17 year old drummer in the punk scene, jumped on board. Starting out simply as a temporary fill in, Patrick was soon accepted by the band as a full time member. Putting it simply, Bear stated, "He just had it".
(Left to right, Bear, Kiel, and Jordan)
If punk rock and roll had one thing to endure from onlookers and one thing to be proud of, it would be simplicity. Anyone can pick up an instrument, learn only a few things, start a band, and play shows. The best way to describe it from someone who doesn't listen to punk or understand it, is to quote my music theory teacher: "It all sounds the same!" Anyone can say that about punk, but few people actually make punk rock sound unique in a world filled with Hot Topic posers at every corner. I could rave about this part of the band, but the only good way to get what I'm saying is to just listen to this band's music yourself and be prepared to be taken for an utterly fun ride.
Based on what Danny Secretion (The Secretions) says about this band, Final Summation has played more than 500 shows in their near to be 10 year age of being a band. They've done countless tours on the west coast and everywhere else they could in North America. I'm happy to say that I've been to many shows that this band has played in. I can name quite a few people who are more religious about seeing them than I am, but I'd say I've seen more than my share of Final Summation on stage, and feel very blessed that I could do so. Final Summation's stage presence is just something to see indeed. While too many bands feel that jumping and spinning their guitars around, is the only way to get attention, or that some bands try to be cute and turn the show into a comedy fest filled with cheap jokes, Final Summation let their music do the talking for them. There have been many bands I've seen, and only a few can come close to the same kind of passion this band emits. As far as I've seen, Jordan's voice never goes out of key, Bear's guitar never hits a wrong note ("Practice makes perfect." - Bear), Patrick's drums never miss a beat (and even if they do mess up, you're having too much fun to care!). Experiencing them live is the only real way to experience Final Summation.
If there's one thing that makes the Sacramento punk scene great, it's the people. I'm not saying the punk scene is "perfect" or "better" than any other scenes, but I've met some of the nicest, coolest, and most inspiring people thanks to it. And, yes, the guys in Final Summation are part of that group of people. Jordan and Bear have been around longer than I have and have done things that only people like me and many others have dreamed about doing, but does this make them know-it-all snobs? On the contrary, it really just adds more to their personalities. Bear is a nice guy, who, I'm sure, will listen to your problems, no matter how petty they might be. And you can talk up a storm with Jordan (aka, the nicest guy in Sacramento). "Snobby" is one thing they are not, and if they were, I'm sure they wouldn't have let Patrick (also a nice guy), a 17 year old kid, be their drummer.
Remember those three things I mentioned at the beginning of this article? Inspiration. Hard work. Passion. Those are three of the many things that pop into my mind when I think about this band. I was trying really hard to think of a good way to end this; I didn't want it too corny, but I didn't want to end it too simply either. But I was reminded that corny can be good sometimes too, as long as I'm being honest, so here's a statement from me to you: I love this band! If every band was like Final Summation in terms of their dedication to their work, I'm sure every band would be noteworthy. If every band or musician was as nice as the guys are in this band, I'm sure every band would be respectable. If every group enjoyed their work as much a Final Summation does, bands like the Beatles wouldn't have broken up. It's these three things, plus many other aspects about Final Summation, that makes them so admirable and so inspirational to people like me. This band deserves more and that's why I'm here writing about them. Final Summation rules. Listen to their music, even if you don't like punk rock, just give them a shot. They've done more than enough to deserve at least that.
.:: FAN TESTIMONIALS ::.
"I love Final Summation because they are the best fucking band in the world. The first time I saw them I remember just staring up at them and thinking.. Shit. That's what I need to do. They are my inspiration. They are the hardest working band I know. They have to deal with a lot of bullshit, but they never back down. Not to mention that they are all amazing at what they do. Bear is an ingenious musician and Jordan writes lyrics that you can live your life by. And then of course there are the live shows... Their energy is insane. You can tell they love what they are doing. I love em to death." - Lys Mayo
"I always looked up to Final Summation, and Kiel's technque was mesmerizing. I thought they were one of the best bands in Sacramento, and I'm glad to be involved." - Patrick (band member)
"There are no words to describe how awesome it is that a band can tour the majority of every year, put so much love and work into every show, produce such epicly rad music, and still be the nicest guys you've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Such a band is Final Summation. Inspiring? Dedicated? Passionate? Even these words are barely scratching the surface. But for all of the reasons above (and much more), no other band in the world can top Final Summation to me. If you haven't had the chance to see these guys live, I urge you to do so immediately. There's a 99.9% chance that they've been through your town already and the same chance that they'll be through soon enough again, so seriously, be on the lookout! I'll say it loud and proud or scream it if I have to. I fucking love Final Summation." - Quinnzel
.:: OUTRO BY DANNY SECRETION ::.
"There are a lot of things I can say about alot of bands in the Sacramento area. Some good, some bad. However, I'm at the point in my life where I need to reserve my energy for the things that matter most. Therefore, I won't waste my time talking about the bands that are pieces of shit in my book and would rather focus on bands that remind me of the absolute beauty of independent music. That being said, I have a lot to say about a band known as FINAL SUMMATION.
I am honored to have known Jordan and Bear since they were 14. My fondest early memory is of the two of them trying to sneak into a bar during their pre-driver's license years to see The Knockoffs perform. They never came across as holier-than-thou punks who have determined that since they have seen "Another State of Mind", "Sid & Nancy", and "Decline of the Western Civilazation Part 1", they knew everything there was to know about what REAL punk rock meant. They never had that annoying chip-on-the-shoulder that so many younger punks even today have. They were (and are) two of the most genuine people I have ever come across. For some reason or another, they see a quality in me that makes them want to be my friend in return. Rather than question this lack of judgement on their part, I just consider myself a lucky mother fucker who has them in his life. They have always been there for me. I never worry about what they have to say about me when I'm not there. I love those two with every fiber of my being.
As far as the band FINAL SUMMATION goes, the integrity, honesty, and passion they hold in my life as friends comes across in the form of "Punk Rock n Roll". They can write the song that makes you wish you had it in you to write a song that amazing. They can perform with a power and intensity that rivals any band that boasts about how hardcore they are. Like a great movie, their music can make you laugh, cry, and cheer; all within the matter of a few minutes. They embody everything that is right about rock n roll. The way they handle themselves at shows, the way they treat touring bands, the way they feel about their fans. A younger band needs to look no farther than FINAL SUMMATION to see "how it's done".
I could write a novel on the hardships and amount of bullshit they have had to deal with over the years. Some people love FINAL SUMMATION, some let their jealousy take over and hate them. What can truly be said about FINAL SUMMATION is this: this world hasn't created an obstacle they can't OVERCOME.
FINAL SUMMATION kicks ass." - Danny Secretion (The Secretions)