Untitled Document
Call it the end of an era, the beginning of the end,
the start of something new, or whatever other cliché you want, but
the native Springfield band Park is no more. The group, together for more
than 10 years with relatively few personnel changes, made its mark in the
national indie-rock, emo/pop/punk world, garnering much praise from fans
and critics alike.
Ladd Mitchell joined the original Park trio around
1996 and basically became the band, even though he would never admit to it.
He worked as frontman, lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary
songwriter and was the only member to play in all four incarnations of the
group. Recently, though, after more than a decade of unrelenting dedication
to the cause, he decided to leave the band for personal reasons. “Ladd had some life-changing
experiences,” says Miles Logan, Park’s percussionist, who
joined the group in 1999, at the beginning of the climb to national
acclaim. “It was his choice. I’m sad to see it go, but
we’ve moved on with a fresh start.”
Regardless of where they are and what they’re
doing, members of Park are gathering in Springfield for a final show on May
5, along with dedicated and dejected fans from around the country. The
influx of messages on the band’s Web site and MySpace page express
feelings of grief, combining anger with hope, denial with shared memories,
and sadness with reluctant acceptance. The electronic correspondence shows
the widespread influence and popularity of the band and sheds light on how
Park reached that level coming of age during the days of Internet
expansion. A friend and fan known simply as
“eileen,” hung out with the band during last year’s
tours, interviewing and taping the guys onstage and behind the scenes. The
resulting official Park DVD, Weathering a
Summer, will be for sale at the last show and online. Plans are in
effect to film the final concert and combine the footage with previous
touring moments for a live performance DVD to be offered later in the
summer. Fans can find the hotel room with the camera to pay their final
respects and deliver last remarks on their relationship with Park on film
for posterity.
“We could have done a final tour,” says
Logan, “but to do one show in Springfield with all our hardcore fans
from all over, that’s very cool.”
Park performs one last time at the Route 66 Hotel
& Conference Center (625 E. St. Joseph St., 217-529-6626), 6:30-11 p.m.
May 5, with Midnight Fall, Farewell to Twilight, and Game Night. Tickets,
which are $10 in advance and $15 at the door, are available at
www.myspace.com/park.
Contact Tom Irwin at tirwin@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Apr 26 – May 2, 2007.
