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Loading ...From what I could gather by my photo albums, I became a fan of The Cover Up 6 years ago, I was 17 or 18 years old. I believe the first time I saw them play was at Neckbeard’s, a venue in Tempe, Arizona that is now non-existent.
Here is a picture of Joe Cotela, the lead singer, performing at Neckbeards in 2004
And here’s Justyn Sena, bassist, that same night
It’s so funny to see how much they’ve changed… (If you are interested in seeing the pics of me with the TCU guys over the years and seeing how we evolved, you can go to my Kat With Bands gallery, and click on “The Cover Up”.) If I had more time I’d post my collection of fliers & posters from old TCU shows as well, they’re great… maybe one day I will.
That was near the very beginning of my present total of over 200-something concerts attended… It was around the time I had finally gained my independence and strength following the demise of an unhealthy year-long relationship. Today I am such a different person in many ways than I was back then, and yet so very me and so very damn proud of it.
It was around the time when Myspace was new and the world was going through a social evolution, for better or for worse. It was the time that I believe The Scene was alive, the local music scene that is. Though years along the way I lost touch with the scene because of full-time employment, becoming an adult, I believe that the local bands that were around at that time were far more substantial that the ones around now. They weren’t just trying to copy other musicians, and they weren’t just kids trying to be something they’re not… they were (and still are) truly talented.
It was not only the time of The Cover Up, but also the time of Mink Rebellion, For the Record, My Darling Murder, The Format, Adam Panic, and more… all of which broke up, reformed, or mysteriously disappeared. All of the concerts I religiously attended weekly really helped me become the woman I am today. It was actually at Neckbeards that I met one of my longest and most loyal friends, Brianne. These bands probably don’t even realize just how deeply sentimental I feel for them, or just how devastating and nonsensical it was to us when they were gone.
However, many of their members went on to new, and some better in a way, things. I miss what was, but I am not too selfish, I am proud of what they’ve become… some of them…
The only local bands that I was so close to that ended up still going strong this year were The Cover Up and Peachcake. Though a lot of the original members (incl live band) of Peachcake are sadly gone, they are still going very strong. I am so fucking proud of where they’ve gotten, their passion for art, freedom, improving the world, and most recently to my great joy – exposing their fans to women’s rights and expressing their concern about it… saving me from feeling completely alone.
As for The Cover Up… This year on November 20, they had their final show…
…BUT!!! They’re not fucking gone! Despite multiple shows in the past with announcements of members departing, all of the members ended up sticking around. They are sticking together, they are continuing a band, they have just moved on from The Cover Up. I was able to see this decision from a more mature standpoint than I would have in the past, and I think it’s a very good thing for them. I know some of what they’ve been through as TCU, and I think it will be good for their musical careers to change, to start fresh. I do not feel a deep sadness within me, a longing to have what’s lost again, like I do with some of the other bands.
I know that it’s not easy for them either… a huge change in something you’ve invested so much commitment into is never easy. On top of it, I’m sure they received a lot of negativity from well-meaning fans who said, “NOOO! This is terrible! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!”, and the like. I really look forward to their next project and shows!
(You know this is something I’m passionate about, because I didn’t even intend to write this much when posting this… it just flowed out, it didn’t feel like working… That’s the way it should be.)
Without further ado, here are the photos and videos, which I took with my gorgeous new camera I might add, from The Cover Up’s incredible final show at The Clubhouse… That night, and with their newest music, their mature sound really reflects how much they’ve grown. They truly are Arizona local music veterans.
1. Justyn setting up
2. Drummer Matt Reinhard signaling
3. Video of The Cover Up opening their set with “I’m Causing More Family Feuds Than Dick Dawson”
4. Accidental photo art – the perfect representation of the pure energy that The Cover Up’s performance produces!
5. Bassist Justyn Sena making musically immersed faces (Joe & Matt in the background)
6. Joe stomping around the stage (Matt in bg)
7. Guitarist Steve “Keve” Siminiski
8. Video of The Cover Up performing “Chauffer”
9. I’m completely in love with this shot. A wonderful portrayal of Joe’s intimate stage presence and how passionate their fans are, and then of course the gorgeous effect of the light rays.
10. JoCo!
11. – 13. Steve , Justyn, & Matt.. This photo would have been a lot better without the hairy arm in the corner…
A bit better…
BEST! This one’s pretty.
14. Video of The Cover Up performing “Cold Dead Hands”
15. Steve, Justyn, & Spanky (guitarist Marc Hernandez). I love the composition of this photo… TCU has often gotten me shots with great composition because of their placement on stage and how much they move around. Check out this awesome photo that I shot, developed, and handmade a print of for photography class.
16. Spanky milking it up, as usual. He was on the opposite end of the stage, so this is the only close-up I managed to capture.
17. Matt performing, drummers need love too! It just tends to be hard to get a deece shot of them, in the dark back.
18. Wicked cool shot of Steve… The photo looks like it has a Photoshop filter applied to it, but it wasn’t manipulated at all!
19. The Power of The Cover Up. Another accidental art shot… normally I don’t post my accident shots, but the ones from this show just came out really neatly abstract-like.
20. Video of The Cover Up performing “Beating a Dead Horse”
21. Joe… What I think makes this photo really special is that you can really see the joy glimmering in his eye, granted it’s easier to see when the photo is full-size.
22. Joe (& Spanky in the background)
23. Steve + Justyn shredding
24. Justyn + Joe working the crowd
25. & 26. The Passion of the Keve
27. Joe + Spank
28. Joe staring into the crowd
29. Another beautiful shot of Joe with crown + Spanky in front of rays of light
30. Crazy-hair Steve
31. Matt, Justyn, & Steve
32. Pretty, Extreme Angle Close-Up of Justyn
33. Another shot that I love the composition of… In a diagonal line toward the crowd: Justyn, Steve, Spanky, and then Joe behind.
34. & 35. Joe-ness
36. Justyn and Joe
37. Steve, Justyn, Matt, & Spanky
38. This picture’s quality sucks, it looks like it was taken in the early ’90s, but it’s amusing because of the way Steve’s hair is sticking up, haha
39. Video of The Cover Up closing their set with “Go Get Em’ Tiger”. This was a glorious ending to TCU’s final show, with the members of the crowd taking over the stage, rocking out, and ending in many hugs… it was rumored that some tears were also shed by a band member or two.
40. Joe kindly talking with a fan after the show.
41. & 42. Joe and Justyn doing beer pong at the afterparty!
43. Joe getting ready to shoot… and.. bromance?!?! o.O
The End.
