Gatsbys began with the disbanding of two bands called One Point Two and Good For Nothing. Bobby Darling was a guitarist for One Point Two and met up with Nic Newsham and Ryan Van Wieringen who were the lead singer and guitarist from Good For Nothing. The completion of Gatsbys didn't come until they recruited Kirk Huffman (formerly of K Through Six) to play bass and Dustin McGhye as their drummer, to make them a five piece band.
When Kaylan Cloyd from the band Acceptance got his hands on a Gatsbys demo, he handed it off to record label Rocketstar Recordings owner Darrick Bourgeois. Shortly after this, they were signed by the local record label and worked with producer Aaron Sprinkle to record their 2002 debut album Why We Fight. Their first show after being signed drew in a crowd of 500+, which was largely due in part to the extensive promoting by Rocketstar.
After Why We Fight came out, the band regrouped dropping drummer McGhye and picked up the Waxwing and Bugs in Amber drummer Rudy Gajadhar. Then in 2003, the band released their second album titled Ribbons & Sugar. Ribbons & Sugar was a concept album loosely based around George Orwell's fable Animal Farm. It became apparent to critics and fans alike after this release of Ribbons & Sugar that literary references in their lyrics were a thing to be expected. It also found them exploring ambitious experimental pop, opting for strange time signatures and tempo changes.
Gatsbys signed a two record deal with Rocketstar, and with Ribbons & Sugar being their second album, their Rocketstar contract ended and both parties decided that neither wanted to renew the contract, and both decided to go their separate ways.
Following its release, the band started to field numerous offers from other, bigger record labels. Slightly embittered by the receiving, the band signed a one-record deal with Chicago-based LLR Records (formerly Little League Records) in 2004. Their contractual record, the more mellow and subdued In the Land of Lost Monsters EP, was in part a response to the post-Ribbons record label attention the band received. Just about all of the labels that approached them thought they were excellent musicians, but wanted the band to write choruses for the next record, a normal songwriting technique the band had up to that point, seemed to avoid. Gatsbys, feeling uncomfortable about forgoing their integrity in order to get a record contract, continued writing music that they liked and in the way they wanted to write it. Doing so simply brought them more acclaim as a progressive rock band.
Several months after the EP's release, the band settled on Fearless Records, home of such acts as the now-defunct post-hardcore/indie rock legends At The Drive-In. With their 2005 album Volcano, it became clear that, as a band, the group had progressed to further musical heights, and was highly capable of writing music that is different from other bands that are usually clumped into the same category as Gatsbys.
Volcano having its central theme revolving around, what else but a volcano (particularly Pompeii, which becomes clear after seeing the title of the second song on the album) had yet once again literary references through out it, ranging from Pee Wee's Big Adventure, to Lord of the Flies, Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park, Enders Game, and Speaker for the Dead.
During the touring that followed the release of Volcano, Gatsby's added a new member, Kyle O'Quin who is also a member of the band Surrounded By Lions.
During the tour that followed the release of Volcano, Gatsbys added Kyle O'Quin (also a member of the band Surrounded By Lions). A few months after O'Quin was added to the band, Ryan Van Wieringen met up with the band in Arizona while they were on tour there and rejoined the line up. Since then, he has been touring and performing live as part of the band.
Van Wieringen did not, however, participate in writing any guitar parts for their self-titled fourth full-length album, released August 8th, 2006. The album bears all the hallmarks of a Gatsbys record: an album of musical experimentation in a pop context, peppered with numerous pop culture and literary references, which appear in both the lyrics and song titles, ranging from works by Philip K. Dick to the television show Lost. The album is, however, noticeably bitter towards the music industry, even compared to previous Gatsbys releases, scalding both current "trend" bands and greedy record labels.
The band has been relatively inactive since the release of the self-titled album. The band has played a handful of shows in and around the Seattle area, and on April 27, 2007, they played their first out-of-state show since the self-titled album's release at Colgate University. In a forum post at Gatsbys fansite Snicker At The Swine, Bobby stated the following on the band's decision to ever go on tour again or write another album:
“ If i find I have more to say with Gatsbys I will write more music. We're not gonna just play to play. The only way I'll do more Gatsbys is if we are making new music. Which I am totally open to. I really have been working on new Gatsbys music. I'll probably lay down some demo shit the next time I'm at Casey's.”
During the hiatus, most of the members have started side projects.
Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground.
Wild Orchid Children.
Redredblue.
Keith Ledger.
Search/Rescue.
Zero Cool.
Rudy also played all of the drum parts for Forgive Durden's release "Razia's Shadow".
Theatre
Gatsby's American Dream Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But my favorite color is shame
Tonight the sky is painted
Tonight the sky is painted melancholy
And the wind sings songs as if it would lament
Some tragedy on the far side of the world
Where I lust after blood and pain
Tonight the sky is painted
Tonight the sky is painted melancholy
And the wind sings songs as if it would lament
Some tradgedy on the far side of the world
I am I and the world is a woman
From who I must take take take
In an act of lust, no, in an act of pride
And I am damned, but can I be saved?
But can I be saved, saved
Tonight the sky is painted
Tonight the sky is painted
Tonight the sky is painted (tonight the sky is)
Melancholy and the wind sings songs as if it would lament
Some tragedy on the far side of the world
And the wind sings songs as if it would lament
Some tragedy on the far side of the world
The song "Theatre" by Gatsby's American Dream is a melancholic and reflective song that explores the inner turmoil and self-destructive tendencies of the singer. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a desolate landscape, with a sky that is "painted melancholy" and a wind that "sings as if it would lament some tragedy on the far side of the world." Within this setting, the singer is trapped in the deep pockets of their own mind, consumed by their desire for blood and pain.
The lyrics suggest that the singer has a complicated relationship with the world, which they describe as a woman that they must take from in an act of lust or pride. The repeated question of whether they can be saved suggests that they are aware of the destructive nature of their thoughts and actions, but are unsure if there is a way out. The use of the color shame to describe the singer's favorite color highlights the deep-seated guilt and self-loathing that underpin their behavior.
Overall, the song is a powerful meditation on the human psyche and the dark places we can sometimes find ourselves in. It speaks to the universal experience of grappling with our own demons and the struggle to find redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
I see the world in a swirl of hues
I perceive the world with a mix of colors
But my favorite color is shame
Although there are many colors, shame is what I prefer
Tonight the sky is painted
The current sky appears as though painted
Tonight the sky is painted melancholy
The current sky appears melancholic
And the wind sings songs as if it would lament
The wind's songs sound sorrowful
Some tragedy on the far side of the world
It seems like the wind mourns a tragic event in a distant place
We're in the deep pockets of my mind
We find ourselves in the depths of my thoughts
Where I lust after blood and pain
I desire violence and suffering
I am I and the world is a woman
I am me and the world is female
From who I must take take take
I must constantly take things from the world
In an act of lust, no, in an act of pride
My taking is driven more by ego than desire
And I am damned, but can I be saved?
I am doomed, is there a way to be rescued?
But can I be saved, saved
Can I be saved from my own destructive nature?
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: KIRK CHRISTIAN HUFFMAN, NICHOLAS HUNTER NEWSHAM, ROBERT EARL DARLING, RUDY BYRON GAJADHAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jared K
Been one of my favorites since 2005. So underrated
Keyser Söze
I haven't heard this song in probably 12 years.
In 10th grade I sat next to a girl in my math class that I had a huge crush on. One night we were talking together on AIM and she mentioned one of her favorite bands was Gatsby's American Dream, a name that until just now slipped my recollection. The only part of that memory I remembered was "Volcano" which after searching Spotify was able to work backwards and find the band and this song.
drew chaisson
Haha love it man, I have some of the same memories
PatrickTheHattrick92
never heard of these guys until they opened for TBS. they were good
claire tran
this is the first song i've heard from them my reaction: i just found my new favorite band.
nephyril
Its like early Incubus meets Panic At The Disco. An unconventional sound that just works. The great things in life never last, however.
Matt Blessing
this album rules so hard.
cancerianmoth
Ooo man they've done well for themselves. I remember back in 04/05 when they stayed at my house. Nice fun guys.
TheLordofTheRibs
Love his voice!
alden coley
Killer album! I got it on CD like two years ago and it slaps. Nic Newsham is a god