Woodshedding with Ballard, Chris Lopez composed and recorded the majority of Sweet Bird’s basic tracks on keyboards and guitar at Rob Gal’s studio, and then lugged the tape machine back to their Black Box rehearsal space at the end of Krog Street to finish. During the next few months, things got peculiar (at least by Rock*A*Teens standards, that is). Band members Will, Justin, and Lopez would each go in on his own time and add his own flourishes to each track without the others’ knowledge. This unusual hands-off collaboration progressed for months during the spring of 2000. The ladies from Ultrababyfat (Shonali and Michelle) laid down Phil Spector-esque backup vocals on “If I Wanted to Be Famous (I’d Have Shot Someone),” and Shannon Wright sang an achingly spare duet with Chris on “It’s Destiny.” Anthemic. Majestic. Shimmering. Heart-aching brilliance. The Rock*A*Teens focused it all into Sweet Bird of Youth.
When Sweet Bird was released, the band was approaching the end of its existence. A few tours went by. 2001 turned into 2002, and the band was barely doing anything at all. Understandably. The band members all had their own lives, their own jobs, and their own destinies. The band’s final concert on New Year’s Eve ’02 wasn’t sheepish but rather a triumphant farewell. Lopez sang without his guitar on, standing on the monitors and screaming “I am the car, and I am the driver!” The crowd was as jubilant as the band.
Much like their performances back then, their body of work is a true catharsis. They were a truly homegrown band from Georgia that couldn’t possibly be mistaken for being from anywhere else. For anybody that ever wants a glimpse into what Cabbagetown was all about back then, the Rock*A*Teens’ Sweet Bird of Youth is a glorious introductory step.
—Henry H. Owings, Atlanta, January 2014
Bonus Download:
