2007 was a good year around the CST compound (and I don’t know why Charlie keeps saying the CST compound doesn’t exist; I’m hanging out there right now). I will now present some highlights, as best as I can recall them, in no particular order other than that in which I recall them. Should be some good reading.
In the early part of the year we were focused on finishing up the new CD, which we did. We released our third full-length, all original CD, called What I Know Now, in March. Following its release, we played a bunch of shows to promote it, including some at old favorite venues and some at new places. We returned to the airwaves on KUNI’s Live From Studio One and played our first show at Luther College, where we also played on their radio interview show.
We also threw a CD release party in the lodge at Palisades Kepler State Park, just outside of Cedar Rapids. We grilled, ate, played some frisbee, ate some more, and then settled in for some music. Our friend Aaron Schutte played an opening set, and then Charlie and I played two sets, the first of our older stuff and the second all songs off the new CD. It was a really fun night. We have some photos posted on here if you’d like to take a look.
We also debuted our completely redesigned web site this year. We owe many thanks to Greg, who is an absolute genius when it comes to this kind of stuff. He did all the design, etc., and we think it looks pretty sharp.
We expanded our other web presence as well, by creating our MySpace page and an artist profile on iLike.
At the end of May we traveled up to Camp Courageous, just outside of Monticello, Iowa, and performed for the campers and staff there. It was a great time! First of all, the setting was beautiful. They have a stage out in the middle of a pine forest, and it made for a very pretty place to play (alliteration… that’s genius!). It was incredibly rewarding to see the joy on the campers’ faces as we played for them and they danced in front of the stage. I don’t think we’ve ever played for a more genuinely appreciative audience. They seemed especially appreciative of our efforts to play their requests, though I don’t think we did justice to Elvis’ “Hound Dog” or John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High.” Didn’t seem to bother the campers, though. We have photos of this show up on the site, too.
Speaking of camp, the summer months were a bit of a break for us with Charlie back at EWALU. We did, however, play for the summer staff there, which has become an annual event for us. Hopefully the staff enjoy it at least half as much as we do. It’s always nice to be back at camp, and lots of fun to play for the staff.
Charlie played solo (Charlie Standard Time) for EWALU’s annual alumni weekend over Labor Day, as I was on vacation. I wish I could have been there, too…
In the fall we picked up a few more shows, and again got to try out some new venues. We played in Des Moines for the first time, at a little coffee shop called Mars Cafe. It was a nice place, and we had a surprisingly good turnout. Hopefully we’ll get back over to that area soon.
We also provided the music for a friend’s wedding in October. We’ve both played in weddings before (together and individually), but it had been a while. Playing in a wedding is a completely different experience than playing a regular show. It’s much more nerve-wracking! I was really nervous when we first began playing, though I did manage to calm down pretty well by the second and third songs we played. Overall I was really pleased with how it went, and we got many, many very nice compliments from guests and from the wedding party.
2007 was a banner year for CST in terms of the number of shows we played. I think there were 20 gigs on the calendar, which is a pretty modest number for most bands, but a pretty good number for us.
As the year has drawn to a close, we’ve again been playing fewer shows, choosing instead to spend time with our family and whatnot. We’re also thinking about what might lie ahead for Central Standard Time (see Charlie’s earlier post below). And as 2008 quickly approaches, we’re working on filling up the calendar with more shows, in both familiar and new places. Hopefully we’ll see many of you at our shows in the coming year.
And that is the 2007 Year in Review. I’m sure there are things I’ve omitted… Maybe Charlie will fill in any blanks I’ve left.
We hope the new year finds you richly blessed. Thanks again for your support and for listening to our music, and we’ll see you again soon.
Matt & Charlie
