My Musical History, Episode 14: Inazan Turns Into Something Else Entirely

Inazan got off to a good start. We played our first show at one of the few local venues to sport their own marquee, and it was pretty cool to see "Inazan" - spelled correctly, even - in big letters visible from the other side of the street.

After the show, however, there were signs of discontent. For my part, I didn't feel that my vocals suited our particular sound, and frankly, I wanted to take a break from singing anyway and just concentrate on playing guitar for once. We carried on with the status quo intact for a while until one day, I suggested that we look for another member - preferably, someone who could take over the vocal chores.

So it was back to Craigslist we went. Not long afterwards, we found a singer/guitarist who fit in well, and we officially became a four-piece. With the new sound and direction, we decided that we needed a new name as well (besides, people were having a hard time pronouncing "Inazan.") After a lengthy and exhausting process - why is picking a band name always so difficult? - we finally settled on Council Crest, the name of a hill in Portland that is popular with hikers.

Council Crest motored along for a few years, and it was a good time. I got to play at a bunch of clubs that I hadn't played at before, and being just the "lead guitar" guy instead of the frontman and de facto band manager was a welcome change from what I had grown accustomed to. We had some personnel changes along the way, even expanding to a five-piece at one point, but overall, things were pretty stable.

For a while, that is. Eventually, the momentum started to slow down - bass player #3 (or was it #4? I can't remember) decided to quit, we had moved to a public practice space, and honestly, the whole thing started to feel more and more like work instead of fun. And so, Council Crest, formerly Inazan, was put to rest.

At this point, I was feeling pretty burnt out. It was a different feeling from when Upper80 ended - at that time, I wanted to take a break, but I think I always knew (maybe subconsciously) that I would get back to it one day, probably sooner than later. But this time, I seriously considered the possibility that this was it - that I was done playing in bands for good.

Next: A Second Chance