Gettin’ the Heck Outta Pomona

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

In their three years as a band, The Pomonas earned a reputation as a rockin’ pop funfest the likes of which Lawrence may not soon see again. With members moving to Seattle (Justin Ripley and Andy Gassaway), New Orleans (Ryan Laird), and Chicago (Brandon Ripley), the band’s time is drawing to a close.

Before they ride off into the mid-life sunset, the foursome will celebrate the release of a farewell record with two shows in two nights—Friday at The Jackpot and Saturday at The Replay. The Ripley brothers joined in a conference call to Gassaway (who’s in Seattle already) to preview selections from “Good Cop, Good Cop” and reflect on the short and semi-charmed life of The Pomonas.

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lawrence.com: So you have a new record that’s going to come out roughly about the time your band breaks up.

Justin: Yep.

Why don’t you explain how this all went down, Andy.

Andy: Uh, how what went down, specifically?

How is it that you have a record coming out posthumously and what is the deal with The Pomonas?

Submitted photo

The Pomonas are (from left) Andy Gassaway, Brandon Ripley, Justin Ripley, and Ryan Laird.

Andy: I would guess the simplest way to put it is that one of members—Ryan Laird—got married and pretty much had to move to New Orleans. I’ve lived in Lawrence a long time and I love Lawrence, but I kind of came to the decision that if I can’t have the band going I’d like to try living somewhere else as a bit of an experiment. It was kind of an abrupt decision.

Are you regretting that decision yet?

Andy: No, it’s going fine. I’ve got a job that’s every bit as shitty as the one I had back in Kansas. Seattle’s ok, but it’s not like a thrill-a-minute or anything.

What are you doing in Seattle?

Andy: I’m working a temp job. I audit time cards.

"Good Cop Good Cop" MP3s

More on The Pomonas

Justin is cracking up right now.

Andy: I have no idea why. This really isn’t funny. I’m on the verge of suicide like every day.

Justin: It’s funny when you talk through this phone. It just sounds like we’re addressing some kind of national crisis or something.

Andy: Well, I think in a way we are. I think in our wake we left a lot of Lawrencians kind of wondering what to do now. How does life go on in a Pomona-less world? I think we’re all kind of hanging on to see what the answer to that is.

The Pomonas

When: Saturday, July 28, 2007, 10 p.m.
Where: The Replay Lounge, 946 Mass., Lawrence
Cost: $2
Age limit: 21+

Full event details

Brandon: It was either that or you staying in Lawrence and coming to work with me at Jiffy Lube.

Andy: Jiffy Lube was always an option, although given my automotive expertise I think there would have been a lot of spontaneously combusting vehicles.

When will the new record be out?

Justin: Ryan and Andy are both flying in from their respective corners of the country to do two last shows in Lawrence July 27 and 28. There’s going to be some naked girls and Approach and Volunteers. We’re going to do the CD release just like we did the last record where we’re giving everybody a CDR. I think we might just dress it up a little bit and sell it for like two bucks … Then we’ll pay for some plane tickets and press the record and send out a bunch of copies.

Are you happy with the way the record turned out?

The Pomonas / Approach / Burly Q Girly Crew

When: Friday, July 27, 2007, 10 p.m.
Where: The Jackpot Music Hall, 943 Mass., Lawrence
Cost: $5 - $7
Age limit: 18+

Full event details

Brandon: It was good recording it. I was unfortunate to be sick with a 103 temperature for two or three tracks.

Andy: It was recorded in really primitive conditions. On top of everybody being sick, we were in this little place that didn’t have plumbing or heat—and this was in February and it was like 20 degrees every day.

Justin: There’s a lot of contaminated rivers out toward Clinton Lake.

Andy: Clearly. We’re having to shit in the yard and everybody’s like totally sick. I’m serious, believe it or not. We kind of had to hurry things along because we only had eight days.

Justin: Me and Brandon got deathly sick. Andy and Ryan were in some kind of fever coma because they stayed out there for like six consecutive nights living on Saltines and six-packs of beer.

Andy: Minus the cannibalism, it was a lot like the Donner party, with only the creation of an album to pass the time.

What is this place?

Justin: You ever heard of a guy named Outlaw Jake? He’s got a little studio out there. I think Andy and Brandon had a little bit to do with his record.

Andy: We called it even at 100 bucks because one night he came home really drunk and nailed my car.

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