Garrett Klahn and The Surround Areas plays tonight at Reverb Lounge.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Texas Is the Reason’s only album, Do You Know Who You Are?, was one of those records that stood out in the late ’90s when there wasn’t a lot of records that stood out. It’s considered a landmark emo album, recognized by Rolling Stone and NME among others as among that genre’s best. I just remember being unable to escape it in the late ’90s.

Garrett Klahn quickly moved on from TITR after the band broke up at the end of ’97. Klahn formed New Rising Sons and now plays in Atlantic/Pacific. His solo album was released earlier this year on Rise.

Noisey had a rather lengthy interview with Klahn published this January when the record was released. His best quote deals with trying to escape his emo past:

After Texas Is the Reason broke up, did you try to escape emo?

Klahn: It’s kind of inescapable, man. [Laughs] In our world, there’s no escape from it. I started that band New Rising Sons and we got signed to Virgin, and pretty much right out of the gate, any and everything written about the band, there’s no escaping it. Even if I really tried I don’t think I could have. It’s just fucking there. [Laughs] Whatever you call it, emo, hardcore, whatever. Shit, I’m 41 years old and I’m still talking about it.

Check out Klahn tonight at Reverb Lounge for what has been billed as Garrett Klahn & The Surrounding Areas U.S. Tour (I’m not sure why One Percent Productions hasn’t mentioned the band). Virgin Mary Pistol Grip opens. $12, 9 p.m.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2016 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved