In an airy wood shop beneath the Coronado Bridge, The Midnight Pine prepared for its final show.
Since Shelbi Bennett cofounded the Americana band in 2011, a lot has changed.
"I was 20 years old. I was a very different person. I was basically still a child," Bennett said.
Known for her powerful and velvety vocals, Bennett has always had one clear goal: to write good songs.
"I think that my like idea of success in music has shifted over time, but there's always been like I've always had a real hope and sense of possibility and confidence in this work and it is nice to kind of look back at it now these years later and still feel that and still feel like really proud of it," she said.
Alfred Howard cofounded Redwoods Music, the label and collective behind The Midnight Pine. He said he feels the band is leaving behind a strong legacy.
"Just great songs, you know? Just attention to the lyrics and the melody. Shelbi has such an incredible voice and range and emotive power, you know? And I just think we made some really great music and hopefully people feel the same," Howard said.
Bennett has also been in other local bands, including The Havnauts and Baby Bushka, and continues to collaborate with Howard and other musicians on upcoming projects. But during The Midnight Pine's heyday, the band built a palpable momentum with local audiences. Bennett suggested that momentum might still be a possibility.
"Yeah, there was always moments where I was like, 'Oh my gosh, you know, Timber Timbre saw that we covered their song. Maybe this is it.' But at the same time, I'm still very proud of the work. You know, and it's still out there. So, it could blow up. If anybody wants to blow it up, they're more than welcome," Bennett teased.
The last time The Midnight Pine performed was in early 2020. Nobody knew it would be their last show, and the COVID-19 pandemic cast a massive shadow on the live music industry. During the pandemic, band members moved on to other projects. Some started families. But Bennett felt the band never properly said goodbye.
For their final show, the band will play their second album, "Buried," in its entirety — a metaphor for the band’s final moment.
"Basically I wanted to create the illusion of this is The Midnight Pine's last day and 'Buried' the album is the span of this last day," Bennett said.
The album has many a cappella vocal layers, posing challenges for live shows. But for Friday's show, the band is bringing in a group of backup singers and surprise special guests to help bring the songs to life.
Howard said he's particularly looking forward to performing the title track, "Buried."
"I remember writing it with Shelbi at Mama's Bakery over in the North Park area. And it just lyrically is like one of my proudest moments as a songwriter. We never play it because it's like a six-minute song, you know? But I think we're playing it at the show so I'm really excited," Howard said.
Bennett said this show is more than an ending.
"I guess my perspective is we have more stuff that we would like to make," she said. "I've been thinking of it as lighting a new candle with an old one, you know? And Al and I have been writing together again for the last couple of years and we have multiple albums worth of stuff. And it feels good to close a loop before we start another one and to kind of also remind the community of like, 'Hey, do you remember this?'"
At the rehearsal in the wood shop, the run-throughs of each song were tight, suggesting the rehearsal was as much about bringing the band back together as it was preparing for the show. Each band member spoke about the group feeling like a huge family. And for Bennett, that's worthy of a real goodbye.
"I feel like yeah, giving the ceremonial, like, laying it to rest, giving it a proper send-off, celebrating what we all made together, and kind of creating a family reunion around it — because that's what these band practices feel like," she said.
The Midnight Pine with The Color Forty Nine
7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21 | The Music Box, 1337 India St., Little Italy | $26.10 | MORE INFO
