If I was reminded of one thing last weekend at Music and Art in Wright Park — it was the power of history and friendships in a place like Tacoma.

Or is that two things? Crap.



OK — if I was reminded of two things last weekend, it was the power of history and friendships in a place like Tacoma. It seemed as though all of Wright Park was infected. Old acquaintances came together for metal man hugs — goatees and handlebar mustaches nearly touching. Longtime friends shared laughs like it was yesterday. People came out of the woodwork from all directions of our music scene, and the true ties that bind us were on full display.



It was a beautiful thing.



This week I dabble in history yet again. A long time ago, in a not-so-far-away place, the Weekly Volcano (myself included) had a pretty serious thing for the band Never Quiet Never Still. More than just lead singer Lindsey Wilt’s mesmerizing voice and impressively long hair, Never Quiet Never Still was a moody rock force to reckon with. In 2006, our readers voted the band Best Alternative Rock Band of the year — which just goes to show the Weekly Volcano wasn’t the only one with a pretty serious thing for the group. Unfortunately for South Sound music fans, Never Quiet Never Still called it quits in 2007.



(I think this was just about the same time using the word “alternative” when describing music started making you sound like a douche. It should be noted it was the Weekly Volcano using such questionable adjectives, not NQNS.)



About a month ago, out of the blue, I got an e-mail from former NQNS bassist Vinny Beatty. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard from him since NQNS’s demise. In 2008 Beatty contacted me about a new band he was in — Twilight Drive. I made a slight mention of it in print at the time, but hadn’t heard much from the band since.



Well, now I know why. It seems between then and now, Twilight Drive lost a member and underwent something of a transformation. Beatty told me Twilight Drive was no more — having lost a guitarist — and a new band, The Color of East, had risen in its ashes.



This got me pretty excited. 



Now a pared down and tightened threesome, consisting of Beatty, former NQNS drummer Eric Crozier and guitarist slash emblematic frontman Patrick Smyth, Beatty told me The Color of East was releasing a debut five song EP — In the House of Endless Light — on Saturday, Aug. 22 at The New Frontier Lounge, and the Weekly Volcano was cordially invited.



Naturally, we accepted. We never pass up a good time. After a quick MySpace test-drive and a discussion with Smyth and Beatty in which The Color of East was described as “hookier” than Twilight Drive, I knew this was something I could get behind.



“It’s kind of a new version,” said Beatty of the difference between the four-piece Twilight Drive and his current band.



“It was addition through subtraction,” added Smyth. “The sound is a lot clearer.”



Clearer, and packing more purpose — or at least that’s the impression I got. Both sonically and visually, there’s something griping about The Color of East, and it became apparent in a hurry.



“We all have a pop sensibility that’s pretty strong,” says Smyth, who also noted the band’s strength is its members diversity of influences. “It’s not real showy. We’re concerned with writing really good music.”



As for the EP, which, after all, is the reason for the celebration at The New Frontier Lounge on Saturday, both Beatty and Smyth are proud of their product.



“As a musician, I feel like this is one of my best accomplishments,” says Beatty.



Knowing his history, that’s a pretty impressive statement.



[The New Frontier Lounge, with Stereo Sons, Vile Red Falcons, Saturday, Aug. 22, 9 p.m., $5, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020]