Last Thursday night around 11pm, Maggie, Chris, and I walked into Emo’s with enthusiastic anticipation for the final show of the local indie pop band, Voxtrot. As I entered this shady, dark, and crowded Austin original venue, memories from my first year of college came flooding back in waves as I began reflecting on myself as that eager girl first falling for the Austin scene. I spent many nights with black “X”’s stained on my hands as I danced the night away to indie bands with their small, cult-like worshippers. 
Although I’ve frequented Emo’s a time or two since age eighteen, I’ll always remember it as one of the first places that made me feel like the real Austinite I’ve grown into (or, more appropriately, still growing into).
To add more sentiment to the night, Voxtrot is a band I followed throughout college. From listening to their three-song EP albums to anxiously awaiting their first full album, they stole my heart long ago, and I’ve loved watching them evolve into the brilliant artists they’ve become. 
I felt like it was an end of an era when I heard they were breaking up. So, when Chris mentioned this was their last show, I knew I needed to be there to watch them take their final bow in their homeland of Austin, Texas.
Voxtrot began with a self-made CD-R in 2003, and has nothing but skyrocketed ever since, particularly in the Austin area. They have three EPs and then one self-titled album. Their music is so ecstatic, poppy, and rich in sound, it’s easy to miss the poignant lyrics that strike past the meat to the bone of what is real. Lines in their songs such as “I wanna catch a love and make it stay” or “if I die clutching your photograph, don’t call me boring, It’s just ’cause I like you” are just tiny examples of the smarts behind the songs.
At this final show, we all danced our hearts out, with me singing along to my favorite tunes, such as “The Start of Something” and “Your Biggest Fan”. The energy was unique compared to that of your usual upbeat concert
– more vigorous and serious, yet fun and light at the same time. At least for me, the nostalgia kicked in as I remembered myself almost five years ago at this same place listening to the same band. Yet, reflecting back to moments where you are doing the same thing and the only difference is time, you realize it’s really not the same thing, but new, as every experience always is in its own little way.
Voxtrot is one of my favorite live bands, as they truly know how to go all out and put on an amazing, high energy show. This night was one of no holding back, but instead, one of just letting go, leaving the stage with a creative force to be proud of.
Just because the band is ending doesn’t mean their music is gone, so I highly advise checking out their stuff, especially if you like indie pop artists with sharp lyrics.
I wish all the members of the band the best; as they progress forward into the scary (but exciting) unknown, somehow I know we’ll be hearing sounds from the members again, as it seems the music lives in them and just can’t help but spill out from time to time.
When discussing ending the band, here is an excerpt from a long note the lead singer, Ramesh, wrote:
For me, the most important thing in life is leaving behind something beautiful, something that finds its way into the lives of strangers, and forever alters them in a positive manner. Sometimes, being able to do this means that you have to work the shitty job and serve bread to rich idiots, but whatever, it’s better than just cashing in your chips and spending the rest of your life wondering, “what if…?”
In the end, I’ve come to realize that there really isn’t any cause for disappointment. The fact is, the songs still exist, and the music of Voxtrot lives on as a sovereign entity which, outside of all criticism, positive or negative, belongs to the guys and me, and to everybody who ever loved it or believed. Taking into account every person I’ve met, every place I have visited, every emotional exchange I have ever had with a listener, there is absolutely no room for regret.
