Fans of A Mirror Darkly were at a loss for words today when, at an official press conference, the band announced that they lost three of their six band members in the last two weeks.
First, they said good-bye to their lead guitarist, Zac Kish. The 21-year-old received notification that he'll be deployed to Afganistan for a year as an emergency medic. He leaves any day now for training in Michigan.
"What a noble calling for him to serve our country in this way," said Lisa Lynne Catherine, the 31-year-old lead singer for AMD. "As I hugged him good-bye, I told him that we will always make room for him in our band, if he wants to play again after his deployment. I also insisted that he let me give him a Brown Scapular to take with him into the hot zones, and he said that if I give him one, he will."
Next to leave the band was rhythm guitarist Greg Tomlinson. In his resignation letter to the band's record label (Nighthawk Records), the 27-year-old explained, "I'm in the process of taking over a portion of my father's lawn care business, and--in this heavy growing season--the responsibility of work and management will be great for me. If I must choose between rock star fame and family, the latter must win."
Amid tears, a weepy Lisa Lynne Catherine said, "I will miss Greg's presence, but I value his dedication to the things that matter most. He will make a wonderful husband and father some day because of how he prioritizes. He will often choose the road less traveled, that which is the least enjoyable and the most work, simply because he knows it is his rightful obligation."
Finally, the band parted ways with their drummer, Michael Rafferty. "My commute to band practice was an exceedingly long one," Rafferty explained. "With traffic on the Schuylkill Expressway in the afternoon, the other day it took me THREE HOURS to get to band practice."
But the long commute wasn't the only reason Rafferty decided to quit.
"I couldn't handle the paparazzi," he admitted. "I'm a Philadelphia police officer, and my celebrity status was getting in the way of my work." Instead of being sorry for speeding, persons that Rafferty pulled over became elated, once they recognized him. "Instead of reaching for their license and registration, people were clamoring around for their copy of our debut CD, asking me to sign it."
When asked if the band will still have its Summer 2010 Tour which begins in late July, the vocalist, who canceled some early Spring shows due to laryngitis, said confidently, "If it's God's will that we go on, He will provide us with what we need."
Craig List, the band's manager, told the press he will be working tirelessly to find the right musicians to fill the empty positions. "There has to be chemistry," he explained.
Auditions are scheduled to begin this week.
