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» 2011

It’s been said many times now that 2011 would be the year of The Cab. With just a few days of December remaining, I think it’s safe to say the hype has been lived up to, if not surpassed. The Cab is notorious for facing challenge after challenge: if it’s not the record label, it’s the songs; if it’s not the songs, it’s the line up changes. Just as one obstacle would be overcome, three more would appear. Why then, would anyone wish to carry on? Was it the stubborn determination to stand at the finish line shouting “we did it!” or just outright bold stupidity and a few strokes of luck that ultimately led to victory after victory? As DeLeon himself as said, “Don’t always believe in fate. At times it’s better to believe in hard work and the beauty of spontaneity and coincidence.” Whatever it was, no one can dispute the fact that The Cab have overcome each new challenge with vigor.

Below are the top five accomplishments The Cab have achieved this year, as selected by you. Take a read through and smile, soldiers - without you, dare I say, The Cab wouldn’t have been able to accomplish so much during 2011.

» Honorable Mentions

HM2: Meeting Justin Timberlake

Seems pretty fan girl, right? I admit that even I agree. However, this one is definitely worth talking about. As vocal as each member of The Cab is about one of their biggest musical influences being Justin Timberlake, for DeLeon especially, they frequently mention how perhaps one day doing a collaboration with the former N*Sync band member would be a dream come true. That’s what this is about for me. The Cab could very easily toss away their dreams and go find a nine-to-five job. They don’t have to be playing music. Arguably it would be much easier to abandon the stress of a touring life and settle in at home, perusing music only as a halfhearted hobby. Giving up isn’t in their nature, thankfully for the fans. They’ve worked hard over the years, overcoming a great deal of obstacles. To show for it, they have the support of Justin Timberlake behind them, with that possibility of a dream collaboration…possible.

HM1: Joey Becoming an Official Band Member

You might be wondering why I’ve chosen to include this one. Let’s recap: June of 2009 it was announced that beloved guitarist Ian Crawford had left the band, followed that same year in August with the departure of Cash Colligan. Bryan Dawson and Charles Henry came and went, with drummer Alex Johnson leaving the band come July of 2011. Among the lineup changes there was touring bassist Joey Thunder. I can say with complete assurance that he was immediately accepted with welcome arms by the fan base, despite the reminisce of former band members. Joey has always been kind and incredibly genuine, with a sense of humor that could reduce anyone to happy tears. Joey’s official inclusion as a permanent band member is something that I think was ultimately necessary during, for lack of a better word, the healing process of having lost so many members. Joey’s sincere heart and hard working attitude was just the extra boost that The Cab was in such desperate need of.

» Top Five Accomplishments of 2011

#005: Departing from Fueled By Ramen

Three years is a long time to wait between full length albums. Let’s face it: if a band disappears for longer than a month, rumors of a break up begin circulating almost immediately. With The Cab’s history of losing band members, the possibility of a final band rupture seemed dishearteningly possible. We’ll never know what happened behind closed doors, but with the fight against Fueled By Ramen raging strong, it came as a blessing is disguise when The Cab finally announced their depature. Albeit, perhaps even a weight of stress relieved from both The Cab and their fans alike. In times like today leaving a record label can be considered music suicide. Admittedly the initial panic from the announcement was quickly soothed with the promise of new music within 24 hours. The Cab didn’t fail us: a six-song album preview was released the next afternoon. The worries of what would happen to The Cab, sans label? All but disappeared, content in the knowledge that they had made the right decision.

#004: Touring Canada and Japan

For a while there, The Cab’s event page was very, very bland. Tours were far and few in between; being honest, we were lucky to get a random single show in there every once and a while. I’m tempted to say this is when many of The Cab’s fans began to sense something wasn’t going entirely right. With frequent lineup changes and still no new album at hand, adding an absence of tour dates was wearing the fan base down. Come summer of 2011, that’s when everything would change. With the release date of Symphony Soldier finally announced, The Cab would take to the road - and not only just in the US. They were fortunate enough to open for Avril Lavigne on the western leg of the Black Star Tour in Canada, and then travel overseas with The Summer Set for a week of touring in Japan. I’m pleased to say that though 2011 is coming to an end, The Cab’s travels are not. Not only do they have the upcoming Everything’s Fine Symphony Soldier tour, there’s also the Soundwave festival in Australia to look forward to - and that’s just the beginning of the year. Who knows what’s to come after March.

#003: The Cab Day 2011

The Cab Day was an event created by fans, for the fans. What exactly is The Cab Day? The beginning of a final battle. The Cab Day, self-proclaimed as April 29th in honor of Whisper War’s release, was a call to all fans to come together. There were missions hosted (such as tweeting Fueled By Ramen and lip syncing videos), ways to meet more fans and interact, and all the buzz from preparation to the event led to a Ustream session with the band and a The Cab Day show in California. All of this only happened because of you, the fans. It was such an incredible experience. For those of you newer fans who perhaps missed out on the festivities, don’t worry! The Cab Day most definitely became a quick fan favorite and will be held each sub-sequential year.

#002: “Bad” Radio Debut

Remember that ever-startling moment we heard the news: that one of The Cab’s songs had been played on the radio? I remember watching the flood of replies come streaming in. Which song? A new song? What radio station? It wouldn’t take long for fans to begin searching the Internet and swapping information found. Within the hour it was revealed that Sirius radio had played a new song off of Symphony Soldier, at that moment unheard by fans. The spam of tweets and Facebook messages began. It would take a few hours before finally being heard; Sirius Hits radio DJ Mikey Piff would be playing the new song within minutes! For me specifically, I remember being in a TinyChat with many of my now closest friends. Mikey began playing “Bad” (at the time, “I Want It Bad”) and we all muted our mics, listening to new music for the first time in three years. The Cab’s fans truly know how to create movement. Since then, many stations have followed in pursuit. This is only the beginning of dominating the airwaves.

#001A: Releasing Symphony Soldier

I think this one goes without saying. Whisper War was released April 29th, 2008. Who would have ever thought it would take another three years for us to have another full length album at our fingertips? Summer of 2010 there was talk of a new album being released soon. Little known fact: Symphony Soldier had already been recorded and was ready to be released, but with label struggles and an internal sense of knowing the songs produced weren’t at their best, the entire album was canned. Upon asking DeLeon, even he admits the struggle and the release of their album was the greatest feat: “Getting our album out. Releasing Symphony Soldier at all. At one point we didn’t think it was coming out. Ever.” Thankfully, the fear became mute. May of 2011 The Cab hit the studio for another go-around, with album producer John Feldmann. The Cab paid for the production costs of Symphony Soldier out of their own pocket. Without the support of a major record label, it was up to the fans to spread the word about the upcoming release. You didn’t disappoint.

#001B: Symphony Soldier Charting

Perhaps the greatest feat of Symphony Soldier is not that it was finally released; rather, that Symphony Soldier was released and made the charts. It wasn’t about the money or how high a number fans could get the album ranked at. While those are both nice things, this was about proving that The Cab could come out of a three-year-long struggle and make a new name for themselves. That they could in fact survive in a monstrous industry without the backing of a label. In today’s market, that can be a very, very scary decision to make. It’s funny how an industry built around music is often run with the motivation of money, isn’t it? The Cab are a living example that at the end of the day being loyal to yourself and relying on the support of fans love for honest music is the best recipe for chart-ranking success.

» Sincerely,

I don’t know about you, but I think that’s a pretty impressive resume. It’s difficult to believe that so much has happened within just a single year. What I think makes these events so special is that with every struggle’s defeat, not only have The Cab become stronger and more solidified as a band, but so has their fan base and the relationship between the two. I say it so frequently because it’s so true: The Cab truly care about their fans in a way that is unique and near unheard of. Those boys very well know that without the support of their infinitely loyal fan base they would be nothing more than some friends still playing in their garage on the weekends. As 2011 comes to a close, I urge you to really reflect on the past twelve months and give yourself a pat on the back. You, my fellow symphony soldiers, are the reason we can bid 2011 farewell with a smile. It’s been a rough year, but ultimately we’ve come out better for it. The Cab thrives on the heartbeat of the fans. At the core of everything, we are an indestructible family.

Here’s to 2012. This is only the beginning, my friends.

“Get out your guns, battle’s begun.”

* Photo Cite