Live - Troubled Hubble's Final Show A Bittersweet Affair

There is something to be said about seeing a band perform their final show. As melancholy as fans are knowing the end is near, there is also a strong sentiment of being part of something really special.
That was the case last night at the intimate Schuba’s Tavern in Chicago, where Troubled Hubble ended their six-year run in front of a sold-out audience.

The crowd, including many friends and family members, packed into the tiny show room as Chris Otepka, Andrew Lanthrum, Nate Lanthrum, and Josh Miller set up for the final time. The group was surprisingly upbeat, and they came on the stage equipped with numerous tricks up their sleeves to ensure their final audience had a night they'd be talking about for quite some time. They explosively started the show off with “14,000 Things to Be Happy About”, which seemed to fit their moods as well as those in the crowd fortunate enough to secure tickets to the event. Adding to the glitz and glamour of their already colorful setup was a half-naked gentleman on stage frantically painting a picture along to their music. Flash bulbs were aplenty as fans tried to capture bits and pieces of the performance.

As someone who has been to countless shows, I still find it rare to witness an entire crowd jumping up and down to a song, but that’s just what TH accomplished when they played the next song, “Nancy”.
The energy created during that song was enough to set the tone for the evening as energetic and positive, rather than the bittersweet feeling often associated with the end of something wonderful. They continued on to play a variety of songs from all of their records, including many off of their most recent and highly praised Making Beds in a Burning House.

It was the final three songs that evoked the most emotion from the audience. That may have been from the awareness that the end of the set was nearing, or more importantly, it may have been the choice of those final three songs. They could not have been better choices.

“Dulcinea Duct Tape” was the audience participation song of the evening, as the band members doled out tambourines, drum sticks, maracas, and those little wind catching flowers. The crowd danced and sang and played along as TH ferociously plugged through the song - with Andrew spastically bouncing about the stage and Nate banging on his multi-colored lit up drum set with a look of pure happiness on his face. “I Love My Canoe” followed with an increased intensity from the audience, singing so loud as to almost rival Chris’s valiant effort. It was the final song, “What We Do,” that brought the audience back to the reality that this was the end. It was a time to reflect on what Troubled Hubble had brought to each one of us. The tenacity with which they played that song solidified what everyone else there knew. Despite the breakup, Troubled Hubble will live forever in our hearts and minds (and iPods). Thanks for everything guys. We will miss you.

-Reported by Jaime Froehlich on 09/30/2005