Hot Rod Circuit Made Me Fall In Love With Cover Art With Sorry About Tomorrow in 2002

Let’s rewind time and look at the past again. I was jumping out of high school and still had a few friends. That’s when Hot Rod Circuit put out a record called “Sorry About Tomorrow”, and it was on Vagrant Records. The record label was putting out some amazing music. They were the guys that put out The Get Up Kids, for instance. Anyways, this record hit me hard, especially the cover art. At the time, as I admit now, I loved this girl that kind of looked like the woman on the cover. The black hair, the pale skin, the whole nine yards. So it was natural that I picked up the vinyl of this record to frame and put up on my wall. The angst was high, especially when my friend ended up dating and eventually marrying that girl.

But there was another chance, an amazing dancer, and well she never told me she liked me, and therefore the soundtrack of “Sorry About Tomorrow” became a record that is not too unlike the way Rob laments through “High Fidelity”. Fast forward to 2015 and here I am waxing poetic about this record, because it’s a solid recording with a lot to offer through 34 minutes and 11 songs of ups and downs. From “The Pharmacist” to the stellar song “Radiation Suit”, the band mixes the best of punk, rock, and indie into a mash up of melody. It’s a melodic record that really points fingers at bands like Saves The Day, without copying them directly.

For me, this record represents an evolution of musical elements. I asked my sister to buy this for me as a graduation present, since she really wanted to buy me something. She got me this one and Bear vs. Shark’s debut. She didn’t have to buy me anything, mind you, but she really wanted to and Tower Records was closing down. So she got me these two records, and they both have their moments.

However, it’s the tremendous emotional connection that I have with “Sorry About Tomorrow” that keeps me coming back, even on this humid night in Indianapolis. Vagrant Records was putting out so many good records back then, it makes me wonder why the industry is so diluted right now. Whatever the case is, Hot Rod Circuit really put on an amazing performance with this one, and I kick myself for missing them when they played the Troubadour with The Get Up Kids and others.

Stand out tracks, for those that are downloading, consider “At Nature’s Mercy”, “Radiation Suit”, “The Pharmacist”, “Let’s Go Home”, “Get What You Get”, and “The Night They Blew Up The Moon”, as prime examples of what Hot Rod Circuit was putting down in a crowded indie and emo landscape back in 2002. Pick up “Sorry About Tomorrow” here, if you still buy records, or don’t, it doesn’t matter, does it? Oh, and for the record, no hard feelings (as if I should or am entitled to them) to my former friend. I kind of miss the guy, but I'm a lousy friend as well. I'm sure you're out there man, have fun, congrats on the kid!