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Knapsack is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the band’s third and final album This Conversation Is Ending Starting Right Now which was released on September 8, 1998. To commemorate the milestone, the band and Spartan Records have released a new video for, arguably, the album's most popular track "Katherine The Grateful", that pulls content from the label's oral history / book This Version of Truth, which was included with the band's recent box set.
Founding member Blair Shehan says, "Back when I was in high school we would have spirit assemblies, towards the end of the year, where they would project a slide show of photos of students set to music. Whenever they would show a picture of cool kids doing cool kids stuff, like playing powder puff football, the crowd would go bonkers. Not so much if an errant photo of punk rockers or an unpopular kid made it’s way onto the screen.
In honor of the 25th anniversary of 'This Conversation Is Ending Starting Right Now' Spartan Records has put together a music video. They stacked the presentation with flyers and photos of just us and our friends and set it to music we made. Enjoy this little spirit assembly and feel free to go bonkers."
In February, Spartan released Knapsack's three full-length albums, Silver Sweepstakes (1995), Day Three of My New Life (1997), and This Conversation Is Ending Starting Right Now (1998), fully remastered for vinyl, with each including an out-of-print bonus track. In addition, Spartan released an exclusive limited edition, hand-numbered box set which includes three exclusive variants and the book, titled This Version of Truth.
This Version of Truth is an oral history of the highly influential band, but also the story of like-minded bands coming together in a time before GPS, mobile phones, the internet, and social media. The 72-page book includes over a hundred exclusive flyers and photos, a complete show archive, and interviews with members of the band as well as members Mineral, Boys Life, Christie Front Drive, 7 Seconds, and other notable contributors. The result is a time capsule from a bygone era of independent music, a must-have for fans of Knapsack.
Beautifully packaged in a hand-number hardcover slipcase with new art direction by Jeff Caudill (Gameface, Low Coast), this special edition release features the band’s complete catalog remastered for vinyl with three out-of-print bonus tracks and includes three exclusive vinyl variants only available in this box set. You can pre-order your copy HERE.
Knapsack was an emo/indie rock band that was formed in 1993 by Blair Shehan (vocals/guitar) and Colby Mancasola (drums). Shehan and Mancasola were two high school friends studying at the University of California, Davis. Guitarist Jason Bokros and bassist Rod Meyer completed the lineup. By 1994, the band had recorded a single for independent label Goldenrod Records and signed with Alias Records later that year. Their debut album Silver Sweepstakes was released in 1995. They then toured extensively playing with bands such as Pavement, Rocket from the Crypt, Jawbox and Drive Like Jehu. Bokros left the group before the release of their second album Day Three of My New Life in 1997. He was replaced by Sergie Loobkoff of Samiam. Their third album This Conversation is Ending Starting Right Now was released in 1998. Knapsack reunited in 2013 to tour North America, Europe, and Australia.
