Dayton indie rock favorites Motel Beds reunited for a special one-off performance at The Brightside on Friday, July 19. Before the show, the band joined WYSO Music Director Juliet Fromholt on Kaleidoscope to discuss their reunion show and perform live on air.
Motel Beds, which features P.J. Paslosky (vocals), Tommy Cooper (guitar), Darryl Robbins (guitar), Tod Weidner (bass), and Ian Kaplan (drums), have spent the last eight years on hiatus. Their last full-length album, Mind Glitter, was released in 2015.
But earlier this year when Robbins floated the idea of a reunion show in Dayton, the other band members jumped at the opportunity. "It's been really great. All joking aside, it's been really, really nice to get back with these dudes and play with them again," Weidner said during the interview. "It feels like it was sort of unfinished business."
The reunion show featured Motel Beds performing their classic material alongside two other Dayton bands, Human Cannonball and Wreck League. Weidner said that returning to the songs after more than half a decade felt surprisingly natural. "Muscle memory is a weird thing. It's like, I don't remember this next part, but apparently my hand knows what to do more often than not."
During their hiatus from Motel Beds, the band members have pursued various musical endeavors. Kaplan currently plays in Sam King and the Suspects, while Weidner, now based in Ojai, California, has continued to release solo work. The band expressed gratitude for their fans' continued support after years apart. "It's awesome to know that you're a teeny little bit of somebody's life soundtrack, and they haven't forgotten about you or the music," Weidner said.
For more insight into Motel Beds' history and reunion, check out a recent interview with music contributor Don Thrasher on the WYSO website. The band’s catalog is available on Bandcamp, with most releases after 2010 also available on major streaming platforms.
