Word on the street is that Strangeness in Proportion will be performing their last show on Tuesday, May 12, at Cousin Danny’s Lounge, 5001 Market Street in Philadelphia. To mark the occasion, I sent Sean Cahalin (aka Strangeness in Proportion) a few questions…

Your last show is going to be on May 12 at Cousin Danny’s Lounge at 5001 Market Street in Philadelphia. What’s behind the decision to stop performing? Is it just the end of the line for Strangeness in Proportion, or are you done with music altogether?

You know, 15+ years of my life dedicated to one thing is no small feat.  I really loved performing, and I really had a great time writing and recording music (I mean, I released 5 full albums and a bunch of EPs pretty much back to back).  A lot of thought and internal battles took place to lead me to this ultimate decision.  First and foremost, I realized that I had put so many (if not ALL) my eggs into this basket, and I started making music when I was 12 years old, and through such formative years of my life, it was a great outlet and reprieve from my teenage angst.  Though I loved it, I began to fear that I was limiting myself; I had put all my time and effort into my day job and then coming home and putting all my energy into music.  I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing, afterall, I was passionate about it.  But I realized that I wanted to explore other avenues and see what other things I could find interest or passion in.  

So much of my life has always revolved around music, and I would never trade that or expect it to fully disappear, but I have become a full grown adult and pursued music through some of the most hectic and malleable chapters of my life, and I really just wanted to discover who I am, or who I COULD be, without music, for lack of better word, bogging me down.  

And unfortunately, I was finally getting burnt out from all the years of miniscule growth, if that makes sense.  I think my songwriter has developed greatly, I think I’ve grown quite a bit as a musician, but it is unbelievably discouraging to spend hours and hours, days and days, months and months, years upon years upon years trying to write, record, network, promote, and perfect your art just for a couple of people to listen to it once and then never revisit it.  I don’t make music solely for external validation, however, having said that, I do think a lot of the appeal to music for me is the communal aspect, and if I’m not able to build a community or have people gain anything from my art, then overtime it does really wear on me, as sad as it is to say.  

The unfortunate truth is, I was able to persevere through these obstacles for so long, but there was also quite an issue I had with the cliques and exclusivity of the scene.  It felt like you had to know everyone and had to be on great terms with everyone, or you wouldn’t get anywhere, but just like in High School, there was endless drama and I truly was just tired of pretending to like people I couldn’t stand.  As far as live performing and collaborating, it is seemingly getting more and more difficult to find places that are TRULY all inclusive safe spaces.  

So many people in the local scene are predatory or perverted and just straight up BAD people, and it feels impossible to escape it.  The lack of professionalism and etiquette from these venues and other bands was absolutely astounding and became to be way too stressful and frustrating to continue putting myself out there.  So, long story short, I don’t know what will happen with Strangeness In Proportion.  I’m not locking that door and throwing out the key, but I do want to reevaluate my values and priorities without the pressure and stress of music getting in the way.  

Any musician knows that while you’re creating, it feels like the most important thing in your whole world, but the unfortunate truth is most people will not agree or value your music in the same way.  This was one of the biggest and hardest decisions of my life, and at the end of the day I know I will be forgotten and people will read my Goodbye post and think “oh, okay, whatever” and move on with their lives.  As for what’s next for me? I’m not sure, but the world is my oyster.  I want to spend more time with my loved ones and my animals, start reading more books, or whatever else might call to me. I do plan on continuing to play guitar and hopefully keep my skill level consistent, if not improved, but I want to return to when playing guitar felt like a fun hobby instead of a terrible unpaid internship.

 The show will include Some Ghosts and Fuzzy Slippers. What do you love about those bands?

Don’t forget, the band who is responsible for setting this show up, PB&TAT!  They are on an awesome tour that is a huge milestone for them and I am so proud of them and so grateful they are stopping in Philly to hang out!  I think this is easily one of the best lineups possible for a Strangeness In Proportion farewell show.  All 3 of those bands hold a special place in Strangeness In Proportion lore, so I’ll try to break it down and I’d love to share why these bands are so special to me.

Some Ghosts: I can’t say for certain when I first discovered Some Ghosts,  but I think I was a fan almost right from the beginning. I had discovered their song “Sleep Soon” and was instantly hooked.  I think we had some mutual friends and I was very quick to open communication with them and start connecting.  I think Some Ghosts and Fuzzy Slippers are different sides of the imaginary “Strangeness In Proportion Coin”.  Some Ghosts, of course, have the inclusion of “Ghosts” which blends perfectly with my album “Secondhand Heartbeat”.  I think Some Ghosts are so fucking underrated and some of the kindest dudes I’ve met in my years of being a part of the music scene.  Their music is so flawless and has great hooks and some INCREDIBLE screaming vocals. Their music is a great comparison to the darker side of my own music…

Fuzzy Slippers: …whereas Fuzzy Slippers is the silly, lighthearted, and mildly self deprecating side of my music.  Fuzzy Slippers were one of the first bands to submit their music for a review when I first started up my music review website, CD-ROM Rabbit Hole.  Their first single was “Feel Sick” and I’ve been hooked ever since.  I’m so fortunate to have crossed paths with these dudes, as they are also some of the chillest and most generous and kind human beings I’ve ever met, and so unbelievably talented.  I’m excited to share the stage with them as an opener for their Album Anniversary Show on April 28th.  Their album “Let’s Get Nervous” is genuinely a no-skip album.  Their songwriting, tone, lyrics, and eccentric nature is just so contagiously fun.  Watching them together on stage just having a blast and goofing off while making some of my favorite music is really a treat to witness, no matter how many times I see them perform!

PB&TAT: Right before (and I mean RIGHT before!) covid hit, I played a show with PB&TAT in February of 2020, one of my few trips out to Pittsburgh, and at first I was a bit unsure of this dude and his very off-the-wall, politically-charged, jizz-covered folk-punk music (though, we have since realized that most of that weariness and hesitation was due to a branding issue causing confusion and misunderstanding).  Somehow, Brian and I stayed connected after that show and have been great friends ever since.  This is the first time in YEARS I will be seeing Brian but due to our time as friends and all the collaborations we have done together, I think it is so fitting that he would be a part of my final show.  I love PB&TAT ‘s absolutely insane lyrics, the instrumentation, and the vocals are so on-point for folk punk.  It’s very much a presentation, in the craziest way kind of calling back to musical theater, and I think the way Brian calls out certain types of people in a satirical way is absolutely brilliant.  

These are genuinely 3 of my favorite bands and consist of so many of my favorite people, it is an honor to get the chance to hang out with them all in one place for one final send off!

You’re encouraging fans to dress as their favorite ghosts or their favorite mystery-solving gang. The Scooby Doo gang, of course, comes to mind, but do you have any other favorite mystery solving gangs? And what about ghosts? Who are some of your favorites? 

Honestly, I know there are more groups out there, but Scooby-Doo and Mystery Inc have had my heart above all else since day 1.  I’d love to see a crowd of Shaggys, Freds, Velmas, Daphnes, and of course, Scoobys, but I’m also excited to see what other creative and unique choices people decide to dress up as.  As far as ghosts go, of course Casper the friendly ghost is a great contender.  I think my favorite monster/ghost from Scooby Doo would be the cackling green ghosts, you know, the ones with chains dangling from their wrists?  I think that design was PERFECT.  Not the best episode, but definitely an iconic look.  I’d say though, this is a bit of a niche answer, but one of my favorite movies is called “A Ghost Story” and it’s about a married couple where the husband dies unexpectedly and becomes a sheet ghost unable to pass through to the afterlife. I took a lot of inspiration from that movie for my songs as well as music videos (most notably, “I’m Trying To Smoke These Hornets”).  If you haven’t seen that movie, track down a copy and WATCH IT!

You’ve been recording and performing as Strangeness in Proportion for over fifteen years. What are some highlights? What comes next for you?

It’s truly impossible to narrow it down to just a few favorites, and all my other answers thus far have been super wordy and drawn out, haha!  I think some aspects are bigger than just a singular moment, if that makes sense?  Of course I am overwhelmed with appreciation for all the friends I’ve been able to meet and get connected with.  Some of my favorite things were putting together fundraisers or comp albums. Way back in the day, I got hundreds of bands together to contribute songs to a compilation album where all the funds were donated to help someone afford surgery for their sick dog. And recently, CD-ROM Rabbit Hole did a comp album where all the bands covered each other’s songs. All proceeds for that went to a cool organization called “Rock To The Future”, providing instruments and lessons to underprivileged children.  It was really great to get a community together for the collective goal of helping people out with our art, and I think that’s really magical.  I could go on and on about all the cool places I’ve been, bands I’ve shared stages with, opportunities I otherwise wouldn’t have been given, but I think overall it’s just great that I did any of it, and stuck with it for so long.  I imagine if I ever return to music, it will most likely be a return of Strangeness In Proportion (I’ve never been a fan of needlessly creating new projects, I like having all my songs in, more or less, one place).  I am Strangeness In Proportion and Strangeness In Proportion is me.  Even if I’m no longer active, it will forever be a huge chapter of my life I would never want to erase.