T-minus 4 and a half days until the big Paradise show with Fooled By April, so get your permission slips ready.

When something important in your life is ending, you tend to have all these "this is the last time..." moments. Last night, as I listened to the guys from FxA run through their set in the basement and Pete's bass lines rattled my floor like they had so many times before, I'm not afraid to admit - I got a little emotional. This was the last time I would get my own private Fooled By April concert.

Bravely, I opened the door and walked down into their sanctuary. As the boys were packing up their gear, they looked up at me. I smiled and said, "You know - this is the last time I'll hear you guys play in the basement. It's sort of sad."

Their reaction? "Shut the fuck up." Apparently, they're dealing with enough of their own emotional baggage that they don't need my gooey crap poured on their mop-topped heads.

Still, this band has meant a lot to me over the years both as musicians and friends, so I'm going to use this space this week to post some thoughts, relive some FxA memories and generally eulogize my buddies. I encourage you to share your own Fooled By April stories by either posting on our message boards, in my comments or especially in Joe's Diary hnaw. We'll all have a good cry cry about this and feel a whole lot better.

And for the love of God, don't miss this show.