waiting for her... No Longer

The waiting for her... spring tour stops at Instant Karma on May 4 to play with the Southern California band Sensefield during the group’s Houston stint.

Members of waiting for her... have said the opportunity to play with a national act that, until recently, was signed with Warner Bros. is a chance at which to jump.

"When we were first offered a show with them, I looked up their name on the Internet and found their Web site, sensefield.net," said Terry, the guitar. "I listened to some of the audio off of the Web site and was blown away. I immediately called our manager and said, ‘That’s the band we need to open for.’"

In a perfect world, Terry continued, a record label would be in the audience looking at Sensefield "and decide that he or she wants to sign us up as well."

Playing with Sensefield "could open doors for us to play with other national acts," Dave, the bass, said.

waiting for her... last played Instant Karma toward the end of March to celebrate the release of the band’s EP, boldly going nowhere, in the group’s hometown.

And, band members have said, it will be nice to play on familiar turf again.

"I look forward to playing there (Instant Karma) again," Dave said. "The club treats us really well, and it’s really our home -- it’s nice to come home after being on the road."

waiting for her... started recording its four-song EP in December and finished in the middle of January. The process was a long and sometimes tedious one, but when all is said and done, the members are happy with the finished product.

"The EP is a great representation of where our style is headed," said Myla, the band’s voice. "Things just keep getting better and better."

Most of the band members are old hands at recording and being in studios, but for Myla, the experience was a new one.

Even though her voice recording was delayed due to a sore throat, Myla managed to have some fun while in the studio. "I had a good time videotaping everyone during the process. I have some really good footage of my shoes," she said.

Terry said working on the band’s music and recording was a high point for him.

"I personally love being in the studio and hope to reach a point in my musical career when we’re not worried about looking at the clock because we can only afford a little amount of studio time," Terry said.

waiting for her...’s crowds have varied from 250 people in Huntsville to about 50 in Lufkin.

For Terry, the crowd is one of the biggest motivations.

"My favorite thing in the world to do is play live," Terry said. "Even if it’s at a small club to only about five people. I get a lot of joy of being on stage."

The band has experienced a spectrum of fan reaction throughout the various cities on the tour. The Huntsville crowd, mostly college students, could not stop yelling and clapping during the performance. As soon as the band stepped off the stage, crowd members began making their way to the front to talk to waiting for her...

The 50 bar patrons in Lufkin appreciated the talent of the band, who was asked to play the bar again when they wouldn’t have to compete with a bullriding competition.

One 21-year-old Lufkin woman, who fell in love with the band, offered to put waiting for her... up in a hotel room for the night, and later tried to hitch a ride to Houston with the band. The group politely declined her offer.

For Dave, the best and worst part of playing out of town shows is the "wild and crazy fans."

The road shows, Terry said, have been some of the most fun times.

"I’ve really enjoyed all the out-of-town shows we’ve played, but with so many new cities being added to our schedule, I’m really looking forward to playing some of them, in particular College Station and Dallas," Terry said.

For Myla, it’s all about respect as the band experiences and grows from a number of internal transitions.

"If you don’t encounter transitions, you never can experience these two things: respect for your group and what it is you have accomplished up until that point; most importantly, growth. Without that, you die creatively."

The transitions are rough, but the future could be exciting, Dave has said. Anything can happen when it’s not expected.

"And when you are not confined by the present, the future seems limitless. Anything can happen for us," Dave said.

waiting for her... will be back in Dallas on May 20, but in the meantime, Myla has expressed an interest in playing Richard Smith’s next party -- perhaps a cook out, Dave suggested.

However, the band will continue to concentrate on playing Dallas and College Station. Dave explained that waiting for her... is getting "a very favorable local and club response (and many more money shows) in those markets."

waiting for her... already is working on new material and looking toward the future.

"I think the band is on the right track," Terry said. "Hopefully, our future shows will attract fans in other cities. And with plans for a full-length CD in the next year, I think we’ll be able to go far."