Cut Away, Cut Away: At The Drive In's Lifetime Of Stops And Starts
In November 2000, weeks after the release of its breakthrough album Relationship of Command, At The Drive In's tour van skidded out of control on a road in Colorado and flipped onto its roof. Despite the severity of the crash and the damage done to the vehicle, no one was seriously injured: Band members were released from the hospital the same night, walking away from the type of accident that could have left them much worse off. It must be something, I imagine, to enter a world of unexpected and endless hype right after after surviving an incident that could have killed you. To have the freedom that comes with new success and hold it in your hands, knowing for sure that life isn't promised, makes for a hard reevaluation of priorities. And like any near-death experience, it must make you keenly aware of the people you could die next to.
After two modestly received albums, 1996's and 1998's , pushed At The Drive In closer to the mainstream than it had ever been. It was the first release by the five Texans to crack the 200, peaking at 116, and it played as their most focused statement — the one where sound, ambition,
