After eleven years together, emo veterans Rainer Maria will be disbanding after playing two farewell shows in December. The band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1995 and put out five albums during their run, including 2004's live disc, Anyone in Love With You (Already Knows). Their final album, Catastrophe Keep Us Together, was released eariler this year on Grunion Records.
Here is the band's statement, taken from the Grunion Web site:
"We are grateful to our new listeners and especially our longtime fans for their endless support and attention. We feel incredibly fortunate to have come up during a unique time in rock music, in a community that grew with us from the Midwest to Brooklyn and beyond. Making records has always been a revelation, and walking onto stage together we found a vision we could share.
"For us, this transition can be nothing short of heartbreaking. But for reasons both musical and personal, the three of us have chosen this time to move on."
You can say your goodbyes to the band at one of the two following dates:
12-15 Philadelphia, PA: First Unitarian Church
12-16 New York, NY: Bowery Ballroom