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WHY DID THE KNOW HOW BREAK UP? The question that has been asked at least 5 times since TKH announced their break up in Nov. 2006! I think our friend Aubrey sums it up very well in the March 2007 issue of REAX Magazine!

Written by: Aubrey Bramble

The Know How, one of central Florida's most successful (and beloved) ska outfits, called it quits this past month after nearly a decade of making infectious, Moog-tinged ska for both local and national audiences alike. What better way to say goodbye than with two massive, sold-out shows where it all started, Gainesville, with fans in attendance from as near as University Avenue and as far as Australia, and with an encyclopedic lineup of almost every single member, both recent and retired. I caught up with my good friends, founding members Alex Lee (Moog/keyboards) and Bryan Wilson (drums) who were among those returning for the last hurrah, to get the lowdown. 

Before we get to the bittersweet ending, however, I should probably mention how The Know How began: in my college apartment. A single gal with a two bedroom apartment and no roommate makes for a very cheap practice space, especially when she just happens to be friends with a bunch of ska-crazy amateur musicians. I am, in fact, the girl behind "Aubrey's House."

The Know How eventually moved on to a real practice space, began playing live, and compiled enough songs for a debut album. Over the next nine years, they would participate in the ever-popular Vans' Warped Tour a total of four years in a row, go out on the road as part of the Ska Is Dead tour with such definitive national acts as Mustard Plug and The Toasters, and record a total of 3 full-length albums, the latest on Stomp! Records. Not sure where to place that catchy song in the background of Date My Mom (and an assortment of other original MTV programming)? You probably just heard The Know How. Alternative Press listed them as one of the top ten ska bands in the nation. Not bad for a group of humble college kids from Gainesville.

This past year alone they were invited to open for pop-punk pioneers Against All Authority on the North American leg of their 2006 tour.  

So, why call it quits? Alex explains that over the years the band was saddled with what he and the other guys refer to as, "The Know How Curse." Although they reached success regionally and at times nationally, ultimately the "bad" was enough to cancel out the "good." In a span of five months, the band had to purchase not one, but two tour vans. Financial setbacks, a botched 2006 national tour with Bullets To Broadway, and a revolving door of backing band members put a stress on the unit that eventually they just could not recover from.

 "You get knocked down so many times, that eventually you just don't get up."

 Alex and Bryan are quick to mention, however, that one of the main reasons they made the effort to keep going over the years was a devoted fan base. "It's cliché, but honestly, our fans are the world to us and, more than anything, the reason we worked so hard and sweated our asses off on stage was to say 'thank you.'" 

"I don't know if God loves or hates TKH. I believe there was an illustration of Kilgore Trout's headstone in Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast Of Champions that best sums it up: 'He Tried.' We tried, and I think we accomplished a great deal." 

Look for a DVD version of their final shows to be released sometime in the near future. Visit www.myspace.com/theknowhow for updates, or to simply send some good cheer to the guys as the embark on their next great adventure.

TKH LAST SHOW SHIRTS + HOODIES + CDS AVAILABLE ONLINE RIGHT NOW!

WE WILL BE SELLING OFF THE REMAINING STOCK OF THE KNOW HOW MERCHANDISE IN THE UPCOMING WEEKS. THIS INCLUDES ALL OLD TSHIRT DESIGNS AS WELL AS WHATEVER IS LEFT INSTOCK FOR THE "LAST SHOW" TSHIRTS AND HOODIES. CHECK THE STORE EVERY COUPLE DAYS TO SEE THE ANYTHING HAS UPDATED! THANKS!

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