America Owns The Moon: Final Show
Melody Inn
www.melodyindy.com
Friday, Sept. 1, 10 p.m.
$5

One of Indy’s best punk bands is calling it quits for good. Next week, America Owns The Moon plays its final show and says goodbye to founding member and bass player Ben Messer who is moving to San Francisco.

The band first formed in the Lexington House (R.I.P.) in beautiful historic Fountain Square in the summer of 2000. Since then the combination of Ben Messer, Danny Russell, Tony Beemer and Christian Taylor have released several EPs, including 2002’s Tiger. Taylor (originally from Georgia) came to Indianapolis out of the Army. Local boys Russell and Messer are cousins and have been in punk rock bands with Beemer for what they call “many a long time.”

“We’ve collectively been playing music for nearly 50 years. Individually, we’ve been playing for 10 to 15 years,” Messer told NUVO when the band was picked as Artist of the Week a few years ago. Though love of music has been a primary impetus for the band’s existence, Messer admits, “The truth is we got our start and will have our finish playing for girls.”

For the past few years, AOTM has been a staple of live shows at the Patio, Emerson and Melody Inn — where they’ll play their final gig. If you’ve never caught them live, don’t miss your last chance to see one of the local scene’s most energetic and original group of musicians go out with what’s sure to be a kick-ass bang.