There is an old saying that in order to get to paradise you must 1st cross Hell. In the year 2000 Apox (Apocalypse Theatre) has pulled over after a near head on collision in what could only be called Hell. With the death of a friend, the burning down of our 1st home in many years, the collapse of the label which helped entice us to leave Hollows Hill, and a variety of after shocks connected to the fire and living on the edge.(rebuilding equipment, recording, and the loss of URL's and Screen names due to ownership outside the band and net-wars with unknown individuals) With these events we found our animal spirits caged in an expensive isolated area in North Minneapolis where we have been ,struggling to rebuild.  Yet somehow we still manage to see the light through the smoke, the other side in the distance.  Yes, this is the 3rd ressurection of a band that will not die, a band that is something more than a band. Its a story about friends, and the tides of love & war.
   Although much later than expected, and without a clear distributor at this time, the CD was finally completed in late July. Our best work ever. Our equipment was replaced and we managed to upgrade our computer system. Still we had an uphill battle ahead. Always known for helping others, our expensive refuge began to attract the friends who needed love, the homeless fringe, plus some stray dogs and cats. Soon our garage was a home, our living room a camp, everything was chaos. With so many sad stories in our midst it was hard to feel sorry for ourselves ,so we simply struggled onward. Maybe it was around this time that our famous van (Betsy) decided to die. It would be another month before a replacement would be found, and somehow we felt tears as if she were real. I guess she is real, because we are. We learned a lot about mechanics and salvage techniques because of our emotional attachment to Betsy. She was a gift from Hope's father before he passed away. We still have her shell, and the dream of rebuilding her one day.       
                                      RIP  Betsy. 1994-2000
       I guess that brings me to right now, what is Apox doing now?
The answer my friends is blowing in the wind. hehehe.
Well, on a serious note, we have decided that if we don't just leave this rut we are spinning wheels in, we may not survive as a band. Not much more can be accomplished here, but fear is coursing through our veins. The horse we were riding was put out of her misery, our chaos has grown roots. We are needed here in a strange way, and we have managed to pay our 1200.00+ bills every month. it is a triumph of wills. We have survived. But the dream is cut and bleeding, we are slipping away. Sinking in the mire.
     Many of you have been waiting for word on when you can travel with us, or when we would return to your area, and I have let you down in my efforts to communicate, because it is unpredictable, beacuse it was so hard to hold on to the ground I was standing on. So now,  we are just leaving on an adventure, a tour unlike any before because we do not have the time to book one that is contemporary. Instead we are heading out to Burning Man, a festival in the desert that attracts 10,000+ freaks
and has agreed to allow us entry a month before the event if we help the core prepare for the onslaught of humanity. It will also give us time to set a theme camp in the center or on the outer rim of the desert city, that will serve as a home and stage for Apox three weeks before and up until two weeks after clean up is completed. We extend an invitation to anyone who has been interested in traveling with us, this opportunity is without a doubt "living on the edge" and X-treme. But, we have learned that freedom has a price and although we are afraid, we are also feeling the animal inside stirring.
     The event is 200.00 for anyone at the gate(Burningman.com) so if you want to be a part of us and get in for free by helping out, all you need is some pocket money and the hunger to leave it all behind. This is not something most of you could do on short notice, but I had to extend the invite.

  After the event, we plan on touring sporadically across the West coast and then making our way to St.Louis to possibly find refuge during the winter, but those plans are subject to change. Once again, we are inviting those who have spoken to us, those who have helped us, those who have followed our story, and even those we do not know. I realize it is not something for most, but it is all I have to offer in gratitude for the support and the confirmation that The 3rd resurrection is still underway and Apox will be the Phoenix that emerges from the flames of The Burning Man Event, angry angels hell bent on blazing a new path.


This is our Schedule.(subject to change) if you want us around, please write us here and lets start brain storming.
       August - September  (possible stops in Denver & Salt Lake City) the road to Black Rock City in The Nevada desert.  BurningMan.com
       September 14- 25 San Francisco-Portland- Seattle
        Late September   The road to St.Louis
        October     Alabama/ Atlanta/The Heartland through Texas and then east or west?

finally I am introducing several web sites that will lead you into the 100+ page of friends sites, X-members sites, and sites we created to link the mess together. Its called The Apox Matrix  which is also the name of our 3rd CD. With over 65 souls who have shared the stage, dozens of online reviews, side projects, and our own official sites, there is a story in the chaos that makes it real. I have listed a few points of entry.

1. our official site;    apox2000.iwarp.com   (booking info, live pictures, links to other sites including sectors in The Apox Matrix, and to free downloads from the new CD)

2. apocalypsetheatre.net  an easy to remember site that links you to several sectors but is plagued by an evil banner that travels with it to every URL. copy,paste and click your way out of the banner if it bugs you.

3. mp3.com/apocalypsenow  4-6 songs in full exist here from the 3rd CD, other sites exist on Lycos(angelfire), and on riffage.com that will lead you to a variety of songs old and new. We intend to post everything somewhere for free, and if you want experimental stuff, outtakes  etc.. We will send you the cyber key which is posted online here and there as well for you to grab stuff out of our Driveway.com account.

4. TheApoxMatrix.com is not up yet, it will take you to the site that we will link new sites and pages we discover as time marches on. There is also a sector called TheDiseased coming soon which will include pages and MP3's/art/poetry from all the bands and friends who we call friends and supporters. In the meantime this link will get you to a sector. sector001 on Angelfire is pretty cool.

5. other links that include music are KidMatilda.com (the youngest member ever !!! 5 years old)  and XY.faithweb.com (the official Messengers site)


                                               final thoughts
     Sorry this E-mail was so long, it may be the last news letter in 2000 because I am not sure whats gonna happen next, but if we seem invisible and you are curious about us, please write , your words have been the inspiration that has kept us in our darkest hours and we will try to return the flame by carrying the torch for you.
    So from me and all of Apox I thank you, I have been trying to put together a gift for several of you who have gone beyond to help us and I guess I will just have to deliver it in person if I am unable to mail it to everyone.

                                             from the event horizon
                                                       Mercy

       
www.mp3.com/apocalypsenow