Buffalo groove-rock quartet Aqueous will go on indefinite hiatus following a handful of early-2022 tour dates and festival appearances, the band announced on Friday. The decision comes after keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist Dave Loss welcomed his first child last year.
Dave Loss, guitarist/vocalist Mike Gantzer, bassist Evan McPhaden, and drummer Rob Houk had revealed in July 2022 that Aqueous would take the remainder of the year off as Loss prepared for the birth of his son, but hinted at more to come from the band in 2023. In a heartfelt update shared on Friday, Loss explained his reasoning for continuing the hiatus indefinitely.
“Music and this band have been the priority in my life for a very long time, but with the birth of my son that started to change,” he wrote. “My wife and I love our son more than anything in this world and want nothing but to be the best parents possible. I want to be there for as much as I can and I don’t want to miss a thing. That being said, touring and being away from my family is just not something I can do right now. I have decided that it is time for me to step away from the band to be home with my family. Although it was a very difficult decision, I know it is the right one for me. There will still be some music for me to play going forward, but the full-time touring musician gig is just not one that fits my life at the moment.”
“Life can be unpredictable and beautiful, challenging and rewarding, and so many other wonderfully contrasting things, but I’m genuinely happy and excited for all of us on our current/respective paths in life,” added Gantzer in a separate post. “Embracing change has been one of the great lessons of my life (that I’m still learning) and I look forward to everything to come as I reflect on everything that has been with gratitude and love. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to making our literal dreams come true, and know that every step I take in music moving forward seeks to honor that.”
“These past 16 years with the band have been nothing short of incredible,” Loss wrote. “It has been a journey that has shaped my life in more ways than I even know. I’ve traveled to so many amazing places and met so many incredible people along the way. Making friends that will last a lifetime and meeting musical heroes that I can now call peers. The 18 year old me wouldn’t believe some of things Aqueous was able to do. And not to mention, doing all this with your best friends?! Pretty damn cool if you ask me.”
“I would also just like to say that Aqueous has always had the most amazing and passionate fans,” he continued. “It seems like every other day I’m learning about someone else being a huge AQ fan. It fills my heart with such joy to know that our music has meant (and continues to mean) so much to so many people. That has been the greatest part of this experience hands down. So thank you, thank you to all of you for being here supporting us, and sending us friendly messages letting us know what our music means to you.”
The band will play its final concerts throughout the first five months of 2023 including festival appearances at Tucson, AZ’s Gem & Jam (2/3), and Chillicothe, IL’s Summer Camp Music Festival (5/26–5/28) as well as club dates in Albany, NY (3/3), Syracuse, NY (3/4), Erie, PA (3/11), Baltimore, MD (4/7), and Ardmore, PA (4/8).
Find ticketing details for the final round of 2023 Aqueous tour dates here. Click below to read the full not from Dave Loss.
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