Band of A Hunnerd Names

Once upon a time, back in 2000, there was a band with lofty and poetic

aspirations, who named itself 100 Love Sonnets after a Pablo Neruda poetry

book.  This was all fine and dandy until people started showing up at

concerts expecting Barry Manilow / mellow folk ballads / soppy romantic pap

by the bucketful.  And you have to understand that the 100 Love Sonnets men

(and woman) were anything but LITE.  At its most tender moments, their music

still had a considerable bite.

So after much deliberation and caffeine, in December 2002, on the cusp of a

new year, 100 Love Sonnets became violet i.  Same lofty and poetic

aspirations without the wimpy name.  A sophomore CD was completed,

flattering new photos were taken, enticing new logos and a web site were

created.  violet i even got a nice write-up in a local newspaper (flattering

photo and all).

Then came the trademark search, which shot the band∂s wonderful new name

ALL TO HECK!  The lengthy version of the story involves a crazed and litigation

happy Japanese man and a host of other bands with the word "violet" in their

names.  You can imagine the black despair that this sent our heroes (and

heroine) spiraling into.

"But we have a spankin' CD already mixed, mastered, and ready to go!" the

band members moaned.  No matter, the search for the perfect, untaken name

was on once again.

(Side note:  It's unbelievable how many 14-year-olds have bands and domain

names with the same names that grownups want.  Not that the creators of this

site have anything against 14-year-olds, mind you.)

For three painful and desolate weeks,  the band formerly known as violet i,

formerly known as 100 Love Sonnets, wracked its collective brain.  Every

street sign, newspaper headline, random thought, cereal box slogan, and odd

tidbit of literature became a possibility.  From a jumble of 600 prospective

band names, countless hours of harrying research, telephone calls to the

band's lawyer Trademark Bob, desperate prayers, and informal polls of

friends, fans, strangers, pets, etc., a name emerged.  It seemed to embody

the band's passion and intensity and, best of all, no one else had it!  So

after MUCH ado, feeling like complete idiots, 100 Love Sonnets/ violet i has

yet another name, ripe with possibilities.  We are Meltdown Morning.

The End (for this month)