The new Woods Tea Company is not the old Woods Tea Company

For several years, Woods Tea Company played at Caffe Lena the day after Thanksgiving.  For several years, I was sorry that I did not go.  Yesterday I went.  Now, I never again have to be sorry to miss Woods Tea Company.  That Woods Tea Company that was one of my favorite bands was not the Woods Tea Company I saw last night. The Woods Tea Company that I knew was Howard Wooden, Mike Lussen, Rusty Jacobs, and Chip Chase.  The Woods Tea Company that I saw last night was Howard Wooden, Patti Casey, and Tom MacKenzie.  The only member in common between the two bands is Howard Wooden.  Last night, I enjoyed the songs on which Howard Wooden sang lead.  There were very few of them.

I knew that Chip Chase and Rusty Jacobs had passed away. I liked the album that was released after their deaths, The Passage.  It still sounded like Woods Tea Company.  Therefore, I thought that I still liked Woods Tea Company just as much, even with half the members I had known gone.  I did not know that Mike Lussen left the group a year and a half ago.  I did not know that a huge amount of the music done by the current band is written by Patti Casey and sung by Patti Casey.  She's a good singer.  But she is not the Woods Tea Company I once new.

Chip Chase and Rusty Jacobs have left this world.  Mike Lussen has retired from the band.  The recordings they left are to be treasured.  The live performances will never be experienced again.  Everything in this earth is only here for a short time.  Let us cherish every moment while we can.