This past Friday night, I dragged my brother down from Sacramento to see Veruca Salt with me, on the day of the release of their new album. It was loads of fun, and that new album?  Awesome.

Buy it. Love it.

There’s a reason I specifically wanted my brother to go with me to this show. You see, this is the band’s “reunion” album and tour. Back in 1998, the two driving forces of the band – Louise Post and Nina Gordon – had a bit of a disagreement, to put it lightly. Not sure what the nature of it was, but it’s been described as “one of the greatest rock soap operas” by AllMusic. So, for more than a decade, Nina and Louise were estranged. And as anyone who’s read Reckoning knows, my brother and I were also estranged for an even longer stretch.

My brother and I, obviously, reconciled (or more accurately, I apologized and he forgave), and I can’t begin to describe how happy that makes me. Seeing another relationship reconciled and renewed fills me with happiness, too. As their Facebook page said, “hatchets buried, axes exhumed.”

Sadly, they did not dress like this for the show.

Seeing them perform together and getting along so well on stage got me all emotional, because… well… I’m a big sap.

And there ain’t no shame in that.