When I first saw The Great Divide play, I hadn't seen a good show in several weeks. In fact, I was wondering if I was losing my taste for live music. Mike McClure and the gang changed all that. It was there first show at the Firehouse, so there weren't all that many people there, just the usual Oklahoma State contingent that makes an appearence at all the Ragweed and Boland shows, so it was a unique opportunity to see a truly awesome band without the crowds. I was only familiar with a handful of their songs, but it didn't matter. I usually don't like a band until my second or third outing with them, but they are one of the few exceptions. In the closing encore, they played the best version of Everclear's Santa Monica I've heard to date.

As readers of RAWbservations know, I've been fearing that they were on the road to breaking up. Today I learned lead guitarist (and vocalist) J.J. Lester has confirmed my fears.

The time has come for me to let you know what is going on with the band. As of March 31st Mike McClure will no longer be a part of TGD. We (Scotte, Kelley, and myself) apologize for holding this as long as we have. I will elaborate more on the
reasons in the coming months but for now I will leave it at that. Please believe this has been a very difficult time and we are trying to make the right decisions for our fans, families, and future. Thank you for your prayers and support. GOD BLESS, TGD

They are doing another show at the Firehouse in February. I don't know whether to stay sober and appreciate every drop of it or get drunk and mourn their passing.