Before breaking up in 2002, Peter Parker were one of Seattle's loudest, crunchiest, and most exuberant pop acts. The city certainly wasn't aching for good music at the time, either—almost every weekend one could see a Harvey Danger, Juno, Death Cab for Cutie, Automaton, Waxwing, or Polecat show. Very often, Peter Parker were playing with those groups! But they were the underdogs in the scene, and they were fantastic. If Seattle had its own set of rock-and-roll trading cards, Peter Parker would be like the '95 Mariners—the beloved small fries that almost went to the World Series. Nobody remembers who almost wins, though.

Their songs and energy were contagious—they had the fury of Fugazi, but the sound of Superchunk. I must've seen 'em at least 50 times, but that never felt like enough. And I wasn't the only fan in the crowd convinced of the band's greatness. Bellingham's upbeat and hook-filled pop trio Racetrack wouldn't exist if it weren't for Peter Parker.

"I think they were the first people that made me really feel like I could start a band of my own," says Racetrack's singer/guitarist Meghan Kessinger. "When I was 15 and going to shows, people in bands seemed so cool to me. The Peter Parker crew were always pushing for me to start playing music of my own; they were all really sweet about it. They always made me feel like I could do anything that they did, and I'm really grateful for that influence."

Racetrack drummer Jackson Long remembers one of the last times he saw the band play before their 2002 breakup.

"One of the last shows PP did at the old Paradox ended in mayhem during their epic cover of Damien Jurado's 'Paxil.' [Writer's note: Jackson is right, that cover is totally epic.] Steve plowed over his drum kit and threw one of his cymbals into the air over and over again until it was in pieces. Matthew passed Christine (his guitar) through the crowd. I ended up behind the drums to finish out 'Paxil,' while Steve stood at the front of the stage in his socks clapping along."

Though the two bands grew to be friends (PP's frontman Matthew McGowan even played bass in the early incarnation of Racetrack), Racetrack and Peter Parker never had the chance to play a show together. But now Peter Parker are back and bringing years of history full-circle by finally sharing the stage with Racetrack. The reason they're playing, though, is because now it's Racetrack who are breaking up.

This weekend Peter Parker play their first show in four years while Racetrack play their last; the bands play a Vera Project show at the Downtown YMCA's Fusion Cafe Friday night, and the WWU Viking Union in Bellingham on Saturday.

"They are one of the biggest reasons that I am playing music," says Kessinger of Peter Parker's influence. "Jackson and I went to their shows all of the time before we started Racetrack. We've both been itching to do something with those guys for so long; it's now or never, you know? I'm really, really excited to see them play again."