After crash, band can't wait to get back on stage

Members of the Scotland Yard Gospel Choir are now ready to celebrate the release of the quirky Chicago rock band's second album, "... and the horse you rode in on" - a full nine months after the record hit stores.

The delay was caused by a horrific rollover accident on Sept. 24, 2009, that totaled the band's van, destroyed their instruments and seriously injured three members.

"We knew we'd made the best album of our careers and we were so excited to begin touring behind it," said singer, guitarist and band founder Elia Einhorn. "The accident forced us to put all of that on hold. It was agonizing."

Today, all the band members have recovered to the point where they can play together on stage, which they will do for the first time since the accident on Saturday, June 19, at Subterranean in Chicago.

"We are so excited to play these songs," Einhorn said. "It really will be a special night for us."

The accident occurred just a couple of weeks after the official release of "... and the horse you rode in on" on Chicago's Bloodshot Records. The band was on the road in Indiana when a tire blew and the van spun out of control. It rolled over several times before stopping.

Three band members were hospitalized with serious injuries. Einhorn, one of the three, had to wear a neck brace for months.

The local music community rallied to help the band handle the financial impact of the crash, holding several benefit concerts and using social networking websites to raise funds.

"It was amazing, what people did for us," Einhorn said.

Scotland Yard Gospel Choir specializes in offbeat rock songs with an orchestral twist. Strings, trumpets and keyboards decorate Einhorn's pop-rock melodies, and his lyrics are always fresh and witty. "... and the horse you rode in on" features cameos by Waco Brothers leader Jon Langford and Martin Atkins of Public Image Ltd.

Not too long after this weekend's record-release show, the band hopes to launch the national tour it canceled after the accident. Einhorn estimated that the band would hit the road in September or October.

"For all of us, this has been a hard nine or 10 months," he said. "We're finally ready to start rocking again."