Question: When was the last time my band, As Yet Unbroken, played a live show? More than a year ago. Better question: When was the last time I played guitar live on stage? So long ago — easily a decade — that I can’t remember. Well, this Friday, March 30, both of those long spells will be broken, when AYU finally celebrates the release of the CD we unleashed upon the world last November with a benefit show for Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth at Theatre7 in downtown Las Vegas.

Yes, the rumors are true: I’ve switched from drums to guitar in AYU, a move that I’ve been considering ever since we parted ways with our last guitarist, Peter Stauber, about a year and a half ago. After he left, we played a few shows with our former guitar-slinger, Rick Espe, but although Rick remains a good friend of the band, he didn’t want to come back full-time (I can’t say I blame him). So, in the interim, we recorded our album, “Unknown,” as a three-piece, with guitar parts played mostly by me, and on a few songs, by bassist Mark T. Zeilman.

Instead of searching for a new guitarist who would have to learn all of our songs fresh, and seeing as how I already learned all of the songs I hadn’t already co-written, it made a lot more sense for me to switch back to what was originally my primary instrument, and then find someone to fill the drum throne, which was a surprisingly less challenging task than you’d think. So, with the addition of Jackie Pope on the loud, banging things, we set about learning to play together as an almost-new band, even as I was basically re-learning to play guitar. It may be like riding a bike, but that didn’t mean I was ready to pop wheelies on day one. But will I be doing metaphorical mid-air flips when we fill indie movie house Theatre7 with our brand of rock on Friday? There’s only one way for you to find out.

If you’re coming, please bring cash, because we are asking for a small donation ($5) to Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth. And even better, if you have any items from the charity’s wish list (teen clothing, non-perishable snacks, toiletries, etc.), please bring those as well. If you forget cash for a CD, though, no problem: We take credit cards. 😉

Hope to see you there, if for no other reason than to see if I can live up to Jarret Keene’s expectations of me “shredding.”