I wanted to crowd-solve this mystery with you

Good morning, DMV! It’s Tuesday, May 5.

I launched this newsletter three months ago today. Two days after my first post, reader Amy Carlini sent in “this odd photo” she took in the Giant grocery store on Maple Avenue in Vienna, Virginia. I wasn’t sure I’d use it but kept it tucked away and couldn’t stop thinking about it.

What did it mean?

“Perhaps someone with a sense of humor was leaving us a sign of hope. At least I choose to take it that way,” Amy wrote in an email.

I wondered: Was it someone who had overcome a health challenge? I had a grand plan to invite you to help me crowd-solve this mystery together. I wrote up my newsletter draft several days ago, then just before scheduling it to send, I did another search. And of course, I found the people behind it on Facebook, Instagram and their website.

Catscan! is an art rock band with three members: Paul Tsiaperas (bass) and Mason Scan (synths/percussion), who formed the band in 2000 when they were seventh graders at Thoreau Middle School in Vienna, Virginia; and Kevin Nolan (guitar/saxophone), who joined them around 2019. They describe their experimental electro-pop as “nu new wave.” “Everything is Normal” is the name of the album they released last year and its title track.

I dropped them a line and chatted with Mason and Paul on WhatsApp.

“I’m glad you found us! It’s almost a shame you solved the mystery. That sounds like it would have been fun to crowdsolve 🔎 … We design these stickers and give them out for free at our concerts,” wrote Mason, who now lives in Capitol Heights, Maryland.

“It’s interesting that you mentioned that theme of health issues came to mind. Several of us in the group had parents who battled cancer in the last year, so it’s been something that’s been on our minds and certainly reflected in our art,” Mason said. “On the back of Everything is Normal, we’ve included the following: ‘THIS ALBUM IS DEDICATED TO MASON’S MOM AND PAUL’S DAD FOR KICKING CANCER’S ASS.’”

They chose the band name when they were kids, Paul told me in the chat.

“We were looking for a name that wasn't too long and that told people we rocked, like 80s power metal band names. We were 12 and 13 at the time, so our knowledge of medical equipment was limited, but we had it in our heads that Cat Scan machines were used to tell you whether or not you were ‘insane.’ We made it one word and added an exclamation point just in case anyone wasn't clear that we were a rock band,” said Paul, who now lives in Herndon, Virginia.

(To be clear: A CT scan, as the procedure is more commonly called today, does not tell you whether or not you’re insane. It creates detailed, cross-sectional images of the body — like an x-ray gone wild.)

Here is the tagline for their album: “Have you felt gaslit and driven to the edge of insanity by the slow collapse of society and the ecosystem? Good news! You are insane! Stop complaining: EVERYTHING IS NORMAL!”

You can listen to their song here:

So back to Amy, the reader who sent me the pic that led me down this rabbit hole.

“I seem to have started a collection of photos of odd signs and notes,” she wrote to me a few months ago. “Sometimes it’s the items themselves that are odd and sometimes it’s the location. I have a photo of a sticker someone left in a women’s bathroom stall near the toilet paper that says ‘you are beautiful.’ I see them as little presents people leave each other.”

Is there a backstory for this one below? Drop me a line if you know. And please send me your photos of life around the DMV here.

Do you know anyone who would enjoy my Daily Dose? Please share this newsletter with them to help me grow. To subscribe, click here. This newsletter would not be possible without your financial contributions — click below to donate. Thanks for reading me!

I’m exploring DMV neighborhoods and planning to join a community bike ride Thursday evening around the 16-mile Arlington Loop. The ride goes from 5:30 to 8 p.m., starting from Conte’s Bike Shop at 1350 S. Eads St. in Arlington. Click here for details and to register.

And if you do go on the ride — please send me your photos, so that if I write about it, I can use your pics!

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