“Our friendships were in the toilet between the three of us even though our success was looking up,” Corrigan said. “There was just no amount of money or press or people telling us we should stick it out that was enough for us to be happy.”

“It’s just that our country tells us to ride stuff into the ground, kill it, milk it for every dollar,” Corrigan added. “And that’s lame. You’ve got to know when to let go of something.”

So in 2002, Corrigan moved back to Colorado, temporarily suspending the schedule of one of the college circuit’s most popular bands.

Now, two years later, the music has, for one last time, called their name out loud.

“We just figured, you know, let’s get together, see how we feel together, get all of our crew and family, friends, get everyone in on it again and celebrate it and then just let it go,” Corrigan said. “If it’s meant to come back to us it will.”

Although Corrigan was not yet sure what song the band will close its final encore with, he said that he hopes for one in particular: “The General,” the immensely popular ballad about an army officer who turns his back on and saves his men from needless conflict.

Who is the general, though?

“Don’t we all want to know?” Corrigan asked.

—Gregory B. Michnikov contributed to the reporting of this story.

—Staff writer Timothy J. McGinn can be reached at mcginn@fas.harvard.edu.