Got live?

Look, keeping up with the news is a full-time job if you're doing it right. Reading stories from multiple sources, fact-checking, attempting to remain unbiased in your thinking, raising important questions...it's a lot. This blog is NOT about keeping pace with the multiple daily news cycles or my opinions on if a pandemic being "fake news" or legit cause for alarm, is or isn't our president systematically deconstructing the foundation of the democracy this country was built on, or whether or not Black Lives Matter. It's about music. That universal language that hopefully helps us forget about our individual and collective realities for a few minutes at a time.

Sharing new finds, spewing my thoughts on the infinite sea of past and current recordings, and commenting on music-related news stories is my respite, passion, and happy place. Keeping up with new music was often difficult when each week consistently saw several high-profile and under-the-radar releases being thrust into the consumer space. 2020 changed that. It's significantly easier to track new music this year, more so than any other year I've been following my life's obsession. 

The pandemic has impacted supply chains, shut down myriad small businesses (big ones too), and caused job loss, death, and immeasurable (perhaps irreparable) damage to the psyche of our country. If that wasn't enough, it also killed live music - a fundamental part of many acts' business models. Create the product. Bring the product to the masses. Bring the live version of said product to said masses in an effort to grow, and further solidify, the fan base. Sell merch. Lather, rinse, repeat.

My last concert was on February 17th this year. Tacocat. Small venue. Great time. Seeing bands I like do their thing live is essentially what passes for going to church in my world. And just like going to actual church, the ability to catch one's favorite band in concert, in person, came to an abrupt end about a month after I saw Tacocat. You'll read about them in future entries when I wax nostalgic for the now-distant innocence of 2019 and its music. 

Livestreams are no replacement for the "I was there" moments that only happen in person. You just can't virtually replicate unintentional physical contact with complete strangers as you jostle for a good eye-line to the stage. In the grand scheme of things, it's a minor inconvenience. There are far bigger COVID-related issues to focus on. Fortunately, we co-exist with technology that doesn't take us back to the clubs, but has provided some interesting musical moments that I'll write about in a future post. So yeah, not being able to see live music is my personal cherry on top of the suckfest sundae that is 2020.

And yes, BLACK LIVES MATTER!!!!