KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Bluegrass fan Kyle McCormick left everyone who encountered him at Preservation Pub unsure whether he was the redneck kind or the NPR kind, sources report.
“Man, this code is impossible to crack,” said Jessica Brentner, who just met McCormick 15 minutes ago. “He was wearing flannel and blue jeans, which could go either way. He had a little bit of a southern accent, like he might’ve been from the part of Ohio or Illinois that’s bordering Kentucky, but that isn’t enough information to go on, either. He wasn’t wearing a MAGA hat, which could mean he was the NPR kind, but he didn’t seem to react when I mentioned Tiny Desk Concerts. I eventually gave up on being subtle and mentioned how much I hate ICE, but he kind of steered the conversation back to his new banjo and then followed that by talking about his ukulele. I wish I had an answer, but I definitely don’t.”
McCormick didn’t seem to notice that everyone around was mystified.
“I’m a huge bluegrass fan,” McCormick said. “I listen to stuff like Billy Strings and Greensky Bluegrass, and I also love the classics like Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt. I’m always on the lookout for new artists, so I came here to check out live performances. I’m kind of a reserved person, so when people talk to me I tend to just stick to music. I don’t see a reason to stir the pot by bringing up things like politics and religion, you know? But feel free to come say hi and have a drink with me if you see me at the bar!”
Sociologist Garrett Xie has seen this before.
“The line between rednecks and coastal elites who love music that has conventionally been enjoyed by rednecks has been increasingly blurred over the past few decades,” Xie provided. “Take country music, for example. Any viewing of Country Music Television would lead one to believe that it’s a primarily conservative community, but that conclusion would likely be second-guessed if one were to attend a country show in Asheville. It’s certainly confusing, but I recommend people just try to take a break from how awful and divisive the country is right now and bond over the music. Not every encounter has to be as shitty and pointless as Facebook has led us to think.”
At press time, McCormick’s outspoken love of bourbon was doing nothing to answer the question.
