SALEM, Mass. — Your friend Jared Bunter finally reached out today to let you know about his band’s upcoming gig despite six months of radio silence prior to that point, sources report.
“Honestly, I’m mostly just relieved to hear he’s still alive,” you said. “I haven’t heard from Jared in like, half a year now. I assumed he was okay because the band’s Instagram’s updates included occasional photos of him, but you never know. He never responded to the last three memes I sent him and he didn’t show up at my birthday party. He didn’t even reply when I told him my father died. It’s whatever. His shows are fun. I sort of wish the venue wasn’t an hour away, but maybe I can catch a ride with someone and sleep in the car on the way home.”
Bunter, who invited you by texting you a flyer for the show, adding the personal touch of “can’t wait to see you!” with three sets of eye emojis, didn’t even seem to notice how much time elapsed between communication.
“It’s true, the Deltacat Kickbacks have a show this Thursday and we are going to be playing some really cool new songs,” Bunter explained. “The openers are amazing. They start at nine. Well, nine if everything goes to plan. So we should be on by 11:30 or so by the latest. I texted all of my closest friends, my family, the guys I met at a bar last weekend, my coworkers, and some of my mother’s coworkers. I’ve been a little MIA lately and I can’t wait to catch up with everyone there.”
Scene veteran Rachel Honquist, who has been attending her friends’ shows for decades, said your experience is par for the course.
“People in bands are busy. They have lives, sometimes jobs, occasionally families, and on top of all that they have to practice,” Honquist explained. “It’s normal for them to be unable to hang out on the regular or text you back despite being on their phone for eight hours a day. Or sometimes they just don’t like you. It could also be that. They’ll ask you to attend their show either way.”
At press time, Bunter had not responded to your text confirming you are excited about the concert and asking if he wants to get together for dinner next week.