Being locked down in my apartment for the past few months has given me time to reflect on life and how I spend mine. This time spent in isolation has put some things in perspective for me in terms of who I am as a person and what I want out of life and, most importantly, my local scene. I had a realization that blew my mind and, though it may be controversial, if you’ll take this journey with me, you’ll see things as they are: the scene was way better when we could leave our houses.
Yes, I know this may piss some people off but I’ve never been one to back down when I believe in something except when asked to protest on behalf of it.
I know we’re all doing our best with live-streamed performances and Zoom calls but it’s time to admit it just isn’t the same as being crammed into a dark building with no air conditioning with a hundred sweaty strangers. Even when you finally find a good one, the sense of community vanishes when any random asshole from Poser Springs, Montana can drop into a stream and tell OUR local bands, “nice set.” That’s our honor and privilege for being in this town and a part of this scene.
Think of all the honest people who are out of work: sound guys, bartenders, light guys. And the dishonest ones too: aggressive security, thieving doormen, and let’s be real, most of those sound guys, bartenders, and light guys too.
Plus, think of all the experiences you can’t have at home. Stuff like avoiding eye contact with the merch guy after not tipping him, spilling the drink you took into the pit all over yourself, and wringing other people’s sweat out of your clothes at the end of the night. You can try and recreate this experience at home, but trust me, you’re better off waiting out the pandemic.
Fortunately, my state looks like it’s entering phase two of reopening next week. Even if we can only have outdoor shows right now, it’ll be refreshing to get back to normal: finding excuses not to see my friends’ bands again.