Social Distancing Alone, Together

This post originally written March 17, 2020. Which feels like years from today, March 31.

What a time we are in. I grieve for you and I grieve for all of us. What a tender time.

I hope you have been okay. Obviously. How is your family? I heard it said ‘act like you have the virus and don’t give it to anyone else.’ Depressing but helps. Please stay home. I hope you’re doing that. Regardless if we’re all carriers at this point. We don’t know that for sure because there is no leadership. We are all we got. Obama was right years ago…’we are the ones we’ve been waiting for.’ Maybe that’s paraphrasing but maybe I nailed it. And it’s now. No one is awake at the wheel so we’ve got to take it.

What are you listening to lately? I got a record player last holidays so vinyl is king. Nathaniel Rateliff’s “And It’s Still Alright” is on repeat often here. But I like scooping up used classical or r&b records, stuff I’d never owned on CDs. I have a budget for one new record a month and discretionary used LPs. Not a bad practice but there are so many vinyls I thirst for. Radiohead’s OK Computer, Isakov’s Empty Northern Hemisphere, Elliott Smith’s XO, Beatles Abbey Road. Last month I bought Neutral Milk Hotel’s “In The Aeroplane Over The Sea” and that was a worthy splurge. Magnificent record I once probably had on mixtape.

**I just deleted the rest of this post (thanks Squarespace and fat fingers) - so I’m gonna wing it and build it back the way it was plus now. Something about Nathaniel Rateliff’s ‘Rush On.’ And how it kills me. And how I know that person. And if there hasn’t been 25 unfinished Geoff Koch songs about death and dying. But listen to this one…the space, drone of two-chord metal guitar. the ache. pain. lay the verse over that bed and bring it home. Yep. Wonderful thing about art. Makes me feel like I know him, if he could write something like that and not know me. Hm. This song resonates with me like ‘Putting The Damage On’ or ‘Hey Jupiter’ by Tori Amos. ‘Horseracing’ by The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir. The resignation, the space, agony, and beautiful emotion.

okok

today I got furloughed/laid off and have oodles of time to practice my Hannibal Lecter impression or make 30 songs. latter, please. I’ve started playing Facebook Live shows. I think Mondays and Fridays around 8pm CST. I’m gonna make a grunge, 80s, and ladies night - a theme party and I’ll play all-to-mostly-all songs from that genre plus a couple few of my own as need-be. ya know.

join the party on these live shows that can just go on and on, depending! leave the likes, loves, and comments. I wanna know what you wanna hear (ahead of time and during time) and I’ll play it for you as soon as I can. when the dust settles - let me come into your city, school or play a house concert for you and yours. DM me, that party can be as big or small as you need it to be. BUT for now I’m playing my guts out for you on my Facebook music page so we can be Alone, Together.

photo: Laura Schneider