yourhog

Went to a local show (where we weren't playing for a change) last nite that was pretty cool in some ways and not in some others. I finally "met" this dude named Tony at the show- sadly he's one of the guys that hangs out at the coffee shop all the time but I've never talked to him before because i am quiet and an asshole. I had no idea he was an artist, but at the show he did this 15-minute set/sketch where at first you think he's coming up there to just play some solo singer/songwriter music, but it turns out to be this crazy skit where he's this little kid in his room with a ton of musical instruments all around him and he does everything with them that any 8-year-old (or any non-musician for that matter) would want to do with a room full of things that make noise, while his mom and dad are having some huge fight in the next room. It was great, even though hardly anyone there got the point. There were some other pretty good bands, and then the last band to go on succeeded at providing me with an even greater sense of urgency/desperation about getting out of this shithole. This was actually the second-and-a-half time I have been to one of their shows, so i have given them a chance. I stood there right in front of them for a little less than half of this one, and then i put forth a great effort to sneak out without being noticed at all, but I know several people saw that i didnt come back till they were almost done. Pretty well everyone in this band (except the violinist, who is actually extremely good and is like 17) is over 25, and have all been in other, mostly pretty good, bands in this "scene." So they are all, or at the very least used to be, rockers. Also, i think that in some ways what they are doing is pretty ballsy because they know that there are going to be quite a few people (especially younger ones) with the same attitute as me at their shows. So even though it is really way more complicated than what i am about to say, what it boils down to is that they play country music, and i truly hate it. It actually makes feel tired and sick, and i have trouble expelling it from my brain after it's over. And i would never dare say so in front of anyone here because everyone my age (20 and up) would scream at me and kick my ass or at least quietly make the conclusion that I am a stupid snobby prude and never speak to me again. Everyone else that i know here loves them, and while i am not all that shocked by that, it has made me realize that after 2 years of living in this town (which is still a much less oppressive society than the town where i went to high school and junk), there is no culture left for me to absorb. Even sydfloyd, the frontman/primary creative voice in my band, whom I still believe as far as artistic integrity goes is probably the coolest guy i will ever meet, is getting discouraged by all this shit, although i dont think he's caught on yet to how the success of this "alt-country"-but-gradually-turning-just-plain-"country" band might have some kind of link to it. The fact is, people that are fans of psycedelic acid punk and also country do exist, but they are VERY rare. Frustratingly, soul-rottingly rare.
Anyhoo, that's all of my unasked-for editorial about music in Texas. hey, it's my journal, you dont have to read it if you dont wanna, just like i dont have to listen to country music. I think it should be considered a credit to me and my band that in spite of all this frustration, we are putting forth the effort to squeeze into the van and drive to Marshall, TX again on Tuesday (the 26th) to play another show- you know, give them another chance to get with the effing program. I am even excited about it- I really just love playing music and I know that this band is good.