Being a Music Fan During ..... a Pandemic and You’d Give Anything to Able to Yell at Someone For Talking During the Show

For(c) Lance Mercer

This post, formerly known as Being a Music Fan During a Global Health Emergency has been updated to reflect how many of us feel.

Maybe saying that'd I'd give anything to yell at someone talking too loud during a show is a bit of desperation. First of all, thank you to all of the artists that are putting on music for us daily. We need each other in this relationship to keep our heads above water. 

For you the reader, I hope you and your family and friends are healthy and secure during these very trying times. To our healthcare professionals, first responders, and front line workers: 

To our artists, we cannot wait until the days when we can cram into venues and sing with you at the top of our lungs. Hopefully we're buying merch to help you out. We cannot thank you enough for the wonderful and creative collaborative dance mash-ups, afternoon concerts, and day-long show streaming to keep our homes filled with our favorite chords and lyrics.

We know you've had to cancel shows and return ticket money. But you've also had to home school your kids and take care of your loved ones. Please continue to let us know how we can help you. 

We've also lost some music legends these past weeks, making this time even more meaningful to come together in song. 

Stay healthy, safe, resilient, and kind. 

We'll see you at the show. 

Singing from the windows

voices outside and no one knows

singing from the windows

we'll get going again

****************************************************
Being a Music Fan During a Global Health Emergency  (March 9, 200
Again, here in Seattle what we are witnessing we would not wish for anyone. What we do wish for the rest of the country is that they can avoid the harsh negative effects of this and retain their sense of community and take care of one another. Just as we look forward to our next concerts and the ability to gather together and play loud songs as energized as ever.

We are so sorry…
And deeply upset..

If anyone out there feels the same based on this news, we share that emotion with you.

- Ed & Pearl Jam~

Besides the immediate reaction of "I get it" to all of the bands and festivals that are postponing or canceling due to Covid 19, an underlying theme has been ... but I really needed your show. The joy we get coming together en masse to hear music and sing loud is what everyone is saying we should not do at this time. And for our most vulnerable and to not make the spread of any illness in our communitintes worse...it is the correct action to take at this time. 

(c) Tara Foto

But, selfishly, what do we, the music fans do? A dear friend suggested bands do FM radio shows like in the 90's. Another mentioned lots of streaming options be made available to shows or Unplugged or Storytellers like events. We Need Music. Especially those who are working tirelessness during this time, or even those who are isolated or quartntined. Music is our healing. Music is our medicine. 

In light of SXSW cancelling and possibly Coachella, and Pearl Jam postponing their tour, the evident impact is economic: for the band, the community, the businesses, and possibly the fans. The cascading impact of such decisions will be felt for a while. 

As made clear in Pearl Jam's announcement, it is also the unknown lack of solid and clear guidance that led to this decision - so it's time the action rests upon the masses to be responsible and protect the communities that gather to enjoy music.

(c) PMCarlson

And what do the artists do? The economic impact and logistical nightmare of canceling and postponing shows or entire festivals is and will be crippling to some. Supporting your artists by buying their albums and merch, and then making sure you support their live efforts after all of this is said and done. 

In the meantime, we should all remember to be there for each other, pass along facts and share vetted information, and look after those in our music family that can be impacted by COVID. We should also keep an eye out for those impacted by the sheer overwhelming everywhere of this in the news. All of this all of the time can be too much for some. 

That's where we come in. Get your 90's cassette mixed tape talents out and go to town on some mixed-tape Spotify lists for friends. 
If you're all healthy, go check out some music in a local pub or venue. Invite friends over to stream a couch tour of your favorite band - please don't charge them for drinks and food. 

When this is all over, think about the amazing feeling of standing in a venue, surrounded by those you've never met - but have so much in common because "it's your band". Singing those lyrics together at the top of your lungs, feeling the energy of being one collectively in this most amazing family who loves music, who breathes and wants and needs those special moments when it feels like you're alone and it's just you and the band - singing a song like they wrote it just for you!

 \mm/  Rage, Rest, Wash Your Hands    \mm/

Repeat.

Woman Crush - The Musical Edition

Madonna is the first multimedia pop icon in history and professionals agree that she has become the world's biggest and most socially significant pop icon, as well as the most controversial. However, some intellectuals, like the Frenchman Georges Claude Guilbert, felt that she has greater cultural importance, like a myth, that has apparent universality and timelessness. References to Madonna in popular culture are found in the arts, food, science and each branch of entertainment. In a general sense, journalist Peter Robinson noted that "Madonna invented contemporary pop fame so there is a little bit of her in the DNA of every modern pop thing. Peter Robinson - The Guardian 2011


Not only is this a group of phenomenal women - hands down, they are the most hardworking, talented women you probably wouldn't want to mess with and they all inspire me. *

From about 1984-1993, she was the one I followed, the one I ordered Vogue Magazine for, and the one I followed in haircuts and fashion. Madonna has been a driving force for not just fashion but for the embodiment of what a strong woman should be. Ever changing, no apologies, she remains one of my top inspirations. 

Another in the top of my inspirations is none other than Tina Turner. Along with Cyndi Lauper's She's So Unusual, I carried Private Dancer on vinyl around with me ... in second grade. She sounded amazing on my Fisher Price record player. Dad didn't like the idea of me wanted to wear fishnets or high heels, but he let me get away with a skirt and trying to tease out my hair. This 80 years young legend still has better legs than most of us. What I could not appreciate at such a young age was her survival and determination.

Since 1975, that soulful voice has been serenading us from her start in Fleetwood Mac. Stevie Nicks is rock and roll. Her sultry looks, those clothes, and her mysterious mystical ways. 


The influence and importance of Miss Nina Simone cannot and should not be understated. She was a pioneer in that she used her classical piano training to influence and create most of her songs. Besides being an intense musician and artist, her passion for civil rights must go hand in hand with her memory.

I love this lady from the Jersey shore. When I first saw her before The Felice Brothers at Bonnaroo in 2008, I knew this chica was destined for musical greatness.
 

Photo Credit Barbara FG

Her style has blossomed, especially since she broke away from those big corporate record labels and created her own. Like the Jersey Shore, Atkins rebuilt from her previous ventures and created the Oh Mercy! label. Her last album, Goodnight Rhonda Lee,  truly a testament to this talented musician's staying power and commitment to the craft she loves. She is recently finished recording album #5 Italian Ice at Muscle Shoals Studio, painting beautiful pictures for sale on her website, and will hit a tour in the UK and Europe in April!Be on the lookout for Italian Ice!

Singer, songwriter, and actress Mary J. Blige began her stellar  hip hop soul career as a back up singer. 13 albums and nine Grammy's and countless other awards later, she remains one of the top hip hop and R&B performers of all time. She lends her emotions and experience to her songs and paved the way for women in the hip hop and R&B music industry.

Post- punk singer Siouxsie Sioux is synonymous with The Banshees, but she also was the drummer and singer with The Creatures. Her iconic and unique style and voice have inspired many including Jeff Buckley, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Joy Division, U2, Depeche Mode, and The Cure.

I didn't get a chance to see Grace live until the Love for Levon concert in New Jersey, and it was nothing short of religious. Her voice is a buffered version of Janis but still all Vermont folk in her own right. She sings with passion and she plays in the moment. She also plays the unexpected, as seen here in this video of her singing ... well- check it out!

I first heard about Dana after a friend became enamored by her. I had to check this lady out. And when I did, I heard that soul come deep from within as she belted out her own emotional tunes, and some familiar covers. You might also recognize her as Sexy Sadie in from the 2007 film, Across the Universe.

PCarlson 2012

Just who the f*#k is Dana Distortion? Only the hottest music photographer who is also has a web-store with clothes and accessories based on her photos and love of ... music. (And I think she has one of the most awesome jobs in the world).

Photo by David Turcotte

While I use words to tell you about shows or thoughts on albums, she uses her eyes and her love of music to capture gorgeous photos some of you may have seen in Brooklyn Vegan, Spin, NME, or Rolling Stone. Gogol Bordello, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Baby Metal to name a very few of those fortunate enough to be in front of her lens. You see and feel the music in her photos. She has a passion for all things rock and now she is making rock inspired fashion. You can look at, listen to, and now wear rock. Dana's latest project is the amazing podcast called Superunknown.





So there you have it ... some wonderfully talented women in no particular order.(And this picture for no particular reason except for Sally Field).

**Because people's attention span is only so long, this list is, of course, truncated. There are so many women musically, scientifically, athletically, spiritually, linguistically, and professionally that have inspired me. I thank you all!**

Sap: Wonder How the Color Taste - Alice in Chains

Sap to this day remains one of the most underappreciated albums from the grunge era.Hidden between two indelible albums, Facelift and Dirt, the early 1992 release somehow snuck in almost unnoticed. Okay, it's technically an EP but it is so good it is album worth.

Layne Staley encouraged Jerry Cantrell to sing on this album that shares credit space with Ann Wilson, Chris Cornell, and Mudhoney's Mark Arm. Lyrically, it is a song about relationships. Musically, the harmonies that are complex yet still retains simplicity making this album a gift to the music senses.


Brother
Written by Cantrell about their parents divorce when his brother went to live with their dad. Gorgeous backing accompaniment by Ann Wilson. 

Roses in a vase of white
Bloodied by the thorns beside the leaves
That fall because my hand is
Pulling them hard as I can

Got Me Wrong

I can't let go
Threadbare tapestry unwinding slow
Feel a tortured brain
Show your belly like you want me to  

Strong lyrics that show more than tell about how we often mistake each other in relationships. 

Right Turn
Credited to Alice Mudgarden, this brilliant chorus of super talent makes you forget this song was performed by the band that brought you Man in a Box. Mark Arm is like the chanter on this song to Chris's full on bag pipe wail. A triad of perfection when Layne, Mark, and Chris round robin the final verses.

Well it's hard to believe that somebody tricked you
When you can see you were only high
It's all up to you so you gamble
Flat on your face and into the fire  

Am I Inside
Layne's solo start makes it feel like you're inside someone's head, hearing the loneliness. Ann Wilson's backing is again tempered slowly towards the end creating the cathartic need this song is begging for.  Lyrically, Yoda  proud would be of this song. 

 Black is all I feel, so this is how it feels to be free
Surrounded by empty souls, artificial courage used
And because so, once was mine
I walk this maze alone

Love Song
The 90's were known for their hidden tracks. This gem does not disappoint. Filled with bodily sounds, bull horn lyrics, chanting, and la de da type melody, this song is a conundrum. Jerry Cantrell even said to Guitar World at the time that "this was the most bizarre song they ever recorded" ... and that is saying a lot!