This is a bit off topic for us Mike, but still I think you would appreciate it (what's weird is that I think Kjell might even get what I'm thinking - how weird is that?).
So this global superstar that I have recently become a bit of an acolyte of - (and who I genuinely find fascinating on several anthropological levels) played his 5th night at whatever the major arena in Austin is (a town I could visit, I think and have people to stay with even!) and the night before he had made this very typical (for him) statement about "don't let anyone tell you what you can and can't do with your body" - which is of course a great sentiment, but kind of ineffectual when said in a state run by a redneck Trump-wannabe who recently shoved a bunch of anti-abortion laws through their statehouse. Anyway, I feared he was gonna be just another fucking joker who sits on the fence saying vaguely political things but never actually taking a stand with his music or personae, and then low and behold, last night he not only displayed a VOTE BETO sticker, but recognized him as being in the crowd (which he was, on the floor like the good DIY old punk rock guy he should be) and while he didn't SAY vote for Beto, he definitely intimated it.
Which is better than I expected. But what was even better, for me, this armchair anthropologist, was imagining their backstage conversation. Being as Harry referred to Beto as lovely, which was exactly what I thought the first time I came accross Beto back in 2018 (or so?) when he was barreling accross Texas in a minivan running against that garbage human Ted Cruz for Senate.
Now, after following Harry and learning way more than I should ever know about a former boyband member/ massive popstar - and knowing a bit about Beto after watching WAAAAAY too many livecasts of him (his playlists while driving were epic...so much Clash!) I imagined them comparing notes about being in the public eye, and Beto talking about being in a band, being in just a shitty little punk rock band but still appreciateing what it's like to be in a band. I also have to believe that Beto appreciated how complex the live show actually is, even thought he screaming girls don't really appreciate it.
To wit, sometimes I'll see them post clips of him obviously not being able to hear the band (his stage is huge and he usually in constant motion) and they'll giggle about him "forgetting the lyrics" and I'm like: nope that's him not being able to hear where they are in the song.
To that end, the set they played last night was the most evocotive I've seen (and I've been watching literally all of them since Coachella) - loose, but so fun, like those best nights when you are just digging the music and playing feels so good.
Ok, yeah, that only happened to me maybe a half dozen times in my 15 years playing, but I realize now I didn't try hard enough, I didn't have the patience...or something.
Anyway, it was awesome to see two of my worlds collide. I hope you're out there somewhere appreciating all of it as well. I wish there was someone I could really chew on this with but I can't think of anyone who would see in Harry what I do, or in Beto even (though it is closer, for sure.)
Hi. I've been meaning to write for a while, but to be honest, it's hard where to know where to start. So many weird, little things happen over the days that remind me of you, or of someone, we both know (knew?) that I should probably be scribbling it down, because...well, my memory is not getting any better these days. You've been gone almost a year now buddy, and though I hadn't seen you physically in years, the good ol' internet allowed us to stay in touch anyway. It's hard to explain to people, even the people closest to me how strange it is to not have you around even in just the greater sense of the world. If anything, it has made me very aware of how much I was living in the moment (which is, honestly just a romantic way of saying "not paying attention") and that I am always looking for context in the things that happen locally and globally. You were absolutely a yardstick for a certain type of context, and I miss it, even though (and I suppose i...
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