Day Off

Or: Why I'm Not At Pitchfork

Thesis

Sometimes words are inadequate. Such was the case last night after the Woods and Kurt Vile show. Zech and I were walking the streets of Bloomington in an emotional stupor, shellshocked and overpowered by ourselves and some heavy music. A first-world problem, but a problem not helped by what we witnessed on Kirkwood.

Knock You Down

The idiot drunkenness that can be seen on weekend nights downtown is usually a welcome component of the college town atmosphere. Last night, however, things were worse. The two of us passed by a group of friends consoling their crying friend, who was distraught because he had (I think) just been verbally assaulted by a pack of what I'll call for the sake of this blog "white people." I used different words at the time.

The crying friend in question was black. He had been assailed, presumably, because of this. His friends were doing their best to explain the idiocy of the passing bigots/worst humans ever/white people. He wasn't comforted.

Take This Weight

I feel immature and naive and "white guilt" writing about racial insensitivity/injustice/violence. Who am I to be taken aback by this scene? It's not as if I didn't know racism was a real and terrible problem in the world. I just can't process seeing that last night. I felt like crying. It's always been obvious that the world is terrible at times. That people treat each other badly. I can't stand it. I can't offer a response to this. I probably shouldn't have even committed it to writing. Maybe by reading it you can feel bad too. Or figure out if there's anything intelligent or useful to be made of this. I just want humans to care about each other.

Anyway, to talk about the usual trivialities of #METASWAG, all of this happened in the midst of an already emotional night. Zech and I were talking deep existential things and trying to figure out what makes everything okay. Maybe midnight bike rides. Talking to each other? Art?

This Is A Music Blog

I guess it's time to talk about why I'm not at Pitchfork. And why that's okay.

> None of my friends were able to go this year

> It would run me at least $100

> The only acts I really cared to see today are G-Side and Julianna Barwick

> I've already been to four concerts in the past week

> So

Conclusions

I'll write up said concerts and talk about less sad things when I'm feeling less sad about things. Wish I had written more carefully and usefully about the sad things themselves. Maybe I will soon. For what it's worth, excepting last night, this week has been spectacular. Back to regular programming in the coming days.

I'm the bouncing head in front of Avey (Good Memories)