Onward and Sideways

First of all, next Sunday, at 3 PM West Coast time I will be doing my 3rd show with Side Door. I thought I’d do an earlier show to make it more practical for those in the east who work in the morning. (Now, forgive me if you’ve read this on Facebook – and just skip to the next paragraph if you have – I only had so much creative writing in me!) 

The first Dan Mangan show I watched at the start of all this, was revelatory. To discover that there was a way we could have that contact with the audience, after watching artists on Facebook Live squirming in front of the great abyss of the invisible silent audience, I was IN! Plus, these shows have allowed me to delve into a wealth of older songs that have been pushed off the set list with each new album, so relearning them and being able to switch the set list up with every show a unique pleasure as an artist. And then there’s the delight in being able to see you all, hunkered down at home with your pals, pets, partners and popcorn and have the opportunity to chat as well. 

I'm built for this! 

Note, I have indeed increased the ticket price by $3 (what?!?!) to be more aligned with others in this new world - always a tricky sweet spot to hit but even more so in these times. Note, tickets for an online show, aside from being so different from life BC (before Covid) do have some unusual leeway. If the cost is of concern and you’re going to be watching with others, I personally don’t consider it a moral transgression to just purchase one ticket. Conversely, if you think …“$10?? [$7.35 if you’re in the US]…I haven’t paid that for a concert since 1975!”, you can always purchase more as a way to support the artists you love. And if even one ticket is a stretch please just contact me as I have some complimentary tickets set aside. A paywall should not come between us!  If you have any questions, song requests, etc., just write me at info@estherrecords.ca. I’m so looking forward to seeing you! 

I’m not sure where things are going from here when it comes to playing live music for folks. On the one hand, a livestream opens the door to an unlimited audience – always a fun potential.  On the other hand, it’s like returning to play the same town every few weeks. Plus, as with any muscle – one that I’ve been exercising regularly for much of the year for 4+ decades - once a month just doesn’t cut it! Despite the efficiency of reaching so many more people without all the arduous travel, there’s simply nothing like face to face. The real thing and the virtual will never quite be the same. Which is good! The one thing we know is that music will always find its way to hungry hearts and souls like water down the hill. So I’m not worried – just watching with curiosity how venues and artists are finding the pathways, and contributing to the conversation wherever I can. 

It seems our main sport these days is to continually discuss, read about, and endlessly analyze what’s going on in our Crazy Town world. My inclination is always to bring it down to the most basic level of human nature. Because, let’s face it – it ALL comes down to that. Even this impossibly complex (and increasingly fragile) social construct we have built was created and is driven by some of our more basic instincts. (Good old greed being the primary one.) It’s so easy to get tangled in the weeds of the dysfunction, ills, and broken agreements. I just keep winding back to looking at human nature. 

I’m spending a lot of time thinking about the strange construct we have of law enforcement, if that’s even an accurate term these days. No laws have to be broken for some officers to exercise whatever force they choose if they deem their subject is not obeying. (Enter racism.) So here we have encounters where all involved are prone to responding with their most basic instincts. When attacked our survival response is to fight or run – both of which trigger an officer to chase and take down their prey in whatever method possible. The longer the chase, the more violent the takedown. (Rodney King was the first public example of that. Once that herd finally stopped him after a lengthy car chase through LA, the fury was inevitable. (And don’t even get me started with how often alcohol plays a critical role.) Now the examples are endless and daily, thanks to camera footage forcing us to look…see…and act. 

Oh, these times are so full of the extremes. I love how the isolation has connected us in unprecedented ways, (regular zoom calls with extended family for instance), and I love the opportunity to be quieter, to listen, observe, and appreciate more. The mirror being held up in our response to these challenges can be hard to look at, (and no, I don’t mean my face that is shriveling and falling by the day). Particularly down south, where they’ve never been that good at making choices based on the greater good, watching the politicizing of wearing masks is a head shaker. Sigh… 

Alright – enough. I’ll let you go now!

I hope to see you Sunday, if not in person one of these days!  A girl can dream…

Hang on and try to enjoy the ride! 

Shari