Thanks, y'all
Grateful for so much, hopeful for much more
Regardless of what you feel about this holiday (looking at you, Nick), millions of folks will slow down this week to say thank you and take stock of what matters in life. So here is my brief and totally incomplete list of things for which I’m thankful.
My family
I love my family. Full stop. With their support, I’ve been able to jump headlong into my hobby of country music journalism and criticism. But it’s bigger than just their support — it’s that we’re in this together.The world is scary, raising kids is difficult and there is always more work. A special shout-out to my lovely wife for everything she puts up with and enables (in a good way).
Country Music
Growing up in a suburban Jewish household in Los Angeles, I had no exposure to country music. But we had a healthy appreciation for Americana, American history and culture. We understand the shortcomings of this great country and have long worked to improve it — it’s a work in progress even as it constantly looks to the past. Evolutionary nostalgia.Country music fits perfectly into this construct. A deeply engrained aspect of American culture that relies heavily on nostalgia and pride to move forward, country music is one of the quintessential American products. It doesn’t exist without immigrants and is held in high regard by those who love it and hated by those who don’t. And I’m grateful for it for all those reasons.
The Independent Country Scene
I’m extremely grateful to have been accepted into this community of people around the country. Over the past several years, I’ve interviewed Grammy-award winners and musicians just starting out, attended hundreds of incredible shows at world-famous venues and dive bars, and met wonderful fans, dedicated staff and industry types. No one is surprised to hear that the music industry isn’t a warm and fuzzy kind of space. But this community of artists, promoters, venues and fans within our little part of the madness makes the difficulty tolerable. Thanks for welcoming me in, folks.
An all-star cast All Y’all.
Thank you for reading and subscribing. I appreciate you all.
Have a wonderful holiday.