Let me explain something about small town life in the bible belt of the southeastern United States. It is a very, well, um, conservative place, populated by god fearing folks who work hard and want to raise families and do the best they can sometimes, even if that entails being close minded and only open to societal norms. While I have always been a fish out of water being raised here, and surrounded by a few scant friends of like-mindedness, I always gravitated towards music and the arts to keep me optimistic. But alas, to be exposed to art one had to always travel out of town, at a minimum a little over an hour by interstate, although the real interesting stuff always was at least three hours away in either direction ( Mobile to the south; Memphis to the northwest; Nashville to the North; Atlanta to the East). Concert attendance required massive planning, money, reliable transport and always at least three friends to split costs.
So when my hometown announced they were building an outdoor venue to hosts concerts and events a few years ago, I was skeptical. I was sure the best I could hope for was pop country acts and revival tours with the likes of The Temptations featuring the one last remaining temptation--just real depressing shit. And so far, in its first season, that has been true (pop country act wise).
But today there was light. Today the paper confirmed one of my favorite bands of the last decade, an influential band, was coming to my hometown to play a show in August. No road trip necessary, no hotel accommodations, no parking headache-- nothing required but me driving about ten minutes from my house to the show. While it may be an anomaly, it is an anomaly I will take and always appreciate. Here is hoping to more pleasant surprises.
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