You think you know, but you have no idea

This past weekend was spent hanging out with some of my closest friends. We went out for Shane‘s 30th birthday/anniversary/Julie’s birthday/etc.. It was pretty eventful. We drank a LOT of beer, we listened to music, we hung out at a local bar called Coppers, and we talked about a lot of stuff. But there was an undertone to the entire night that just didn’t feel right, and until now, I don’t think I knew what it was. This blog will probably be misenterpreted, but at this point, I don’t really mind.

Have you ever felt like you have NOTHING in common with someone? I mean, there was a time when I shared almost every opinion with all of my friends, but now, I just don’t feel that way. Everything from the music I listen to, to the shows that I watch, to my political views, we’re just not on the same page.

I feel like I am pretty level headed. I like to know both sides of everything before creating my opinion on a specific topic. I try hard to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and I don’t judge people (unless it’s warranted). I am open minded to music, I am open minded to pretty much anything, so why would that make me “less cool” than anyone else? Why would it make my opinion any less valuable than anyone elses?   

Every conversation about music that I was involved in, I was treated like someone who knows NOTHING. I was explaining why I like certain songs, and eyes were rolled. I asked questions about bands that I had never heard of, and the questions were answered like I was some kind of jack-ass. I don’t know why my opinion was not taken into account, but I have a few ideas.

1) I am no longer a reliable source of music information: Sorry folks, this is completely untrue. As long as there is blood pumping through my veins, it will be powered by music. I understand music from every standpoint, and I know that I can give solid input on any musical conversation. I may not know some of these “vinyl only” bands, but c’mon, what do you expect, they have a fanbase of like 20, and I do not run in those circles. I can still appreciate what they do, but don’t hate me for comparing them to another band. NO BAND IS 100% UNIQUE, and all bands have artists that inspire them, so WTF?!?

2) I no longer relate to the struggle that underground music talks about: Ok, this one is more realistic. I don’t live in poverty. I don’t believe that there is some invisible hand oppressing me. The term “Less is more” is not a universally used term in my life (I can use it for some things, but other times it doesn’t make sense). There are still things that music helps me through – emotional issues, dealing with the past, and keeping in touch with my roots (to name a few).

3) I watch American Idol: Ok, so if you are a fan of underground music, this is probably your equivalent to murdering the pope. I’m sorry, there is just something about seeing someone go from rags to riches based on pure talent. I love watching people who want to capitalize on their god-given talent. There is nothing wrong with making money, and there’s definitely nothing wrong with wanting to pursue a career in music. I used to want to be a famous rapper, I didn’t make it, but if it did happen, I would not be hating on it. Plus, the show is very entertaining and I appreciate the talent of the participants.

4) I use digital media like 95% of the world: Ok, so my brothers band (Said Gun) rocks out. They are friggin AWESOME! However, they have one viewpoint that I just don’t understand… They want all of their releases on tape and vinyl. They DO have a CD, but the way they talk about digital downloads is primitive at best. I was trying to tell them about social media and other creative ways to market their band, but it seems as though they do not want to be marketed; however, in the same breath, they talk about wanting to make enough money “just to play music for a living.” Dudes! You cannot have it both ways! You will never make enough money in this day and age UNLESS you put yourselves out there. You want to make t-shirt, tapes, stickers, CDs, records, and so on, but you do not want to sell them online? You do not want them to be marketed online?? WHY?!? Know your audience. Expand your fanbase and fill up your shows..

5) I am a family man: Ok, so I am 100% family guy. I love my kids and my wife more than anything (even more than music). However, I am lucky enough to have a wife that loves music just as much as I do, and 2 little dudes, who are following in our footsteps. We do listen to some corny music sometimes, but it’s fun because we all sing along. But keep one thing in mind, my little guys favorite songs are from some AWESOME bands that totally rock out (Alkaline Trio, the Weakerthans, etc..), even some underground hip hop (Brother Ali, Atmosphere, etc.. ). It’s cool, but it’s not the most important thing ever.

The Importance of Being Regular

When I say regular, I am not talking about poop. I am actually talking about being able to relate to anyone on almost any topic. If you are a person who only appreciates opinions from people who share your opinions, you will never learn anything. Plus, when you look around in tunnel vision goggles, and you assume that everyone who does not think like you is stupid, you are really only hurting yourself. You can never fully understand the importance of someone elses opinion if you don’t listen to it.

I have met ‘regular’ people who have taught me more in one conversation than I would have ever learned if I would have just said “I am not going to talk to this doosh”. By assuming that someone is dumb just because they don’t understand underground music makes you dumber than they will ever be, and it actually goes against everything that you THINK you know. People have different creative outlets, and not everyone uses music to vibe out. I know people who draw, paint, build, design, and a bunch of other things as a creative outlet.

The reason that I wrote this blog was because my brother and this other dude were having a conversation about American Idol. The one dude said, “They had almost 100 million votes on the finale” and my brother replied something in the tune of, “I didn’t realize there were that many idiots out there…” and then they proceeded to talk about ‘people being willing to do anything to make a buck’ and totally discredited every participant on the show. When I spoke up and told them that it really is a cool show, and tried to explain the creative side of the show, they pulled out the whole ‘corporate machine, over-produced’ card. They spent the next 20 minutes talking over me and not even WILLING to hear a reasonable argument. I finished the entire discussion by saying, “It’s really stupid to slam something that you clearly know nothing about.” They laughed arrogantly like they knew something that I didn’t. Lame…

Also, my brother and my friend were having a vinyl session that consisted of old punk bands on records and beer, and every time I opened my mouth, my opinion was discredited again. I’m not going to say that I disrespect their opinions, but I sure felt like they didn’t appreciate mine. Ok, I’m done ranting. This was just a stupid blog anyway!!!

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Tagged with: music • records • tapes • underground

Filed under: The Adventures of Nick Norris

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