Have you ever tried talking to normal people about music? It makes me feel like I'm an alien.
Here's a conversation I had with a co-worker yesterday:
Them: "What are you listening to?"
Me: "This band called 'Rapeman' from Chicago."
Them: (blank stare)
Me: "It's a band with members of Big Black and the Jesus Lizard."
Them: (blank stare)
Me: “Big Black was Steve Albini's first band"
Them: (blank stare)
Me: "Steve Albini? Super producer? He produced a ton of seminal albums, like the Pixies 'Surfer Rosa'. "
Them: (faint twinkle of recognition)
Me: "I think he produced a Nirvana album, the one after 'Nevermind'."
Them: (ding!). "Oh! Nirvana! "
Granted, Rapeman is a pretty esoteric CD but here’s another example. I was going to see Nels Cline doing a duo free jazz gig, and someone asked me where I was going. I told them, adding as a reference "Nels Cline is the guitarist for Wilco now"
(blank stare)
I mean, you don't know who Wilco is? Aren't Wilco top forty?!
There is no common ground, no frame of reference. And I work with a bunch of 24 year olds. They were 10 years old when Kurt Cobain killed himself. Nirvana is like classic rock to them. Try telling them that the bassist for the Melvins Is in High on Fire.
2 comments:
I will go to bat for the youngsters for fun. My bro is 20 and plays in a straight edge hardcore band. I said."Throw your youth knowledge my way about WKALT". Here it is: Enter Shikari, Skindred, Thrice, Emery, He is Legend, Killswitch Engage, Unearth, Violation, Parkway Drive, Imogen Heap, NERD.
I love how there's all this rock/hardcore, then Imogen Heap! I went to one of his shows and kids in the crowd swing their arms wildly in unison, and do some type of spazout dance? I can't relate, but if old dudes liked it, or knew about it it wouldn't be cool man!
when i worked at wellesley i did a radio show. the girls there are generally super-normal, but at the radio station you'd find a few who were trying really hard to go the extra mile. this one girl used to do homework or something in the studio while i had my show. every ten minutes she'd run in and say something like "i didn't know you like the fall" or "who ws that again?" she'd also tell me about all the shows she went to with her boyfriend. this other girl had an encyclopedic knowledge of all american folk music. it was crazy. she'd talk about all this folk stuff that i'd never even heard of as if everyone knew about that shit.
anyway, there are some abnormals in all demographics. even amongst 18 to 21 year old women.
if you think talking about music with normals is weird, try this conversation:
normal person: you're a photographer, thats so cool. what do you take pictures of?
me: i mostly work on a long term self-portrait project. i take pictures of myself.
np: oh... what are you going to do with that?
me: well, i try to exhibit when i can. i've had pretty good luck recently, but i'm not going to quit my day job.
np: i like national geographic.
me: so do i.
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