Calling out from the Pit of the Pandemic
By Brandy Rettig
Photo by Michael Stephens
There’s a worldwide pandemic and select portions of the country (and world) have been ordered to stay at home to protect public health. This is not the setting of an escapist dystopian novel, this is our lives right now. For some of us, it’s hard. For others, especially people of color and front line service industry workers, it’s flat out deadly. If it’s at all possible, you should be staying at home right now.
There is a deep well of loss at what life is like right now. One unique and valid loss for folks like us is the sudden discontinuation of the gathering of our community to do one of the things we love to do most in life: play, listen to, see, photograph, and experience live music. The cut has been deep. Many of us feel isolated and fairly lost as a result. I know I do. You’re not alone.
There are a number of ways to help deal with this change. Many of you who are musicians may find yourself writing new material like crazy. YES! Do that–I can’t wait to hear it! And some of you may not even be able to summon the energy to put into practicing. That’s okay too. Take the break your need. You’re allowed that, because, remember, we’re in a WORLDWIDE PANDEMIC right now.
I thought I’d share with you a few things, some of which are particularly focused on the earlier modern heavy Seattle music scene, that I have found helpful in dealing with the loss of live music in my life. They’re on Facebook. They are really enjoyable groups that have brought back a lot of memories and helped start to rebuild some of that loss of community I’ve been feeling. If you’re down in the dumps, or even just bored, take a look. There are no substitutes for live music, but it might help with the isolation.
Northwest Demo Tape Society (public group) – OMG, this group is new and has been my number one go to spot on Facebook for the past few weeks. People have been pulling out their old demo (and sometimes not exactly demo but still super cool and fun) tapes and posting pics of them here. It’s a boardslide down memory lane for those nostalgic about the days when DIY cassette recorders and Kinko’s was the main way to share music with your friends.
Pacific Northwest Music Archives (public group) – This group was formed at the end of 2019 and has posts that include flyers, ticket stubs, photos and more of Seattle and Northwest bands, venues, shows etc. It’s another angle of documenting the foundation of modern-day Seattle music and often features posts by well-known and much admired local authors and photographers.
Seattle punk photo archives (public group) – Specifically focused on Seattle(ish) area punk bands, this group has some great pictures, old flyers and touching salutes to those we’ve lost.
Seattle Music Gear Swap and Sale (private group) – While this group doesn’t specifically talk about music per se, there are many local musician members who pop up looking to sell or trade their gear in for something else. For you gear heads out there, it’s a great way to see what folks have been working with, the specifics of what equipment features they like and what they don’t, and how to get your grubby little mitts on that one rare piece of equipment you’ve been looking for for ages.
I know none of these things can ever replace the sublime feeling of all-encompassing, live, heavy music relentlessly drilling past our earplugs and into our eardrums as we collectively sway together, shoulder to shoulder, in a dark, sweaty, energy filled club watching our favorite bands lay it all out in front of us. I can’t even tell you how much I look forward to that day happening again. Until then, have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone. And remember: don’t be a mouthbreather, wear a fucking facemask, back off and give everyone at least six feet of personal space.
