The Weight of 'The Weight'

What is a music blogger to do when their mind is elsewhere? It's my opinion that blog traffic is maintained via a steady stream of regular posts. Quality is required too, but there has to be quantity. And as anyone who has been to our site lately can probably tell, our level of postings has definitely been down [alot]. So, I thought it would be interesting to ruminate on why I've been inadequately stuffing the site with new entries lately (by the way, I am but one of three guys who post on this site, so I can only speak for myself!) This also allows me to get a new post up!!!

So here goes:

I have always thought of music as a staple in my life. My iPod has been with me consistently, well now its an iPhone, since 2003. Especially due to living in New York City, where you have to walk everywhere, I need something to freakin' do when I'm strolling to the subway every morning. And I can't listen to the radio when driving because I don't have a car (do you know how expensive parking is in this city?!?) so how else will I get my fix. Another staple of mine is going to see live music, which has been a hobby (no, a necessity) in my life since I first saw George Clinton and P-Funk blow my mind when I was 15 back in Summer 1995. Hundreds of shows later, I felt like I had amassed enough knowledge to actually participate in this blog with some semblance of authority on music.

But being in New York City, and working in the real estate industry, I have to say I have been buried in the business section, not music section, of newspapers and been reading real estate blogs ENDLESSLY of late. Many of my peers have lost their jobs and the ones who are employed aren't convinced they will be much longer. And EVERY pundit on television is telling me that we are in the worst crisis since The Great Depression. So you'll have to forgive me for not knowing about the latest T-Payne album drop. I guess I'm getting older. Ya know, I just wasn't thinking about this I was 16, racking up Phish shows, and counting my statistics of how many times I had seen Cavern performed live [18 I think].

So I have been cutting back on concert tickets [missing huge source of new material for The Weight], I'm not reading every music site out there [missing another huge source of new material] and I go to bed thinking that eating Subway every night for the next year only costs a total of $1,825 ($5 for a footlong!) [also not a good source for 'The Weight' material] Hell, I am only checking out Hidden Track once every couple days now (sorry guys, I love you and all, I've just been distracted!)

Maybe I need to take a step back, pull out my old favorite .mp3s, and just breath. Maybe I NEED to go to more concerts to refresh myself and I NEED to find new bands to listen to enrich my life. And I think I really needed to post on this site to reconnect with people who think like I do. So I apologize for the lack of content and I wanted everyone to know that we are still looking to make The Weight a home for music fanatics just like us..indefinitely. We aren't going anywhere, and we hope you don't either.

I'll leave off with a quote from Mr. Bob Lefsetz from one of his recent rants:

Doesn't matter that your loved one left you if the music is right. The music agrees you played your hand correctly, that you did your best, even if it didn't work out, and you'll get a chance to play again. The music helps you rebuild your life, in your mind. You're reminded of prior victories. You know good times will come again.

This is why we listen to music. Because the written word cannot convey this warmth, no movie. They can render the images, but they cannot encase you in their cloak, make you warm and whisk you away.

We live in a go-go world. We're networked, we're subjected to tweets. But, despite technology, the human condition has not changed, ever. We still feel alone. No matter how many texts or how much e-mail we get. How are we going to feel connected, a part of humanity. Get through the lull? By listening to music.

Thanks Bob.