Thread by @TheRealHoarse

There is an endless amount of toxic crap in the world - and on here - so, maybe this will be a welcome diversion for a few minutes.

It’s about music or it’s about all of us or maybe it’s about me. I don’t know.

1/

A couple months ago, I found myself without my son on a Friday night for the first time in the past year.

For whatever reason, that landed on me with a surprising weight.

We’ve been isolated a long time. Eventually, the bill for that loss comes due.

2/

I felt a heavy, settling loneliness that went beyond the transient sadness of just missing having plans on one particular night.

In theory, I’m not isolated. I have ample connectivity to a larger group of humans than I can even manage.

3/

In practice though, I felt alone even among a virtual crowd.

So, I reached out. Posted something on my feed about being bored and not wanting to sit around.

Just asked if anyone had any ideas of something we could do.

4/

I was going to find something if only for a distraction from wallowing in a new gray I didn’t want to sit with.

A few minutes later, someone replied that maybe a musician would go live and play some music.

5/

The musician was Chris Barron.

I knew of Barron but didn’t know him. A couple of years earlier, he had followed me on here. I had registered it at the time as cool in an anecdotal way.

The lead singer of the Spin Doctors had followed me. Well, that’s cool.

6/

When I was in college, the Spin Doctors played for free out behind my dorm.

I’m not sure they even had an album out yet. They played with Blues Traveler. It was the perfect fun of carefree college.

I remember it well.

7/

So, back to the present, someone had suggested maybe Chris would do an impromptu show...

...and five minutes later, Chris responded and said he would!

Well, that’s wild. I went from a semi-desperate last-minute outreach to having a show to go to in, like, an hour.

8/

So I posted about Chris’ impromptu set and minutes later, was logged in - to watch, I thought.

About 200 people piled in.

And then the chat just lit up with people talking.

9/

Chris was charming and funny. He played music and talked. It felt like we were in his living room for a gathering of friends.

And in the chat, it became clear I wasn’t the only one who needed that.

It was community and togetherness and shared experience. It was... normal.

10/

Afterwards, I knew I had loved it. I knew others had as well. I wasn’t sure Chris had.

Here’s a guy who has played to a packed Glastonbury sitting on his bed playing to a couple hundred people.

So, I reached out to thank him.

Turns out, Chris loved it too.

11/

And then he asked me if we could do it again the following Friday.

That was our first conversation. Over Twitter DMs.

So, we did it again. And then again. And many of the same people came.

And I could see them forming relationships beyond just being usernames in a chat.

12/

And then someone messaged me. His wife followed me. He was in a band. They’d be up for playing some time if I was interested.

And so we added a Saturday night show to the mix. For an hour or two, the Second Street Band played covers and took requests in Jerry’s living room.

13/

Repeat all of the same post-show stuff as after Chris’ show. Didn’t know if they liked it or found it a good use of time. I knew 200 people had loved it though.

Turns out they loved it too. And now it’s a standing Saturday thing.

14/

It turns out, it isn’t just me who has felt isolated. And it isn’t just the people who joined to listen. It’s also musicians who’ve endured a year without the connection of an audience.

So, now I was going to do something about that. No matter how small, something.

15/

So, I found a young artist; talked to Chris; and “booked her” to “open for” Chris.

She was great. People loved it and loved her.

And then I found another young artist and booked him to open. And he was great and people loved it.

16/

And over the past couple months, I’ve become friends with Chris. We text and talk on the phone. I like him as a person beyond his music.

And many of the people who come to these have become friends.

They’re talking about a real-life meet-up in the fall.

17/

The artists have been thankful to a degree that is undeserved. I have done nothing but use a platform to invite people to enjoy their talent.

What has organically formed here though is indeed something special though.

18/

We have all been made “alone” by COVID to some degree. We have all been sequestered into some measure of isolation.

But for an hour or two each Friday and Saturday, we aren’t anymore.

For that little window, we’re together in real-time just immersed in the moment.

19/

For one golden moment, there is nothing more than music and conversation and people around you enjoying the company.

And for that I’m so very thankful.

20/

We’ll do it again on Friday. An opener and then Chris will play and be his charming self and drink scotch and tell stories.

I’ll see familiar names in the chat.

And there will be some new ones who’ll say “This is my first one of these.” and they’ll be met with welcomes.

21/

Last week, two people who I adore tuned in.

They’re busy, outgoing, social, and popular on here. Surely, to them it would just be music.

They texted me the next to say what I said that first Friday and so many have said to me since.

22/

“We didn’t know how much we needed that.”

Over this past year, the immediate losses have been obvious and visible.

It is the slow, subtle erosions that have gone unnoticed. It is the casual wasting away of subtle things that we overlook.

23/

There is a joy in the simple humanity of shared experience.

There is a restorative energy that comes from community.

There is a settling calm that comes from having connected to others - if only for an hour and if only in a virtual living room.

24/

Friday, my friend Chris and an opener will play.

Afterwards, someone will tell me they didn’t know how much they needed that.

We have drifted away from each other this past year.

But in these little windows, there are miles but no distance.

And that is a gift.

//

p.s. some folks asking how to attend.

Super easy.

1) Friday at 8:30 pm EST - Visit Daniel Rodriguez’s page on Instagram. Click on his avatar to enter his livestream.

2) At 9:00 pm EDT - visit Chris Barron’s page on Instagram. Click on his avatar to enter his livestream.