MinneapolitanMusic

Maybe you know what happened already, maybe you don't. But I've been in the middle of a big old mess for the past week and it has been eating away at me, so I would like to spew this out at you and move on. I hesitate even writing some of this down because it feels a little too personal, but I have been publicly and personally attacked this week and feel like there are some things that need discussing.

Earlier this year, one of my main outlets for my music writing, Pulse of the Twin Cities, shut down, and I approached a few of my writing friends to start a magazine. We had lots of big ideas and brainstorms and drinking sessions, and after a few months of pushing and prodding and laboring, Reveille Magazine was born. It is like my baby, in a way (with lots of baby daddies), and without coming off as a cheeseball, I poured my entire heart into this project because I wanted it to be as good as it could be.

We hand-picked the writers we wanted to have contribute, explained to each of them that we were going to figure things out as we went, and asked them for patience and kindness as we felt out the beginnings of this big, scary thing. For the most part, people were amazing. I have been lucky enough to have one of my writing role models and friends, Jim Walsh, on board to write a weekly column, and my fellow review writers have been nothing but inspiring and motivating to me personally. Unfortunately, there was an odd man out.

I had trouble dealing with Tom Hallett from the beginning, mostly as a result of him living 3,000 miles away. Whereas most of our writers handed in articles that required barely any editing, Tom's columns required upwards of 3 hours of my time to edit and publish, and most were submitted way past deadline. Without going into too much detail, it made my life more difficult than it needed to be, and it put a damper on what was otherwise an effortless work situation.

Long story short, we all sat down and decided that things weren't working out, and we tried to discretely and polite tell Tom that we felt he would be a better fit at a different publication (most likely, one with the time and money to give his column the attention it needs to be ready for publishing).

Next thing I knew, Tom, who I once thought to be a kind and compassionate person, decided to let loose and flame me on the internet. He dragged my name through the mud, shot insults at me, tried to claim "censorship" and threw a big ol' verbal temper tantrum. In other words, he handled the situation very, very poorly.

I don't know why, but I let his words get to me. For the past week, I haven't been able to write. I tried to write two separate CD reviews and never got past the first paragraph, his nasty words and attitude ringing in my ears. I've never been the kind of person who worries what other people think about me, but the fact that he tried to shit all over all of my hard work and passion made me sick to my stomach. He was disrespectful, immature, and mean; the exact qualities of people whom I normally avoid.

Needless to say, I think we made the right decision removing him from Reveille. It's pretty clear that he cares more about tearing other people down and propping up his own ego than he does about the music he claims to love, and it's unfortunate that his column has spiraled into a name-calling bitchfest.

So I'm moving on. I've got a lot on my plate and I don't have time to deal with the naysayers anymore. Life is too short for bullshit, right?

Besides, I'm seeing Ani DiFranco in Chicago this weekend (a show that I am looking forward to more than I have looked forward to anything in a very long time), and tomorrow I get to jump in the car, put on my favorite CDs, sail down to Chicago and see the two cutest babies in the universe: my niece and nephew. Life is good!

Party on!

This song is keeping me alive today. In the spirit of letting it all roll off the back, keeping one's chin up, etcetera, a little Ani goes a long way.

joyful girl
ani difranco

i do it for the joy it brings
because i'm a joyful girl
because the world owes me nothing
and we owe each other the world
i do it because it's the least i can do
i do it because i learned it from you
i do it just because i want to
because I want to

everything i do is judged
and they mostly get it wrong
but oh well
'cuz the bathroom mirror has not budged
and the woman who lives there can tell
the truth from the stuff that they say
and she looks me in the eye
and says would you prefer the easy way?
no, well o.k. then
don't cry

and i wonder if everything i do
i do instead
of something i want to do more
the question fills my head
i know that there's no grand plan here
this is just the way it goes
and when everything else seems unclear
i guess at least i know

i do it for the joy it brings...

I've been in sort of a weird funk lately, and it has made writing difficult. Which isn't to say that I have stopped writing, because I don't think I could ever do that, it just felt sort of mechanical for a while.

Last week I had the chance to sit down with the folks from Fort Wilson Riot to talk about their new indie rock opera, Idigaragua, which is opening tonight (see article here), and our conversation somehow single-handedly jump-started my passion for all things musical. Thank you, Fort Wilson Riot, for your ridiculous, wild ambition and energy toward art and life.

To celebrate my late summer reawakening, I decided to make a list of all of the things I love at the moment.

1. Idigaragua. Plain and simple, one of the coolest things to happen to local music this year.
2. The new Joe Henry album, Civilians, which comes out this Tuesday.
3. The smell of the Electric Fetus, which now reminds me of counting down my till in the incense storage room at the end of the night. God, I really do love my new job.
4. My insanely talented friends.
5. Listening to records until 3 a.m.
6. Having writing parties with Jen, who is finding her own voice as a writer and continuing to inspire me.
7. Quentin Tarentino. Yeah, I don't know exactly why he made the list, but he did.
   
8. Mentors. The ones who know they are mentoring me, and the ones who do it without knowing just by being amazing.
9. The opening scene of High Fidelity, where the 13th Floor Elevators song fades into his headphones as the camera follows the chord from the stereo up to his head.
10. The fact that I get to wear sweaters again soon.
11. Riding "Ye Old Mill" at the State Fair with Dad and Husband. My two favorite guys.
    
12. The internet.
13. The love between Channy and Alexei of Roma di Luna, and how amazing it is that they can create beautiful art together.
14. The hootenanny, which returns October 5!

That's all for now. What's rocking your world?