August 7, 2021 was my first show back. Back, from where? Who even knows? While the pandemic rages on, I wonder, more often than not, if leaving my house is even worth it. But I’ve been enjoying – and producing – livestreams and digital concert experiences since COVID-19 took SXSW 2020 from us all, and I knew the joy that came from that massively sustained me over the last 17 months.
The first time I saw Dermot Kennedy was in a church off 6th Street in Austin, Texas during SXSW 2018. I chose to spend the evening with a handful of friends from my hometown, wandering into shows and experiencing new acts to write about and photograph for the (still new) site. But something about Kennedy’s vocal delivery – the vulnerability and intensity with which he delivered some of the most emotionally charged lyrics I’d ever heard – made me forget I was trying to compile content for the site at all. A handful of distanced, “between tall guys’ bobbing heads” photos happened, but the music was so compelling that I spent an embarrassing amount of the set with my eyes closed, or staring up at the vaulted ceilings, marveling at the magic that music creates, and the magic from which it is derived.
When SXSW 2020 was canceled, I decided to make the quick, 4-hour jaunt to St. Louis to see Kennedy. Within a couple of days, the tour was indefinitely postponed. COVID-19 set in, and March saw stages around the world shutter. Deafening silence. And while artists tried to keep the spark alive with their multi-dimensional at-home creations, new directions, and interactive experiences, there was just something missing. That spark that live music incites, the way it can make an entire room feel like it’s on fire, hearts dancing in unison. As someone who once took for granted a 2-5 concert per week schedule, I began to feel lost in a sea of digital analysis and curation. I am humbled by the art that has come from our time locked away, but it never had the energy of a live show.
By the time I realized live music was coming back, Kennedy had sold out his St. Louis reschedule. And his Red Rocks performance. I spoke with a friend who was going to work with me on getting tickets in Wisconsin, which would be my saving grace for his tour since Kennedy was no longer appearing on the postponed Bonnaroo lineup (because of touring conflicts). But my sister happening upon a radio tour announcement a couple of weeks before her big move to Los Angeles and a random discussion that occurred a half-hour before tickets went on sale for the Kansas City stop made it all possible. Me – the woman who often feels jaded by the industry, especially for how little people truly rallied for the arts through this dark time -, I allowed myself to finally get excited about an event. I had something to look forward to that I knew could help me heal.
And still, I wondered, could I possibly stand in a crowded venue again? Could I find joy in the music – the one thing that makes me feel like I have my head screwed on straight on a daily basis – amidst a crowd of maybe-vaxxers from the midwest? (That wild, wild midwest that we have come to know as a largely “denying science” crowd.) I spent days before this show panicking about everything. Would there be space to spread out? The show wasn’t entirely sold out, the venue was more intimate, it couldn’t be too insane. Right? Would I melt in my mask? Would my friends be comfortable?
I almost had no words to explain how it all felt. Sure, I annoyed my +1 (Hi, mom!) and a couple of friends (I see you Anjelica and Kevin!) with some fears about everything. But, I was mostly entirely back in my element. As an observer, an enjoyer. I ensured we got pretty good spots to watch the show, over by the rail on the right side next to the stage. Dermot Kennedy’s Kansas City (Missouri) leg of his Better Days tour was officially sold out at the Uptown Theater, however, there was substantial space on the sides of the stage to ensure that we felt comfortable. I did some people watching like I used to. (I’d like to think that people couldn’t handle their liquor because they hadn’t imbibed at that level in a while, but who knows?) And, truly, I spent the majority of the evening belting out lyrics behind my mask, staring up at the shadows dancing on the ceiling, really indulging in the collective atmosphere of it all.
Set List: Lost Power Over Me All My Friends An Evening I Will Not Forget Outgrown The Corner Rome For Island Fires and Family Outnumbered Better Days Moments Passed Glory Giants Encore: After Rain Without Fear
Thank you to Anna Hamilton, Bishop Briggs, and Dermot Kennedy for “an evening I will not forget.” (I know I’m the first one to use that reference, of course.) I can only say that it helped to inflate my sad, darkened, emo heart. So perhaps I’ll Grinch less for a while. đ
Anna Hamilton and Bishop Briggs thoughts + photos to come.
âAh, another virtual event that I will RSVP to and not at ALL want to attend most of,â I thought, as the first electronic communications regarding SXSW 2021 came through to my device.
And, as we got closer to the start date, I thought more and more about the piles of work and other obligations that I could not take a vacation from in order to attend â like I would in a non-pandemic year where I would be physically changing locations and turning on my out-of-office messages.
But, of all the virtual events Iâve attended â and chosen not to attend â during the COVID-19 pandemic, this one was by far the most beneficial for me to attend.
And, itâs not because there were speakers/talent who looked/were like me (a white, cishet, straight female), but because there were speakers/talent who looked
NOTHING. LIKE. ME.
Sure, there were some missteps. Namely:
1.     Mark Cuban â not only is he the whitest dude, but he offers no additional perspective he hasnât already spewed across all digital/media channels 2.     MOST of the speakers were pre-recorded â so, couldnât you pre-screen some of the talks to ensure that those catchy titles that were submitted in the panel picker process actually lived up to their name? (i.e. â anything that started with âHow Toâ should have been some sort of how toâŠnot just âI am so successful, here is how I am so successfulâ. See: Every white man â including Mark Cuban). 3.     Allowing ANY talks with a white man â or a group of white men â by himself. Panels, groups discussions, or fireside chats with all types of people that include a white man? SURE! But our lives have been so saturated with mediocre white dudes on a podium talking down to us for LITERALLY OUR ENTIRE LIVES that we just donât need one more talk by a solo white guy.Â
And, Iâm not saying that was all that was there â but, constructive criticism is important. Weâve all got to keep organizers on their toes. Because, yes, there were plenty of talks that were out-of-the-box and from traditionally marginalized speakers. There were tracks on cannabis and living outside of the gender binary and women in [insert career here]. This was, in fact, the event with the widest array of representation I have attended yet.
AND it canât stop here.
This canât be the âdiversity yearâ â one and done. I hope this yearâs SXSW sets the tone for pushing boundaries and innovating and leading the charge in representation across ALL events, multimedia, etc. I hope it continues into the next in-person conference â and I am not left sitting in a cold conference room staring 10 feet up at a million Seth Rogens all week. (As delightful as one Seth Rogen can be).Â
I am delighted that I âleftâ SXSW having heard about subjects that move me from the people who are on the ground, doing the work. Feeling full. Feeling rejuvenated. Feeling hopeful about things to come.
I didnât leave thinking: so what? I left thinking: what now?
Today, we have your first look at the new Dawson Fuss music video, which also happens to be the artist’s directorial debut. The gorgeous visual boasts warm colors, noticeable contrast of light and dark while the protagonist (Fuss) experiences moments of obvious uncertainty. The video brings small instances of beauty to the forefront, moments you appreciate only when everything goes a little bit awry in a relationship. That, coupled with Fuss’ magnetic vocals and relatable lyrics, makes for a touching, all-encompassing experience.
ââHey Youâ is inspired by the failure of first love and the complicated emotions that follow: regret, anger, sadness, and loss,â Dawson explains. âI wrote this song following my first serious relationship that unfortunately ended because of emotional and physical distance caused by the isolation of COVID-19.â
Get your first taste – and second, third, and thirtieth – below!
Although there have always been examples of athletes being the voice of social change, 2020 was a watershed year in the fight for social justice. The COVID-19 pandemic and the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor by police officers were three primary events that coalesced in a short period of time to bring the need for social justice to the forefront and the voices of athletes led the call. Morgann Mitchell, Senior Director, Integrated Brand Communications, Turner Sports, moderated Amplifying Athlete Voices Off The Court, a panel discussion during 2021 South by Southwest. Guests were Candance Parker, Analyst and Host for Turner Sports; Eric Jackson, SVP of NBA Digital Content Operations and Diversified Sports Content at Turner Sports; and Chris Webber, also an Analyst for Turner Sports.
When both the WNBA and the NBA returned to playing games during the pandemic, each league was separately sequestered in their own bubbles to prevent spread of the COVID-19 virus. This unique situation allowed the athletes to meet more often and formulate their responses to the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.
Mitchell: âHow in the bubble were you able to come together?â
Parker: âPreparation is in the small moments when the cameras werenât there. I think the WNBA was built for moments like this. We are a league of women – 80% are women of color, we have all economic backgrounds, and LGBTQ members.â
Mitchell: âChris, you were on the air the night Jacob Blake was shot â what was the response of people?â
Webber: âI have to give a shout out to Turner. Turner wanted to know if I wanted to say something. The response was overwhelming great.â
Jackson: âBlack voices have been heard for years â Ali, Hank Aaron. The WNBA was great â you left out (Candace) that you were mothers, so you had to balance that as well.â
In the midst of social justice issues, there was an owner of a WNBA team (Kelly Loeffler) that was also running for a permanent seat in the Senate. She opposed the Black Lives Matter stance of the WNBA players and wanted them to keep politics out of the game. As a direct result of this, players vocally supported her opponent, Rev. Raphael Warnock. (Note: Loeffler sold the team in February, 2021)
Mitchell: âHow did the senate conversations come about?â
Parker: âI have to speak on leadership of the WNBA and NBA. We have a pretty solid playerâs union â in both leagues. There were times we would hop on calls, one time with Michelle Obama. Because we were in the bubble, everybody was connected. We were able to surround that message and amplify it. We could have meetings whenever we want. I really commend leadership of WNBA and WNBAPA.â
Mitchell: âWhat is your role in this fight?â
Webber: âI think itâs cool that the younger players are embracing what has come before them and taking leadership. I am inspired that the lessons of the past werenât wasted.â
Mitchell: âHow is social media amplifying the stories?â
Jackson: âThe beauty is the youthful exuberance of having voices heard. Authenticity makes a difference with social channels. Here is a guy or a lady that looks like me, that through art and expression do their own thing with social media. Itâs beautiful to watch. The older people need to get on board.â
Mitchell: âCan the younger generation do or be so much more than the glass ceilings from before?â
Parker: âIt is important to see something, but so, so crucial to see someone. This generation has seen so much that they donât set boundaries and limits. I know my own daughter is this way. They care for others. It means more for Chris Webber to sit here and talk about womenâs sports. Like it means more for our white allies to talk about Black Lives Matter.â
Jackson: âIâm a girl dad, (they are in their younger 20âs) so Iâm seeing their engagement in the political election. They are seeing the responsibility of voting.â
Webber: âFor my son, as a Black male, I hope I donât have to worry about how he engages with the police later in life. For my daughter, she doesnât have any limits, she thinks she can do anything! I have twins and they are still small. Iâm excited for them to live in the glory of these times. Iâm optimistic for the future.â
Mitchell: âEric, how are you building diversity in your team?â
Jackson: âThis is a passion of mine. Didnât feel good, but felt comfortable for 20 years out of 30 I have been working. I went to a HBCU (Tuskegee University). I demonstrate my work ethic, I speak out. I need to set the example so when the next guy or girl who looks like me is applying to work here, it will be a no brainer. You want to be in the room where the decisions are made â hiring, content â Iâve tried to do that.â
Mitchell: âWhy was ownership so important?â
Parker: âI have to make sure that I put my money where my mouth is â to support womenâs sports. (Candace Parker is part of the ownership group of Angel City FC of the National Womenâs Soccer League.) I am championing womenâs sports plus teaching generational wealth. I am looking forward to going on this journey with my daughter â she is on the investor calls with me!â
SXSW Summary: Athletes have been using their platform and voices for decades to bring light to social issues on and off the field of play, but 2020 brought upon new urgency when COVID-19 and the killings of Black citizens like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor coincided in the span of a few months. Bleacher Report and Turner Sports will bring together a panel of stakeholders including, Turner analysts Candace Parker, Chris Webber and Senior Vice President of NBA Digital Content Operations and Diversified Sports Content, Eric Jackson, will dive into how these brands are concentrated on raising athletesâ voices on social issues to new heights and the importance of highlighting athlete activism.
Candace Parker â Host, Turner Sports Eric Jackson â Turner Sports â SVP of NBA Digital Content Operations and Diversified Sports Content Chris Webber â Turner Sports Morgann Mitchell â Senior Director, Integrated Brand Communications, Turner Sports
**elizabeth schneider is a former employee of the NBA and NFL and qualifies as both a sports critic and aficionado.
What to do when you find out your favorite musician is Racist and/or Sexist and/or Homophobic and/or Transphobic and/or COVID-denying and/or A general piece of garbageâŠ
You know that band/musician you loved growing up? The one that speaks to you at any age. The one youâve seen in concert 10+ times? Youâve gone to festivals for them, youâve had their posters since you were 8, their music got you through the good AND bad times â including moving to a new city as a kid. You requested a song of theirs and dedicated it to your twin sister at your wedding receptionâŠ
If you canât tell, I have a band that fits this bill. And last week, it came to my attention that at least two of their members have revealed themselves as garbage.
And, Iâm not kidding when I say that I have supported them, purchased their music and trivia books and even had lunch with them in high school. #BigFan
But, as of last week, that is no more. And, on top of that, I felt a strong urge to take a few more steps. So, if you are devastated and angry at a revelation that a musician that has had a strong impact in your life up to this point is actually COVID-denier â and more â and you arenât sure what to do with that rage? How do you reconcile with the fact that you supported that trash for so long? Hereâs what Iâm doing:
Sit with the fact that you wish they wouldnât have said anything at all. Itâs there. Itâs real. AND itâs a red flag of privilege – that ignorance-is-bliss mentality COULD be easier at times, but isnât something that many humans can afford, nor is it something to seek out. Easier does NOT equal better â at least in this case. Their saying something out loud may feel like a curse. Itâs really a blessing. Because, once you know better, you do better, right?
In your mind/journal, thank them for everything they brought/were to you/did for you in the before times. Maybe vent into a voice message. Scream into a pillow. All good things must come to an end. Now, get to work.
Cut âem off. All social media follows and purchases.
Call âem out. Itâs not enough just to unfollow. Let people know the type of folks they are supporting/following. And, if all you can think with this step is, âWOW, another person promoting cancel culture and trying to silence someoneââŠread up on what cancel culture really is/means (and, this Times article is from 2019âŠstill very much stands)
Stop streaming. Even though itâs just pennies per stream â they are benefitting monetarily from you still tuning into their music.
Count up how much money youâve paid them over the years â posters, albums, concert tickets, merch, etc. â and demand they pay that in donations/reparations. Not sure what reparations are? Nicole Cardoza of Anti-Racism Daily (subscribe to the daily newsletter AND support their work monetarily), shared the following in the February 1, 2021 version of the newsletter:
âReparations are necessary for achieving racial equity (Brookings). On an individual level, pay it forward to creators you learn from on social media or organizers in your community. On a local level, find the local or state initiative advocating for reparations and support for their work. In addition, I recommend completing the Reparations Now Tool Kit created by the Movement for Black Lives to create a comprehensive plan.â
That last ask feel like a bit of a stretch? Thatâs OK. If you have the means, pay those reparations/donations yourself. Installments are fine. Refer to my last point in where to contribute, if you canât think of anything. (For example: I am contributing to KC Tenants â a multiracial group in my hometown that organizes to ensure everyone has a safe, accessible, and affordable home. I also contribute to Gift KC on a monthly recurring basis).
Feel like there is a hole in your heart where that music lived? Find some new music â you are in the right place to find independent artists here at imperfect Fifth), and accept that this â like many things and all of 2020 â is a grieving process. You wonât âjust get over itâ.
Just know that not taking action shows lack of care, and even â dare I say it â complicity?
The world wonât change unless we each take steps â individually and collectively â towards the world we want.
wondering what former favorite band of mine I might be referring to? Hanson. Itâs Hanson (find out what led me to this action and rant, here and here). ALSO? Brian Littrell. Fuck em.
The eclectic sound and feel throughout this album is emphasized through DadalĂșâs creative processes. Her instagram account showcases her new adopted COVID hobby – creating animations that depict mini song ideas to explore for a new record. Imperfect Fifth asked DadalĂș to tell us about her process for El mapa de los dĂas. She tells us:
Fans and new listeners can stream El mapa de los dĂas on Spotify. Check out the music video for âTĂș crees que es normal?â, made by Juegos Artificiales. The limited edition cassette and digital download is also available for purchase from the LA label Cudighi Records bandcamp page.
New York City-based band, Imaginary People, are pleased to present their new single â1999 – Just Voteâ as a public service message to encourage fans to get out and vote. You guessed right – itâs a Prince Cover and you didnât know you need it until you listen to it. The accompanying music video has one clear message thatâs delivered by Leila Rita, who stars as the uninspired yet serious voter of today. Leila is actually a family memberâs niece, and as she holds her handmade sign for the entire duration of the video that reads âVOTEâ, her serious glare is enough of a reminder of the many reasons to get out there and vote today.
The band originally had begun the promotional campaign of their third LP back in February. With the Covid-19 pandemic halting their original scheduled releases, fans can now expect the release of a few singles in the next coming weeks. The forthcoming album Alibi is expected in 2021. Fans can stream two pre-release singles now, “Hometown” and “Crazy Eightâ on all streaming services.
About the song and video Imaginary People’s Dylan Von Wagner says:
Using an old unused cover of 1999 recorded years and years ago, I thought this song might be appropriate for the moment for election day in the current climate of shit show theater that we live in. We ended up with just one take which myself and my wife [The DP] had a tough time keeping a straight face for. We didn’t count on Leila’s spot on commitment to character and her unwavering sober glare. After one take, she said “I got it, I’m done with show business,” and walked off…..
A darling of charts and critics alike, Bette Smith is back with her wonderfully ferocious new album, The Good, The Bad And The Bette. Intrinsic to the wild rock and soul singerâs music is the connection that she made between the gospel she heard in church and the soul music she heard on the corner growing up in the rough Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. Throughout her childhood, Smith was steeped in gospel music. She remembers, âMy father was a church choir director. I was singing since I was five years old. I take it to church. I just break out, start speaking in tongues.â She also heard gospel around the house every weekend. âMy mother listened to nothing but gospel,â she recalls, citing Mahalia Jackson and Reverend James Cleveland. âEvery Sunday morning, she would get up and put on these records while dressing and praising the Lord.â In The Good, The Bad And The Bette, Smith and producers Matt Patton and Bronson Tew explore the power of soul and match it with the edge of rock music, going for a Southern rock soul/Aretha Franklin/âI once was lost but now Iâm foundâ vibe. Sure enough, this album feels very much like rock, but with a blues/gospel attitude, with tracks embodying various feelings of comfort, anger, passion, friendship and even vulnerability in the form of rock-centric bangers, powerful gospel anthems, and even a few tracks that have the taste of a ballad.
But before we can delve into the tracks, we must take a moment to praise Smithâs lustrous vocals. She is gospel, through and through, and you can hear it in the way she sings, but more than that you can feel the years of immersion in gospel and soul that she experienced growing up. Her voice is rough, raw, and absolutely delectable.
But itâs amazing to hear the ways she can apply those vocals to so many different emotions. Thereâs the groovy comfort in lines like âDonât be afraid, all is well, Iâm hereâ in âSigns and Wondersâ that guides you through the classic blues-rock harmonies, which are revitalized by fresh guitar sounds and colours from the brass. But thereâs also the touch of anger that emanates from âFistful of Dollarsâ that then diffuses into the passion of the sparkling âWhistle Stop.â Smith sprinkles some sweetness in âSong for a Friendâ, complemented by the satisfying backing harmonies in the chorus. But even in the vulnerable, stripped back state of âDonât Skip Out On Meâ she maintains the attitude that can be so central to both rock and soul music, which is quite admirable.
Even in the softer songs, The Good, The Bad And The Bette has this incredible energy to it. This is an album of dance songs, and its magnificence desperately calls out to be heard live (please, COVIDâŠ) . Smith herself values the redemptive experience that touring has given her. âItâs amazing, like a dream come true,â she says. âItâs very spiritual and I go into a trance when Iâm singing. The fans are like family. I feel very loved. They are very present. I went through all of this so I could sing and now that I can sing Iâm finding the love that Iâve been looking for all my life.â Some of the anthems like âPine Belt Bluesâ and âEverybody Needs Loveâ also hold some of the greatest lines that one could belt out with Smith as you watch her on stage. The sultry gospel singing in âEverybody Needs Loveâ, along with its anthemic harmonies and lines like âEverybody needs love, just like they need the sun and moon and stars aboveâ create a beautiful and totally universal sentiment that would be so powerful in a live setting.
To finish things off, Smith offers âDonât Skip Out On Me.â The track slows things right down, beginning with just Smith and some acoustic guitar. As more instruments are threaded in, touches of effects create this resonance that makes the space sheâs singing in feel so much bigger. Midway through the song, thereâs an echoing trumpet solo, which takes individual segments, offsets them and then weaves them together to make beautiful patterns of sound that ring out in their own world before joining the rest of the music once again. Itâs this gorgeous interlude that comes as a surprise yet fits in perfectly with the album as a whole that makes the final track on this album the standout. At first the choice to end off with a slow song was surprising, but after listening through, the majesty of this track proved to make perfect sense as an ending.
The Good, The Bad And The Bette is a vivid marriage of rock and soul music that displays Smithâs rich background in the genres and envelopes the listener in a variety of emotions by means of colourful bops and sentimental ballads that are united in their unrelenting attitude and firepower. One canât help but yearn for the day that these tracks can be heard in their full glory, on stage.
Listen. Music is great and all that, but we are between seasons on a ton of our favorite shows, other key series are being pushed for COVID-safe filming, and big companies can’t decide if they are going to release their new blockbusters to theaters or directly to streaming.
All this to say, we’re lacking unique visual stimulation. (Or, at least the kind that doesn’t entirely turn your brain to mush.) So, let’s keep ourselves entertained – and educated – a bit more and hang out with some awesome new videos released this month!
New videos added regularly until October, so check back for more!
