— Wilco, “Sunken Treasure”
I honestly have no idea where my love affair with music began, much less where it will end.
Nonetheless, I have always been enthralled by the spectacle of live music. There was a mystifying sense of power and community contained therein. While my particular tastes and understanding of music have changed considerably over the years that fact has not.
However, the power-trip aspect of music can dilute the intrinsic clout it possesses over our intellectual, emotional and spiritual senses. I confess to doubting that at times.
Yet when a crowd of several thousand stands awestruck in complete silence during Sigur Rós’ set, you learn not to doubt. When The Strokes literally shake the foundations of a decades-old train depot, you learn not to doubt. When the girl besides you begins sobbing uncontrollably during Radiohead’s third encore, you learn not to doubt.
It’s this captivating energy that inspired me to organize some outlet for music in Jackson. What resulted is an all-ages concert series taking place this summer called All Ages, Low Wages (www.aa-lw.net). Amid all the tedious e-mailing, calling, checking, hoping, dreaming and brainstorming involved with getting AA*LW together, sometimes I get cynical. Sometimes I wonder why I’m doing this.
Sometimes when I’m worrying whether or not I’ll have an amp to power the speakers with, or if we have enough monitors, or how I’m going to get all this equipment to the venue, I get a little overwhelmed. I take myself too seriously. The business aspect of doing this is indeed a little trying. But then I have to remind myself why I chose to do this.
It’s because I love underpowered speakers pumping vocals that are drowned out by crash cymbals and distorted guitars. It’s because all-ages music—specifically the old University Pub—is the annoyingly long chapter in the book of my teenage existence. It was like a somewhat culture-savvy skating rink. Well, at least until the booty-dancing kicked off after the bands. Then it was like a somewhat culture-savvy strip club.
It’s because I care about Jackson. I want to see it prosper. I want to see music prosper in Jackson. I may not always live in Jackson—but I just want people to fully realize its potential.
I think mainly it’s because of the people that come. These shows draw a crowd of people that don’t seem to get together unless these things happen. And I like those people.
Music seems to be synonymous with community. For many of us, at least to some degree, music defines who we are, what we believe and why we believe it. Music is nothing short of people and relationships manifested through art. And it’s the real-life people and relationships that accompany the live rendering of art that make it entirely worthwhile.
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The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.
