Touch Me Judge

Everybody is in a band now days. A few reasons for this are immediately obvious to me; the first being how easy it is with digital technology to record songs, burn CDs or email Mp3s, make a website and get your music heard. But this only accounts for some of the proliferation of bands surrounding me. Yes, I attribute some of this to the fact that I live in Los Angeles where if you're not an actor or an artist along with whatever your day job is then what are you still doing here? Perhaps the explosion of people in bands has to do with the glorification of the mythical band lifestyle presented to the masses by dumb ass television shows and ad campaigns. But what else?

My other band Death House Chaplain recently played a warehouse party hosted by Ambiguous Skate Clothing Company. If you were to check out their website and click on the concert series link you would happen upon an array of photos displaying this very idea that being in a band is cool, that there are young chicks everywhere at your shows, free beer, and other hip looking people crowding around you, partying it up and celebrating the sex drugs and rock and roll culture. (Ironically other members of Summer Darling can be found in the giant party scene photos looking hip and drunk.)

Then you get to the photo of Death House Chaplain:


Not too cool. The other couple in the picture owns Ambiguous and wanted us to pose with them. What I find amusing about this photo is that it's one of the few photos that accurately expresses what being in a band is really like most of the time. My face is goofy and I'm soaked in sweat, awkwardly hugging Paul because I didn't know what else to do. Paul's face holds in it all the embarrassment of a photo op post show with people you don't know. Matt somehow looks pregnant and I look like I am feeling the baby kick.

Furthermore, while accurately depict that there were a ton of people at the show, the reality of the show was this: we played to thirteen half interested people and three friends while everyone else migrated outside to drink free PBR. Our set time got changed on us last minute, there was no gas money, and for all intents and purposes nothing good came from the performance at all.

But to us in Death House Chaplain, it was a good show. We got to play music and we felt we played well. And in this simple statement lies the best reason why there are so many bands. Playing music in and of itself is worth while. It can make you feel wonderful or it can make you feel miserable, but it always makes you feel.

And who am I kidding, being a musician is cool as hell.