message from home
august 2024
i’m back. at times, my return felt uncertain. between the missed trains (three), the lack of available boxes in which to pack my bike for the trip home, and the temptation of a lifetime consuming brioches and cappuccini, there were moments when i thought i might have no choice but to stay.
but i caught the trains that counted, pedaled up and over a few steep mountains, and spent way more time biking in france than i realized. thanks to my friend nate, who helped plan my trip, one theme of my days on the bike was the looks of confusion from fellow cyclists, hikers, and drivers whenever i steered my bike onto a seemingly untrodden path.1 i’m happy to say it always paid off.
another theme, of course, was music. there’s something magical about listening to music on a bicycle.2 you have the rhythmic, propulsive experience of running without the impact on your fragile bones. pedalstrokes can synchronize with the beat of a song as you slice through the air. and unless you’re white-knuckling a hairy descent or bleeding out of your eyeballs on a steep climb, biking affords you the chance to drink in the scenery, to contemplate your small place in the big world. uptempo songs drive you forward, and serene tunes prompt you to sit up and take a deep breath, rolling, rolling, rolling all the while.
i listened to my august playlist. i listened to a playlist of my favorite songs i made for a friend. i listened to a beautiful playlist my pal tyler made for me, cataloguing the musical eras of his own life. and of course i listened to the songs that you all added to the playlist for my trip. there’s nothing quite like hearing “E SE DOMANI” while winding up the switchbacks of piccolo san bernardo.
i listened to a shit-ton of TWAIN, whom i’ve praised here before. Davidson’s music is buoyant, spiritual, and contemplative in a way that felt perfectly suited for the many hours i spent rolling through foreign countries in solitude. never-ending climbs into the heavens, delirious descents back down from said heavens, flat roads yawning into the horizon—TWAIN paired nicely with all of it.
so, go bike and listen to music, any music, or, if you want, this playlist. you’ll hear a few of the folks i saw live before leaving. pay particular attention to the four acts who i caught at a house show.3
nashville groups MELAINA KOL and TOTAL WIFE bookended the bill while my new favorite band 22° HALO and chicago-based MIA JOY took the second and third slots respectively. the band tees were plentiful.4 the outside energy between sets brought tears to my eyes. 22° HALO’s bassist Joey Degrado cheerfully mingled with everyone and smoked reservation cigarettes. drenched in sweat and wearing a knee brace, he called to mind someone you might have to guard at YMCA pick-up ball. between songs, MELAINA KOL’s Logan Hornyak attributed his languor to a new blood pressure medication. and through it all i struggled to wrap my head around the sheer amount of talent crammed in that basement.
later in the month Cassie Berman helmed fellow members of SILVER JEWS at Julia Martin Gallery. WILL OLDHAM joined them for “WILD KINDNESS” and one of my favorites, “PUNKS IN THE BEERLIGHT”. as always, Cassie sang with her characteristic mix of grace and force and OLDHAM, eyes closed, fist in the air, just fully sent it. i think he might’ve left his body.
a very special musical august indeed. and you’re telling me we’ve still got the SOUR WIDOWS show to look forward to?!?
nashville’s still popping! suck it milan!
SHOWS IN AUGUST: MELAINA KOL + 22° HALO + MIA JOY + TOTAL WIFE / DEHD / TWEN + ENUMCLAW + PRESSURE HEAVEN / BRENNAN WEDL / SILVER JEWS
SHOWS IN SEPTEMBER: SOUR WIDOWS / FLORRY + JOSH HALPER + ABBY JOHNSON / PETER CAT RECORDING CO. / MJ LENDERMAN + KARLY HARTZMAN / DAN REEDER / SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE
it turns out alpine-dwelling europeans prefer not to mix their activities. bikes with drop handlebars belong on the roads, mountain bikes, on the mountains. skiing is best enjoyed on immaculately groomed, steep runs, etc. imagine their confusion when they saw me biking, off-road, on a ski run.
always with only one earbud in the right ear in order to hear road-side traffic. i recommend.
not only a house show, but a basement show.
tees i clocked: KAREN DALTON, SHANIA TWAIN, JOYER, PESO PLUMA, KATE BUSH, DEVO, PRIMITIVE, STYROFOAM WINOS, BLACK MIDI, BLONDE REDHEAD.