Scant moments after this shot was taken, I could feel a music-spawned smile form on my face.(And, no, it wasn't because I was most of the way through a Yazoo Hop Project #14. Though it certainly didn't hinder the process.)
I felt myself smiling because not only was standing outside of Grimey's New and Preloved Music/The Basement on a glorious mid-April afternoon, listening to a band that I've become very fond of -- the stompgrass stylings of The Avett Brothers -- but also because there were hundreds of others, mainly college-aged kids, doing the exact same thing.
And singing along with every word.
A bulk of this crowd was in near-constant motion -- jumping 'round, pumping fists, pointing their heads to the bright blue sky as they bellowed out lyrics. And I thought it was fantastic.
Because with the constant talk of artists having to take it upon themselves to pluck fans one at a time out of the ether...and music fans having to act as their own de facto A&R folks and wade through the miasma of music being "released" every day...it was heart-warming to see a young band and their young-and-growing crowd be able to stop that process for a little while and enjoy each others' company.
Here's hoping this particular paradigm can happen more often.
From another fan perspective...
