Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Yes, I understand the dark past that it represents, but to me, it also represents an opportunity to be free of any responsibility other than the one I have to my family. It doesn't matter what's on the table to eat, it's who's around the table eating. Sure, football can help break some awkward silences with relatives who've grown a bit too distant, but it's a day to appreciate all you have, and I'll always stand behind that sentiment.
While it's fair to say 2021 has been nearly as great a challenge as last year, there's also been plenty to celebrate this year. As I took inventory on all that I've been able to experience this year, particularly through the lens of this blog, I'm finding that a great deal of the things that I'm most thankful for that came about this year are related to the music I've consumed. I tried to sort through it as best as I could, and you'll be able to read about it below. Let's use today as a time to be thankful for the things that bring us joy, and then continue to improve the things we don't.
I am thankful... for concerts returning.
There was a time I didn't think I'd be at a concert in 2021, but I was thankfully over-pessimistic on that take. As I entered the legendary Starland Ballroom to see Bayside and Senses Fail, all those familiar feelings of belonging came back, and I was immediately reminded of why I love attending live concerts so much. Since then, I've been able to see Knocked Loose, Anberlin and The Early November, and Manchester Orchestra and Foxing, with a couple more great ones lined up before the end of the year. It's so good to be back.
I am thankful... that live streams are here to stay. I get to see a show without the claustrophobia, late-night drive home from the venue, but with the same feeling of catharsis at the end? Sign me up! It does appear that some landlocked bands are using this until they're able to tour peacefully will be using this medium, for now. It does seem like the live stream event is a great way to present new material, as Tigers Jaw and Foxing both put together great presentations of their new albums, while Underoath is set to join that list with Digital Ghost, dropping in December. It's also a great way to immortalize a specific album, as Bayside did with Killing Time and Circa Survive did with Blue Sky Noise. Atreyu you have also taken an interesting route in this field, using the band's Twitch account to broadcast their sets from their headlining US tour this fall. While it may have kept some fans home, it also gave access to those who are yet to feel comfortable in such large crowds to see their favorite band. If this is what the future of the scene looks like, it opens up a lot of really cool and creative possibilities
I am thankful... for Fueled By Ramen's 25-year Anniversary To say Fueled By Ramen records had a profound effect on the emo scene in the early 2000s is a hideous understatement. In fact, it may be the most influential label of that era. So many iconic bands and albums were released under that label's umbrella, and they've still found ways to find new and exciting acts into the 2020s. To celebrate the label's silver anniversary, they're releasing silver pressings of some of those records. This is a real treat for fans, as some of them have been out of pressing for over a decade. This lead to a lot of fans getting price-gouged on eBay, paying hundreds for records like Fall Out Boy's Take This to Your Grave or Paramore's RIOT!. However, thanks to the label's represses, collectors new and old were able to get their hands on records that felt unreachable for a while. The label also did a great job with the rollout, only announcing the albums they were selling month-my-month to build suspense for which release to expect. It's been a well-deserved year-long celebration for the label, and it's also added some great white whale records to my collection.
I am thankful... for Vintage Vinyl. I went nearly all of 2020 without going into Vintage Vinyl, and even though 2021 was the end of the store's decades-long reign as New Jersey's premier record store, they left with a lot of great memories. The event the store held where they sold memorabilia from previous signings was a great experience to be a part of, and as I wrote in a previous post, the closing sale was a great way for me to look up from the punk records and see just how many different people with different music tastes the store was a home for over the years. I've got a few more records on my shelf because of that sale, and I've got plenty of memories inside the store that'll be with me forever.
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