I only recently started going back to shopping in the record store and holy moly it's changed how I interact with music. A year or two ago I was listening to the same 2-3 playlists on spotify - usually lofi. Now, I'm finding all sorts of things — both old and new. I wish more people would journey out, but at least I always have the people that work at the record store to chat with
This is a great point. Houses and apartments should have built-in turntables, CD players, and DVD/Bluray machines (and why not, a VCR) as standards, like a fridge and a stove.
Not sure this will solve the out-in-public issue, but I'm sure many folks will venture out to their local record store and maybe video stores will begin to reappear too. It's a good segue to other physical spaces, like concert venues, restaurants, and museums. Also, maybe the cost of records would go down too.
In four brief years between 1966 and 1970, Hendrix completely altered the landscape of rock and roll and guitar playing.
Regarding the rest of your post (but on a different note)...
Every week my wife and I have a date night, just the two of us. We usually go out and have dinner and then on to one of our favorite local bars for a couple of drinks, where we enjoy sitting next to each other with no distractions, no TVs, and just talk to each other. Nothing else is important. Just our time together. Our phones are never out.
However, looking around restaurants and bars, most people sitting at tables are on their phones. They are not engaging with the people they are with. They think they are, but they are not. This has become acceptable and normalized, and people don't seem to have a problem with it. But, if either of us were on our phones during our date night, it wouldn't be acceptable. And it's the same if I am out with friends or at a concert. There is a time and place to look at one's phone and when it should be away. I strongly believe one should be present in the company, and space you are in. Regarding the latter, I am also astonished by the number of people who paid for tickets to see an artist perform, and they are on their Instagram, FB, or texting during a show.
But, hey, my wife and I fully accept we are in the minority as the evidence is overwhelming how acceptable it has become in society.
Yep. So relate. There is certainly a generational component to this, but a larger part is a culture of device distraction. It's a culture of avoiding the present moment, largely caused by the addictive qualities of our mobile devices. I empathize -- I fall prey to it quite often myself -- but at least I had 30 years of life to build "muscle" to resist it, or at least recognize it and change habits. I imagine it's a lot harder for younger people who were given iPads when they were 2 years old.
Lots of food for thought in this piece. It would be great to dine on said food with thoughtful friends at a physical restaurant, unhurriedly and with open-hearted listening.
There are a ton of economic reasons for this situation we find ourselves in -- restaurants, movies, and concerts are more expensive than ever -- not to mention that going out means we have to put pants on and probably shower.
The convenience factor of online replacements for what we used to do out in public cannot be overstated. This was all true before the pandemic, but for me personally, being homebound for those 18-plus months led to a bit of agoraphobia, or at least an instinct to handle everything from the comforts of home.
I'm not sure movies are more expensive. In 1994 I think a typical ticket was $7.50. Infl calculator says that's worth about $16 now. My local theater charges $16 for a ticket. And, the theater seats are much better now.
I only recently started going back to shopping in the record store and holy moly it's changed how I interact with music. A year or two ago I was listening to the same 2-3 playlists on spotify - usually lofi. Now, I'm finding all sorts of things — both old and new. I wish more people would journey out, but at least I always have the people that work at the record store to chat with
This is a great point. Houses and apartments should have built-in turntables, CD players, and DVD/Bluray machines (and why not, a VCR) as standards, like a fridge and a stove.
Not sure this will solve the out-in-public issue, but I'm sure many folks will venture out to their local record store and maybe video stores will begin to reappear too. It's a good segue to other physical spaces, like concert venues, restaurants, and museums. Also, maybe the cost of records would go down too.
In four brief years between 1966 and 1970, Hendrix completely altered the landscape of rock and roll and guitar playing.
Regarding the rest of your post (but on a different note)...
Every week my wife and I have a date night, just the two of us. We usually go out and have dinner and then on to one of our favorite local bars for a couple of drinks, where we enjoy sitting next to each other with no distractions, no TVs, and just talk to each other. Nothing else is important. Just our time together. Our phones are never out.
However, looking around restaurants and bars, most people sitting at tables are on their phones. They are not engaging with the people they are with. They think they are, but they are not. This has become acceptable and normalized, and people don't seem to have a problem with it. But, if either of us were on our phones during our date night, it wouldn't be acceptable. And it's the same if I am out with friends or at a concert. There is a time and place to look at one's phone and when it should be away. I strongly believe one should be present in the company, and space you are in. Regarding the latter, I am also astonished by the number of people who paid for tickets to see an artist perform, and they are on their Instagram, FB, or texting during a show.
But, hey, my wife and I fully accept we are in the minority as the evidence is overwhelming how acceptable it has become in society.
Yep. So relate. There is certainly a generational component to this, but a larger part is a culture of device distraction. It's a culture of avoiding the present moment, largely caused by the addictive qualities of our mobile devices. I empathize -- I fall prey to it quite often myself -- but at least I had 30 years of life to build "muscle" to resist it, or at least recognize it and change habits. I imagine it's a lot harder for younger people who were given iPads when they were 2 years old.
Lots of food for thought in this piece. It would be great to dine on said food with thoughtful friends at a physical restaurant, unhurriedly and with open-hearted listening.
There are a ton of economic reasons for this situation we find ourselves in -- restaurants, movies, and concerts are more expensive than ever -- not to mention that going out means we have to put pants on and probably shower.
The convenience factor of online replacements for what we used to do out in public cannot be overstated. This was all true before the pandemic, but for me personally, being homebound for those 18-plus months led to a bit of agoraphobia, or at least an instinct to handle everything from the comforts of home.
I'm not sure movies are more expensive. In 1994 I think a typical ticket was $7.50. Infl calculator says that's worth about $16 now. My local theater charges $16 for a ticket. And, the theater seats are much better now.
I wish more record stores were around to sell more classic vinyls and CDs. I think we lost the art to preserving music in that way.