A Sunday Stack

“You have no idea what you’re doing, and therefore, you’re invincible.”

About two weeks ago I flew back to Charleston, but before that, I had to wait in the security line at BWI. I just want to know when everyone decided to stop standing six feet apart after covid - was it 2022? 2023? Why did we ditch that rule? It was the best one.

The TSA agent instructed me to move backwards, and so I kick ball-changed into the warm embrace of an elderly woman, muffled by capri length khaki pants and double knee replacements. I backed my ass up on her the way Juvenile and Lil Wayne would have wanted. Now, I think of her and remember to turn around before I shuffle my feet.

Let’s Catch Up

I took exactly one month off from exercising and…nothing happened. Nothing good and nothing bad. I built up my fear of a worst case scenario and deconstructed it as I realized I couldn’t envision a scenario at all. Surprisingly, you won’t die if you take a month to rest- hindsight is 20/20. I’ll start half-marathon training again tomorrow with sixteen weeks till my race. I’m ready to usher in my next starting line.

Last week I attended three concerts back to back to back.

First, The Japanese House and Maggie Rogers.

When we discovered that Maggie would be playing at Credit One Stadium, just a short drive away from us, it felt fated. Once again, we’d be standing at the barricade, now with a whole new set of songs. For the Don’t Forget Me Tour, Maggie and her band have been playing a new version of “Alaska”; transforming the urgency of the first version into a folky, twang-y ballad. My singular note of the evening is wishing she played “Never Going Home” off of Don’t Forget Me. The Japanese House dropped “:)” just a few days before this show, and we were lucky enough to be among the first few crowds to hear it live. “:)” is the summery counterpart to “Wintering” by The 1975, with the ‘75’s drummer and Brat boyfriend, George Daniel credited on production.

If you liked Don’t Forget Me, don’t forget (ha) to check out this playlist I curated.

Next, Flyte and Wilderado.

Prior to the show, I had never heard of Flyte. The London based group writes in a confidential, diaristic style with a striking familiarity to Adrienne Lenker or Ryan Beatty. If you want to impress someone with your taste, show them a Flyte song. Max Rainer of Wilderado encouraged us to not worry so much about showing up cool - rather, to just relax and enjoy the show. Surprisingly, this show at the Windjammer in Isle of Palms was the most tickets they had sold at a single show. Wilderado shares many similarities with Zach Bryan; pride in the state of Oklahoma, humble bearings, and creating an intimate setting for a sold out show, no matter the size of the crowd.

Last, Colors in Corduroy and The Stews.

This show kicked off the Chicken Fight Tour, ahead of their new album of the same title, dropping July 12th. Colors joined The Stews mid-set for an eight person rendition of “Come Together” by The Beatles. There was tambourine shaking, a two-man drum set, and a ten minute guitar riff to round the performance out. It was epic.

Wilderado.

Girl With No Job

Some of you may be rolling your eyes and thinking, “This again?” Well, yes. The key to making anything more bearable is talking about it. In fact, by sharing my experience so far, some of you have reached out to me reminding me that it’s okay to not have it figured out, but also reassuring me that the process might take longer than I first anticipated. The only person putting pressure on myself to have a timeline is me.

I came across a position that I saw myself as a perfect fit for, which checked all of my boxes as well; closer to home, bigger market, social media and creative marketing within the music industry. I think it can be so easy to get lost in the job search that we forget we’re also interviewing the hiring manager. It’s kind of like dating or making new friends - really, I should be more concerned if I like you rather than how much you like me. After I received the confirmation email and messaged someone from the department on LinkedIn, two weeks of radio silence passed me by. I noticed on LinkedIn that the position had filled, which left me feeling more frustrated by the lack of feedback than the lack of a rejection itself. Sometimes I just want to message the hiring manager, “Kick Rocks.”

I, like most people, quickly binged The Bear this week. A quote from the final episode that caught my attention reads, “You have no idea what you’re doing, and therefore, you’re invincible.” I’m trying to feel more empowered by the sentiment that I have nothing to lose right now. I think this TikTok screenshot captures those feelings:

For Your Consideration

NO HANDS by Joey Valence and Brae, their sophomore album which dropped June 7th, 2024. At the forefront, you’ll clock the Beastie Boys inspiration and as the album progresses you’ll discover sprinkles of Project Pat’s infectious “-ahs” in the comparative degree, brushed with the warranted cockiness of Megan Thee Stallion. This is everything I could want out of a rap album and I highly recommend checking this out.

Gracie Abrams dropped her album, The Secret of Us, causing a collective freak out among people who cut their own bangs, particularly about “us” featuring Taylor Swift, co-written and produced by Aaron Dessner. This record is melancholic and whimsical, Abrams’ delivery sometimes breathy but never dissonant.

“The girl, so confusing version with lorde” (yes, that is the title) will have you sending emails and DMs alike, asking to “work it out on the remix.” I forecast a trend on tiktok explaining a list of people we’re all unwilling to work it out with on the remix, via @hellotefi.

On My Radar

Clairo’s Charm, out July 12th.

Hotel Fiction’s Staring at the Sun, out July 19th.

Maude Latour’s Sugar Water, out August 16th.

Ashe’s Wilson, out September 6th.