Hello friends! I hope you’re hanging in there.

It’s the week after Thanksgiving… early Tuesday afternoon… and I’m already exhausted. I know I’m not the only person who feels this way. This year has been exhausting. The current president has been exhausting. Both sides have been exhausting. I’m supposed to be cranking out consistent blog content, but it’s been tough when I still have music to finish up, and… oh yeah… Alex and I have to ensure our 4-year-old daughter does her virtual school work using a computer that she has no idea how to operate.

I came here to write a blog post about Wolves & Sheep the band (shameless keyword plug), hip hop concept albums, and classic rock concept albums. Well, now that I’m done with my keyword targeting, let’s talk about exhaustion.

Yes, this year has sucked. We all know it, regardless of which “side” you’re on. Everyone wants to know when we’re getting back to “normal.” I don’t see that ever happening, but I’m a “glass is 3/4 full of silt and vinegar” kinda guy, so I hope that those of you who are still hopeful keep hoping.

There are hundreds of reasons this year has been a train wreck, but it’s the absence of two things in particular that have unforeseeably negative consequences in the long run.

1. Very limited face-to-face human interaction.
2. No live music.

These seem like pretty minor omissions, right? Well hear me out.

Humanity has continued taking the power of the “force” for granted. You know… the force, that “mystical energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us.” It binds us together.

We’ve become so ingrained in technology that we’ve forgotten how necessary it is to consume and transmit good energy between other positive entities. Our heads are so far up our own asses, the bullshit has nowhere to escape. We’ve inhaled every negatively charged molecule the media and shitty people have offered us, and yet we keep begging for more. We took the bait and now we can’t seem to shake that damn treble hook.

Recently we lost another great local musician in Sean Hetrick of Annapolis, MD. I’m guessing most of us know someone who passed away recently at an age far too young for it to have been anything other than one or two things, and I think that says a great deal about the toll this has taken on our mental state. I’ve had to say goodbye to a number of peeps recently, and it hasn’t just been musicians. It’s been teachers, people in the food service industry, law enforcement, small business owners… basically all the industries that have been hit the hardest by this pandemic.

But musicians in particular have been hit extremely hard. Many of these individuals work food service gigs because they need flexible hours that give them the freedom to perform at night and travel. As a result of the pandemic, these folks have lost their musical outlets, as well as the part time gigs that gave them the means to compose and entertain.

Music ain’t free folks. I know some people are still confused by this concept, but that 99 cent song you streamed on Spotify or Apple Music probably cost a minimum of $1000 to create… and that doesn’t include the blood, sweat, and countless tears. 98% of independent artists will never come close to recouping that money. So just imagine what happens when you eliminate the income that allows creative folks the opportunity to be creative, as well as the ability to perform in front of crowds of people who provide their inspiration. Also consider how many fans have relied on that music and the energy from these live performances to lift their spirits.

The long-term physical effects of this virus are unclear — yet heavily documented — while the long-term mental damage has been mostly ignored. I’m not willing to say the strange global response to this pandemic is intentional, but I will say that the most efficient path toward fascism starts with mental torture. It requires snipping the energy cord that unites us and forcing us to retreat into our bunkers while begging for the folks in power to save us.

I’m not here to offer a solution to this problem, because truth be told, we’re kinda helpless to prevent this without a massive revolution, which unfortunately would require the majority of us to leave the comfort of our own homes and put our lives at risk. Not happening. But, there is a temporary solution…

Instead of texting, make a phone call. Reach out to your friends and family. Tell people you love them for no other reason than to let them know you’re thinking of them. Transmit that good energy from a distance. Do everything in your power to reject the negative energy that has infected the internet and its resources.

And on that note, I want you all to know that I love you and look forward to seeing you all in person once again. Stay safe and remember the uplifting power of listening to music. Silence is the path to the dark side.

– Tyler Durdin from the band Wolves & Sheep