We’ve been asked a number of times about our motivation for creating this site. Sure, it has to do with our love for The Lone Bellow and their music, and we've written about the creation of this site being a way of showing gratitude toward them. But it really goes a bit further than that. I mean, why would we want to spend so much time each week on this endeavor?
We each have a husband and an 8 year old child, and as mothers and wives, we lead the typical life of parents who have chosen to stay home with and homeschool their children. It is a life that is somehow mundane yet always busy, never quiet, rarely relaxing. We spend our days teaching our children math and reading and history and science, introducing them to everything we can to ensure their education is fulfilling and complete. We schlep them to classes and activities and lessons, field trips and outings with friends. We beat our heads against the wall once or twice a week as we lead their Destination Imagination team. Our homes are messy with books, art supplies, cardboard boxes, wood scraps, empty toilet and paper towel rolls, games and puzzles.
It's easy to let this role as mother and educator take over our lives if we aren't careful, and we have to work hard to stay in touch with who we are as individuals. We each have a variety of ways to do that. For example, Abra sews, I run, we both read and go out with our partners and with friends. We both enjoy cooking, and are damn good at it, if I may say so myself.
But it is music that has emerged as a particularly strong outlet for exerting our independence, particularly live music. Before kids (also before we knew each other), we both enjoyed catching shows regularly, but it became more difficult to do after our kids were born.
We met each other because of our similarly aged children, but bonded over many shared interests, as well as that “Texas Forever” mentality that seems to exist in folks from that state no matter how long they’ve been away and even if we never want to go back. Then several years ago, Abra became obsessed with Brandi Carlile, and began attending her concerts regularly, which led to attending other concerts because hey, live music is awesome. She invited me to join her at a The Head and the Heart show, and this also reminded me of how addicting the feeling of being at a live show is. And so we bonded further thanks to our love for live music.
But there is also something about live music that bonds the people in the audience, too, no matter the differences that may exist between them in the rest of their lives. Unless there is just something seriously wrong with a person, it is impossible not to have an emotional response to good music, or even just decent music. And being in a packed venue, especially a small venue with hardcore fans, creates a shared emotional experience that can feel really powerful.
The intensity of that intimacy and connection is even more present with The Lone Bellow than with any other band we’ve experienced. Perhaps you could say we’ve become addicted to that feeling of emotional connection, with the band and with fans. Attending the shows in Boston, Portland, and Burlington over the last couple of weeks certainly reinforced that for us. It felt really special to meet other fans and hear about their experiences.
But because we are unable to attend as many shows as we would like (would one every night be too much?), this site is our way of replicating that connection on some level. We are very hopeful that eventually this site will become a community where fans can talk about why they love The Lone Bellow, too, and share all the nitty gritty details that perhaps our non-obsessed friends and family don’t want to hear about anymore. And, of course, less fanatical fans are also welcome here, as we figure there is still hope for you!
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