Caleb Hawley

Last night we played a show at a college in Michigan. The show went great, but the initial greeting was a classic case of pure Indie snobbery. I used to be jazz snob, and I’m so glad that I’ve changed my perspective. Music is subjective, and it’s become a pet peeve of mine when people get condescending just because of the kind of music someone creates. Lately for me, this has been the 120-pound college kid with a half grown beard, who’s only opinion is one of which he has read in Paste or Pitchfork. Dude, sorry I’m not Bon Iver… Although I did grow up sixty-miles from him, so that should count for something right?

Here’s what happened last night, if you don’t mind me venting to you. Reed and I (who I’m currently touring with) were sitting at the venue enjoying a cup of tea, waiting for them to finish setting up the stage.
A short little bag of bones walks up and said, “Hey, what kind of music do you people play?”
“Oh, you know. Singer-songwriter stuff,” Reed replied.
“Like John Mayer?” said the bearded twig.
“Yeah, something sort of like that,” I said unassumingly.
“Oh… I was joking,” said Slim Jim. “Good luck with that,” he said as he turned and walked off in the distance.

Wow. What the heck is wrong with that dude. John Mayer is proven to be one of the best musicians around, yet we may as well have told him we sounded like Barney the Purple Dinosaur. I have three pieces of advice that may be of use to this kid, as well as all the other Indie kids of the world.

One: Try to live with a mindset of equality. You are not better than anyone, nor is anyone better than you.

Two: Before you continue with your unwanted critiques, learn to create something for yourself. It’s only fair.

Three: Eat something.