If you’re like me, every time something horrific happens in this world, you’re faced with an overwhelming urge to help… somehow.
I follow a lot of creative people online, and I’m always inspired by the art they create in times of trouble. I share their graphics. I buy the t-shirt benefiting the cause. I give money when and where I can. It’s all so inspiring in the moment when people come together. You feel this sense of hope, as if maybe this time enough of us are connecting with what’s really going on to bring meaningful change. Then a few weeks go by. Predictably, another horrible thing happens, but it’s buried in the news by some typical nonsense, and eventually life returns to normal.
As I sit here today, I’m wondering what “normal” could even be anymore. When I reflect on the world around me, on what I’ve seen in the last 10 years alone, it’s almost impossible to comprehend how we’ve ended up here.
Of course, there’s an explanation for it all. There are horrible people out there taking direct action every day to suck the life out of every good thing this world has to offer, and we’re allowing them. Because what other choice do we have? If you ponder that question long enough, it starts to feel overwhelming.
Nate and I were in the Seattle airport a few weeks back, getting steps in while we waited for a delayed flight to board. We were in the middle of playing a handful of small shows in record stores across the country to celebrate our album release. Our excitement over accomplishing something 20 years in the making was overshadowed by yet another horrific event. A few days prior, Alex Pretti was shot in cold blood on the streets of Minneapolis, simply for stepping in to help a fellow member of the community who had been pushed to the ground by some goon. Renee Good a couple weeks before that, and many others before her. That morning, we were gearing up to perform a show for Stinkweeds Records in our hometown, and Nate suggested we play a Boycott Heaven B-side, “The Bar Is Set So Low,” as an opportunity to acknowledge what had happened earlier in the day. We continued to close each set with that song the rest of the week, and as we walked through the airport that day, the question came up: What more can we do?
It’s hard to know where to start, but we do have to start somewhere. Actions, no matter how small, can accumulate over time and amount to something great. So, with that in mind, we’ve decided to take our first step. With the help of some friends, we’re creating what we’re calling “Saturdays In The Park,” which will give us an opportunity to create a space for people to gather, have discussions, hear a little music along the way, and hopefully leave with new information from people in the community doing important work, and with inspiration to take additional steps in their own lives.
Most of us are inherently good. I really believe that. And when good people in communities get together in person to take action against something bad, there’s a feeling there that can’t be produced artificially. It’s the soul of who we are. Harnessing that energy is the only chance we have to change course. It feels pretty heavy, but we have a responsibility to try harder.
See you in the park ✌️
The Format
SATURDAYS IN THE PARK — The Format
