Bravo, Stew! Encore!

I think being out of the box of the artist’s world always creates problems with reviews. Don’t know if this Jon guy could understand the context of what you’re trying to do as an artist, Stew. Because ultimately, what does he care, what’s his investment in your work.

As someone who really loves what you do, I’ll put it this way, which isn’t here or there, because what does it really fucking matter what I think. I didn’t like the Making It songs as immediately as songs you’ve written in the past. It might be one of those grower albums that you need to sit with in bed with your headphones or something like that. I always enjoy you as a performer, but the INSTANT connection wasn’t there for these songs, for me, on that night. Maybe I was hoping you’d figure out the end of my last relationship for me, ha. That said, I recognize that the work is always evolving and if you decide to work on it, it’ll be what you want it to be. One other quick thing – I read a few articles from Gothamist and the Voice leading up to seeing this, and you said some really amazing and poignant things about relationships, breakups, situations, life, such that I personally was looking for Making It to be spelled out for me in a that clear way. But it’s like any time you see material for the first time, and like that opening band who you never heard of and you hear what they’re playing, but aren’t completely immersed. That’s all.

Who knows. Maybe this Jon dude just broke up with his girlfriend or boyfriend and turned up at the show looking for answers about what to do now that his partner and best friend doesn’t want to talk to him any more. Ultimately that’s what critics are doing. They were all fans at one point, but grew too old or too cool to do anything more than hide real excitement or real anger behind an objective screen. And here’s this, maybe this critic is such an asshole that he’ll make you even better, make you want to write those throw it in their faces songs. Or something.

Anyways, Joys and Concerns and Post Minstrel Syndrome have been my ipod gospels these past few weeks. Thanks for that.

YOU make art. Somebody else sees it. If they yap about it in a publick forum, then it’s fair game for the artist to yap ‘em back, godammit.

Yap on, brother, yap on!

Its the oldest song in the book (or at least in the top forty). The artist does something unlike what they did before, hence, they make the audience change a bit. Some folks don’t like to do that. They’s one in every crowd. And five at every paper.

Cheers
S