Happy 4th Birthday Spaffnerds(.com)!
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I launched this site 4 years ago today, fittingly getting it all together on 4/20. Birthdays are a time to reflect on the passage of another year, and looking back on the last 365 days conjures a whole host of feelings. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that 2020-2021 has been one of the hardest times that I've lived through. My wife and I welcomed our second (my third) daughter just days before the pandemic shut the world down. Live music dried up at the same time, leaving us all without our typical go-to for emotional, physical, and mental relief. There was an election, an insurrection, and a second impeachment. Police shootings, protests, and violence. Disease, vaccines, fake news, pandemics, and problems. Joy, sadness, fear, confidence, and isolation. Lots and lots of isolation.
But today marks a new day. A new year. An end to the isolation. Tonight, our favorite band gets back up on stage in front of a crowd, only the second time in 365 days that that has happened. It feels like this is the start of a new normal.
Yesterday the President announced that all adults who want to be vaccinated can be. And this is the first major step towards a return to normalcy. We are all hungry to see live music again, and getting vaccinated is the way to make this happen. Put aside the politics and the suspicion, and do your part to get our community back on its feet. Venues will open, tour dates will be announced, and bands will return to playing, and it can all happen safely if we make a choice to participate in our society as active members of a larger community. Do your part. And if you've come to Arizona to see the shows, see about scoring a first shot while you're here. It's possible to get a same day appointment and it will make your flight home a bit safer for you and others.
Tonight, whether sitting in the Marquee or watching the live stream, take a moment to be grateful. Close your eyes and soak it in. Remember all that is good in the world. Feel the flowing tributaries of music and let them carry you into the magical ocean of human connection. Though we are in the desert, live music is our oasis and tonight we get a chance to sip from the glorious waters of Spafford.
I love you. You are the greatest birthday gift of all.
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@damian congratulations damian and thank you for all the hard work you’ve put in to make this such a great community and resource for the rest of us.
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@Night-Train thanks for playing along.
