June 26th, 2009
Zoom catbird: Why, exactly, does this happen? I’m not looking for “he died… people want to be reminded of his music.” I mean, there’s something deeper, and weirder, psychologically going on, right? Right? I mean he DIED. Why does DIED always = Top Amazon sales? Society obsessing over the discography of the recently deceased isn’t about death, it’s about Human Nature. It’s about the innate desire to share experiences with those we love and care about.Last night, I spent a few hours working at Mars Cafe. Like many coffee shops across the country I’m sure, their song selection was a tour through Michael Jackson’s best albums.And as I looked around the cafe, I noticed others were smiling, singing along and nodding to the beats of Billie Jean & Man in the Mirror. All these reactions were a public gesture, a way of saying “Hey, you like Michael Jackson? Me too.”Think back to a time when you fell in love with an artist. In the spring of 2008, my heart was with The Avett Brothers. Listening to The Avett Brothers when I worked alone on my laptop was a satisfying experience. But the experience approached nirvana when I shared their music with Sarah, Kienan, Kellie and of course, Tumblr…Only then could I have conversations about the lyrics in “Famous Flower of Manhattan.” Or see them at Hoyt Sherman (and again, tonight). Or visit friends in Cedar Falls and sing along to the CD in their Buick. The experience was elevated from an isolated obsession to a shared expression of love.When a great artist passes away (like Michael Jackson yesterday, Jeff Hanson two weeks ago or Elliott Smith in my teen years) it gives society a chance to experience this same shared expression en masse. And few artists have ever enjoyed the worldwide appeal Michael Jackson had.Over the next few weeks the public obsession over Jackson will shift from the tsunami that crashed Twitter to a small tidal wave. But until then, I can enjoy a communal experience with Matt in Iowa City, Pete and Christian in Chicago, Joe in California or the Prince of Bahrain.We’re all listening to the King of Pop.

catbird:

Why, exactly, does this happen? I’m not looking for “he died… people want to be reminded of his music.” I mean, there’s something deeper, and weirder, psychologically going on, right? Right? I mean he DIED. Why does DIED always = Top Amazon sales?

Society obsessing over the discography of the recently deceased isn’t about death, it’s about Human Nature. It’s about the innate desire to share experiences with those we love and care about.

Last night, I spent a few hours working at Mars Cafe. Like many coffee shops across the country I’m sure, their song selection was a tour through Michael Jackson’s best albums.

And as I looked around the cafe, I noticed others were smiling, singing along and nodding to the beats of Billie Jean & Man in the Mirror. All these reactions were a public gesture, a way of saying “Hey, you like Michael Jackson? Me too.”

Think back to a time when you fell in love with an artist. In the spring of 2008, my heart was with The Avett Brothers. Listening to The Avett Brothers when I worked alone on my laptop was a satisfying experience. But the experience approached nirvana when I shared their music with Sarah, Kienan, Kellie and of course, Tumblr…

Only then could I have conversations about the lyrics in “Famous Flower of Manhattan.” Or see them at Hoyt Sherman (and again, tonight). Or visit friends in Cedar Falls and sing along to the CD in their Buick. The experience was elevated from an isolated obsession to a shared expression of love.

When a great artist passes away (like Michael Jackson yesterday, Jeff Hanson two weeks ago or Elliott Smith in my teen years) it gives society a chance to experience this same shared expression en masse. And few artists have ever enjoyed the worldwide appeal Michael Jackson had.

Over the next few weeks the public obsession over Jackson will shift from the tsunami that crashed Twitter to a small tidal wave. But until then, I can enjoy a communal experience with Matt in Iowa City, Pete and Christian in Chicago, Joe in California or the Prince of Bahrain.

We’re all listening to the King of Pop.

Reblogged from Ryan Catbird's Tumblr
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@timhackbarth

The sub-par, yet slowly improving missives of Tim Hackbarth, man about town in Austin, TX.