Tag Archives: Talking Heads

No Weimar Reason

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As the year changes and we face new challenges that try our beliefs and norms I can’t help but look back in history. I do this a lot. Maybe it’s because I am a relic or maybe it is because I read a lot of nonfiction. it could even be all the history classes I had.

Anyway, as I pondered this more, I realized how much time I’ve been spending reading about and soaking up the popular culture of the early 20th century Germany. I am referring to the crushing economic hardship of the time but more of the ambitious artistic and cultural stuff coming out then.

I had no real idea how much I had deep dived into Weimar Republic films and art until my friend mentioned this to me at the Hi-Pointe Theatre. For those who don’t know the era refers to the period from 1919 to 1933 when German was bustling with artistic expression. The Bauhaus, Expressionism, and booming film and theater scenes marked the era. Much like 1920s America, Germany at that time was roaring. However, it all came crashing down with the Great Depression and the rise of the Nazis.

This adventure started for me with The Man Who Laughs. I was browsing the library catalog of movies and remembered that The Joker from Batman was loosely based on Conrad Veidt’s appearance in the film.

Released in 1928, the film is filled with alienation and urban uneasiness. Just like 1920’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, the film featured surreal sets and relied jeavily on atmosphere to set the tone. Veidt is the doomed Gwynplaine who has a permanent grin carved into his face at a young age by a Comprachico surgeon. Needless to say his life sucks. I had not seen it before so I checked it out.

The Man Who Laughs is a lot of things. It is a film about overcoming isolation, class and overcoming societal ridicule. Veidt is stunning the film. Released in 1928, It was based on the 1869 novel of the same by Victor Hugo.

Like other films of this time coming out of Weimar Germany, The Man Who Laughs has left a mark over century later. The movie’s legacy is its striking visual style, impact on horror films and comic book genres.

About a week later the Hi-Pointe featured a new print of Metropolis with a live score from the Silent Night. It was fantastic. The band’s score was not only atmospheric and sweepingly orchestral but alos klangly and metallic.

While this 1927 film remains incomplete, scholars have been able to piece a large chunk together with narrative cards. The missing footage was barely noticeable and was not a detractor in enjoying it.

Fritz Lang’s film remains a feast. His work at UFA helped usher in a golden age of cinemas for the German studio. Metropolis takes place in a futuristic dystopian city where the working class lives in grim conditions beneath the city, while the elite enjoy a lavish life above. It explores themes of class division, industrialization, and the relationship between workers and machines. Fritz Lang’s masterpiece also focuses on the rise of technology and its potential use for good and evil.

The St. Louis International Film Festival screened Nosferatu With Radiohead: A Silents Synced Film which matched up the German Expressionist film with Radiohead’s Kid A and Amnesiac as the movie’s score.

It was pretty jarring to see these two things put together. it didn’t make much sense, but hey, why the Hell not? There were times when the songs worked and a few times when the linking up didn’t work. But there were also times when it did, and those times were magnificent. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience. Although, I prefer the version I saw ages ago it with the Alloy Orchestra.

The idea came from a theater owner in Austin, Texas who has since mashed up other silent films with modern alternative albums.

Moving on into the real world…

I saw The Brutalist. It’s a very good film that could have been about 20 minutes shorter. The first half definitely dominates as the latter part of the movie drags a bit. The cinematography is outstanding. This film was basically architecture porn.

A Complete Unknown was pretty fantastic. I know everyone is a buzz about Chalamet as Dylan, but for me, Edward Norton turn as Pete Seeger made the film.

The entire ensemble was great. There’s not a loose bolt in the batch. Every performance is really good. This is also one of those rare times when the people playing musicians in the film actually perform the songs in a realistic manner.

What I mean is this – the actors play musicians as well as they act – this means you aren’t left feeling that the acting was good but the music sucked.

I thought the movie was also nicely paced as well. It begins in 1961 with Dylan coming to New York. This is a nice jumping off point since it helps frame the film in the audience’s mind without getting bogged down with useless montages or biographical prefaces.

I saw the 4k restoration of The Seven Samurai. It was fantastic. In case you missed it – it is coming to the Alamo Brewhouse on January 10th, 12th and 15th.

The movie still holds up. The sound is also fantastic. They really did a great job on this.

Next up on my 4K restoration lineup is Le Samourai. I got the Criterion blu-ray of this (yes I sill like physical media-so shoot me). This is a fantastic film and the restored print is gorgeous.

This 1967 French crime thriller, directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, stars Alain Delon (who passed away this year) as a solitary hitman in Paris who is hired to kill a man. But, but things go sideways after the crime is committed.

I love how sleek and minimalist the movie is. I also love its themes of isolation play into a modern riff on the Samurai code. This is must see French noir.

The latest season of The Great British Bake Off (aka The Great British Baking Show) has ended. Although there is no way I could actually make any of this stuff I do enjoy the show. It’s kind of relaxing. This season had a really solid core of bakers that were likable. There was a doofus American guy who quit but that’s another story.

I started watching Fallout with no knowledge of the video game. But it was fine becuase the show has it’s own legs.

It’s not for the squeamish, but the style of it and retro ’50s kitsch it incorporates into the narrative is pretty impressive. It is every bit worth the hype.

Since people have been bugging me. Here’s my top 20 records of this year! I put them in alphabetical order.

1. Arab Strap– I’m Totally Fine With It Don’t Give a Fuck Anymore (Rock Action)

2. The Cure-Songs Of A Lost World (Fiction/Capitol)

3. Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds-Wild God (PIAS)

4. Erotic Secrets of Pompeii-Mondo Meleficum (Deaf Ending Collective)

5. Fontaines D.C.-Romance (XL Recordings)

6. Beth Gibbons-Lives Outgrown (Domino)

7. Kim Gordon-The Collective (Matador)

8. Hamish Hawk-A Firmer Hand (So Recordings)

9. Humdrum-Every Weather (Slumberland)

10. IDLES-Tangk (Partisan)

11. The Jesus And Mary Chain-Glasgow Eyes (Fuzzclub)

12. Khruangbin-A La Sala (Dead Oceans)

13. Pet Shop Boys-Nonetheless (Parlophone)

14. Jessica Pratt-Here In The Pitch (Mexican Summer)

15. The Reds, Pinks And Purples-Unwishing Well (Slumberland)

16. Ride-Interplay (Wichitaa)

17. SPRINTS-Letter To Self (City Slang)

18. The The-Ensoulment (EARmusic)

19. Yard Act-Where’s My Utopia? (Island)

20. Yea-Ming And The Rumours-I Can’t Have it All (Dandy Boy)

That new Cure album is fantastic!

Just a reminder that you can hear all these records and more on Juxtaposition on KDHX, The Free Design on The Face Radio and Antics on Louder Than War Radio.

Some Great Concerts I Saw This Year

Khruangbin (The Factory)

Black Pumas (Music at the Intersection)

Chaka Khan (Music at the Intersection)

Esperanza Spaulding (Music at the Intersection)

ABC (The Factory)

Iris Dement (City Winery)

Alvvays (The Pageant)

Squirrel Nut Zippers (City Winery)

Washed Out (Delmar Hall)

Franz Ferdinand (The Pageant)

Slowdive (The Pageant)

Buena Vista Social Orchestra (The Pageant)

Ladytron (Variety Playhouse Atlanta)

Jesus And Mary Chain (The Stifel)

The Cure (London – streaming)

Thievery Corporation (The Pageant)

The Talking Heads 77 reissue is pretty fantastic. The extra tracks are wonderful and the sound is amazing. There is also a full concert of included that sounds excellent.

I also really like the liner notes they included. The demos are also a nice inclusion as well.

The Federal Art Project exhibition at the St. Louis Art Museum is pretty great. It is there there through April.

I wish they would put the Modigliani back on display. It’s been touring for other exhibitions but it should be home by now.

One of my goals for this year was to read more each day. it has been terrific, especially late at night when I want to unwind. I am moving away from nonfiction since the world has gone bonkers and I cannot really handle more books on war, politics and totalitariani

Appliance News

There is not much going on in this department. However, there have been intermittent
issues with the pilot light on the stove. I’ve had to relight it several times over the last week or so.

I also have an air fryer. I look forward to doing some fun things with it in the coming weeks.

Home Improvement News

I got a nifty bankers lamp so now I can read in bed! There is also a new lamp in the living room since the old one was literally falling apart. I also threw out some crappy chairs that were literally on their last legs.

Every Damn Place I Like is Closing

The Fortune Teller, Frank And Helen’s, The London Tea Room, Pi Pizza and a lot of other great places closed this year. This is a reminder to support local businesses.

Is It Really Almost 2025?

As 2024 comes to a close I am still keeping my resolution to not deal with assclowns and stupid people. I am carrying a whole lot of angst about a lot of things into the new year but I have built a community of friends who I will focus on and I’ll do my best to make the world a better place.

I want to read more and get caught up on the hundreds of streaming tv shows that are out there. I also want to be optimistic but it’s hard when terrible people do terrible things each day.

I also need to get back out into the world and travel more. I have not t been to Chicago In ages.

There are loads of movies I need to see as well.

I am hoping that 2025 isn’t as dreadful as my foreboding intuition tells me it will be. I hope I am wrong.

The Summer’s Is Gone The Winter’s Tuning Up

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I totally borrowed the title from a Leonard Cohen song. Everyone should read and hear Leonard Cohen.

As the miserable heat of summer gives way to a brief autumn, people are beginning to go outside again. I am a little bit, but cautiously, because of… people.

I have been pretty busy. The blog has taken a back seat as I look for a steady gig and take on things to write about for more income. Plus, there is so much stuff to stream. The long and short of it is I am sorry to be so tardy with this.

This summer had a hot few months. Originally I was fine with that. After all, it is not snow or ice. The weird, colder spell in the middle is kind of weird, but also super nice. But now, there has been a break and it is not as muggy and nasty and crappy out. Hallelujah. That stretch of a week to ten days with the super high heat index was really a beast.

I am worried that our rather brief spring and summer means we may have a long winter. I do not want to see snow or sleet in the coming months. So, the seasons are a trade-off of sorts. All I know is I hate winter. And this year’s is supposed to be miserable. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, we are supposed to have a rough winter. Great.

Spring turned into summer and with those seasons came a sudden uptick in stuff I needed to do. I have had more articles to turn in and a few other projects have come down the pipeline. I am glad to be busy, but I am not thrilled with the arrival of the fall allergy season.

In addition to some articles for Broadway World, FEAST, and ReviewSTL I have been hosting a second radio show. It is called Antics and it airs on Louder Than War Radio on Mondays from 6-8 pm GMT or 12-2 pm Central time. Click here to listen to archived shows.

It differs from my other radio gig in that I do not need to run promo spots or reviews. It is more or less, a full two-hour slot of music. Plus, I can play longer music and make deeper dives into the songs I like. And there are less shenanigans to deal with. If you need a break from the station I also broadcast from, this is a nice reprive.

I also continue to co-host the Modern Musicology podcast. You should check it out, we’ve had some great guests on it.

Speaking of radio…Thirty years ago I was told by The Point that I didn’t know enough about music to be a DJ on their station. Well, looking back, most commercial alternative stations now are completely craptacular.

There has been so much music. I saw Sparks in Kansas City. They were terrific. This concert was fun and euphoric. However, I still think I liked their concert in Chicago last year more. it was more energetic.

In a weird chance of fate, I got an opportunity to review the Taylor Swift concert the night before. I was joined by over 80,000 other people. it was kind of surreal. I was only marginally familiar with her music, but I was really interested in the production itself. There were three connected stages, a massive video screen, lots of cool projections, elaborate sets, costume changes, and rising and lowering stages. It was a massive technical undertaking.

One takeaway from the show was how polite and nice her fanbase was. Another was the fact that she played for nearly four hours and showed no signs of fatigue.

A band that is buddies with T. Swift is The National. They dropped an album called, First Two Pages of Frankenstein. Now, they just dropped another album called Laugh Track.

First Two Pages of Frankenstein is solid, but Tropic Morning News is my favorite.

The album is pretty minimalist and it sounds just as intense as their previous records. Phoebe Bridgers and someone named Taylor Swift are on the album.

Laugh Track is more or less the same in texture and sound. The first batch of songs from it dropped a few weeks ago.

I like Space Invader a lot. I think it sounds like their older stuff. The guitars on it are also pretty good.

Louise Post used to be in Veruca Salt. Now, she has released an album called Sleepwalker.

I saw Veruca Salt open for that terrible band called Live once. I saw their set and then PJ Harvey’s and then left before Live went on stage. Recently, Louise toured for the record but it was a super short run.

Yard Act dropped The Trench Coat Museum a few months ago. It is simply epic.

Sounding like LCD Soundsystem and Gang of Four had a baby, this cut is deep. It’s got some really searing guitars, some bells, snazzy percussion, and a really sharp vocal delivery. I look forward to hearing what these guys do next.

In June I Saw Love and Rockets in Chicago. They were fantastic. They crushed it. I was really surprised by how tight their set was. They did play the hits but they also did some cool deep tracks and b-sides. At a time when everyone was doing a reunion tour, this one was really good.

The Theater Section

Opera Theatre St. Louis has come and gone for this year. I enjoyed the season immensely. I am looking forward to the upcoming season.

If you ever go to an Opera Theatre show make sure to people watch. The amount of 1970s polyester suits still in the wild is frightening.

I am seeing plays again. I am lucky that I get to review them, so if they are ghastly, I am not out any money. Nothing is worse than spending lots of money on rubbish theater. One of the best things about St. Louis that goes undervalued is our terrific theater scene. We have a lot of great companies doing terrific productions.

The best thing I saw in the Spring was the touring production of To Kill A Mockingbird with Richard Thomas. He was outstanding and the entire ensemble was terrific. I was pleased that it kept the spirit of the book. it is coming back to town next year.

I really enjoyed seeing Beetlejuice at the Fox. The show had a kinetic energy to it and the musical numbers were very good. It was a great opener for the Fox’s new season.

I am thrilled that The Phantom of the Opera has ended its run on Broadway. I know people love it, but I think it’s overhyped and tedious. It needed to be about a half-hour shorter. It just never did much for me.

I am thrilled that people are going to movies and live theater again. However, I wish they would remember that the time that is printed on that ticket they have is when things start. It is not an estimate or a five-minute alert. It’s the go time. But, somehow, there are always assclowns who come later. It is especially annoying when you have gotten all settled in your seat and then have to get up to accommodate some moron who has no time management skills. Oh, by the way, it’s really rude to come late.

Also when you come late and have to make everyone in the aisle move to accommodate you, don’t bring like 6000 things to carry with you. Especially snacks. And another thing…don’t talk during the show.

Let’s All Go To The Lobby

Party Girl is out on Blu-ray. This 1995 comedy starring Parker Posey and Liev Schreiber takes the spirit of comedies of the 1930s and puts it in 1990s New York club culture.

All these years later this is still a fine indie film. Ironically, it was filmed in Austin.

Trainspotting is getting a 4K restoration for a 2024 Criterion release!

This edition has a few new extras as well as stuff that was on the original Blu-ray release. There is also some sort of spinoff series with Robert Carlyle coming soon as well.

The new restoration of Stop Making Sense is fantastic. I had not seen the movie for maybe twenty years or so and was thrilled to see it has held up well as a concert film.

The restoration is fantastic. it looks and sounds amazing. Hearing it now in a theater with great audio really makes it a richer experience.

Seeing it now, I am reminded of just how great this band was. I saw them near the end when the were close to breaking up. They were good then, but nothing like this.

There is appliance news!

The black lining inside of the dishwasher was starting to come apart. I was going to buy some waterproof sealant and just that hold somebitch back into place. But, when I mentioned the issue to the property manager. She decided to get a new dishwasher instead. I was surprised because she is generally useless.

It should have been an easier process. But it wasn’t. The new one, probably bought from a second-hand place, was dropped off. The guy bringing it didn’t want to bring it inside. He wanted to leave it on the stoop and let me and my arthritic knee move it. But, eventually, he brought it in and I pushed the box into a corner. I had to do this because the person installing the dishwasher was coming the next day.

So, to make all of this work I had to move a bunch of appointments around. I wanted to be here when it got installed and not have the person alone in my apartment with it. Plus, I wanted to make sure the old one got removed and not left in my kitchen or outside somewhere where it would sit and rust.

The stupid thing is that the dishwasher we got doesn’t fill the entire space. So now there is a small cap between where the counter ends and the dishwasher starts. I am not quite sure how to fill it but it is a giant hassle.

Books!

First off, support your local library! help them fight the banning of books and be nice to their staff.

Probably the best music book I have read all year is Listening To The Music The Machines Make by Richard Evans.

It is a thorough examination of electronic music of the late 1970s and early 1980s. I am so glad someone else likes Telex as much as I do!

Nick Hornby is a fantastic writer. His latest book is a quick read.

In Dickens and Prince: A Particular Kind of Genius, he finds parallels between the two artists and how they executed their craft. He doesn’t directly connect them to each other, which is fine, but he does fanboy about each and why their work continues to resonate and why it is vital.

His books are always well paced and this one is no exception. Told as a collection of essays, he touches on how common themes of social status, race, and education affected each artist.

Finally, people found a lot of things to blame the Cardinals’ crappy season on. I think it is the flurry of “He Gets Us” Jesus commercials. I will say this, these things are slick. They really try to draw folks in some seriously unsuspecting ways.

I think the commercials are really annoying and I think that they should not be on TV or radio. I mean, people of other faiths listen and watch baseball games.

But overall, this campaign is insipid, stupid and diabolical.

Of Masks and Men

Posted on by Standard

It has been way too long I know. I have been woefully negligent with posting anything but this is mainly because of a combination of going back to work and tackling this crazy series of articles I have due for a magazine.

The articles are fairly intensive with talking to sources, researching and editing. But the tricky bit is that both big assignments are back to back and due on the same day.

Add Zoom calls, my other job and some decluttering and my time has rapidly been filling up. It has been kind of annoying to be so busy during a time when folks are still on lockdown.

Another thing that has kept me frazzled is the way people are casting aside sage advice in favor of listening to morons. Somewhere out there, in the weirdest parts of America, Carol and Stanley Idiot are just hanging around, selfishly refusing to wear a mask, social distance or show any sense of compassion for their fellow man.

Carol and Stanley Idiot are the dumbest form of sheep. Inconvenienced by wearing a mask to help flatten the curve but exuberantly happy to wear a hunting mask when they out to kill some squirrel or whatever it is they eat. For all I know it could be possum. Sadly they are part of the new normal.

But the point being is that when John Steinbeck created a really interesting character named Lennie Small he had no idea that over eight decades there would be thousands of people walking the planet who were just as mentally challenged. Unlike Lennie though, their mental challenges are self-inflicted and their big hearts are nonexistent.

I also have had a pileup of stuff to transcribe and edit and fiddle with and it is time consuming. I also have been interviewing folks for the KDHX website which has been fun. So far I have interviewed Kathy Valentine of The Go-Go’s, John Doe of X, Hazel English, Tim Burgess of The Charlatans and Chris Frantz of Talking Heads. All of that has kept me busy.

Both Valentine and Frantz have books out which is why I talked to them. Remain in Love is Frantz’s new book. It covers a lot of ground and is a great oral history of New York in the 1970s, a time when so much was happening. There’s a lot of ground covered, Lou Reed, Andy Warhol, The Ramones, the Bowery etc..

But the really interesting stuff is about David Byrne and his relationship with the rest of Talking Heads. It was not rosy.

It is not pretty. I won’t ruin anything but as someone who is a fan of his music it put me in a weird spot emotionally. He was kind of a jerk back then and I sincerely hope he has mellowed with age.

Frantz also has managed to have an amazing love affair with Tina Weymouth and the book goes into that as well. It is very heartwarming in these crappy times.

Here is a link to my interview with Tim Burgess. his Twitter listening parties have been a great time occupier during all of this.

https://kdhx.org/articles/music-news/2051-telling-stories-with-tim-burgess

After talking to Burgess, which I might add was pretty cool, I got his first book. Going into the interview I was expecting him to be aloof and kind of distant. instead he was jovial, although serious, and very nice. He’s lived a real rock star life and his band is still under appreciated in the States in my opinion.

The first time I heard The Only One I Know was in 1990. My friend Jennifer took me to Wax Trax Records in Chicago and I was scouring the imports bin. The guy at the counter threw the 12″ single on and it began to play. I was in a different row from her but we could see each other. There we were, her with wildly black disheveled hair and I with a short mop, both decked out in leather jackets trying to just not stick out.

The record started and we both did that cool head bob thing you do when you her a record that hits like a delicacy on the tongue or good whiskey. it was pretty cool. I somehow managed to get one of the last codes of the damn thing and spent the rest of the day grasping it like a nun with a rosary.

From that point on I have checked in on them now and then. I think they are a great singles band with a few great albums smattered in-between. Burgess knows how to take his influences and pour them back into his music which is harder to do than it may appear.

As for his book, Telling Stories is pretty straightforward. It is a quick read and Burgess does indeed have stories that are informative, funny and insightful. Burgess has a new book, One Two Another coming out over here soon. it is a collection of lyrics accompanied by lyrics and annotations.

Now onto The Wants. They are from Brooklyn. they have a new record out called Container that is rad. They have this Interpol/Gang of Four thing going on and it totally works. They are grimy and dark and murky and they have great chords.

Their new ‘single’ is The Motor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFu03rJ8M2c#action=share

Fear My Society is also really good.

Beneath the surface is a serious sense for pop sensibility that also plugs into a minimal techno vibe in a few places. These guys sound like all the dark underbelly of New York places that I used to go to when New York still had such things. If you want more info on these guys check them out on social media or here: https://thewantsnyc.bandcamp.com

IDLES have a new record coming out called Ultra Mono. I love IDLES. they make great musical hissyfits and Joe Talbot has a distinctive voice. I also love that they are mostly angry. Grounds is their latest single and it does not disappoint. It flails uncontrollably in a wash of snarls and abrasive guitars.

IDLES are the perfect band for the disenfranchised minority. In this case that minority are people who appreciate the awesomeness of loud, angry post-punk and want to punch Nickelback in the face. Their songs are intense, crunchy and filled with lyrics that are clever and sly. They are the real deal.

I started watching The Mandalorian which has been a nice break from the hell we are living in. I am that guy too, the one guy that thinks there is too much Baby Yoda. But it is not that big of a deal. Beyond that there is some real character development going on. And I love that it is a Western.

I also started watching Derry Girls which has been fun. I have not needed subtitles. I have heard some Americans “don’t understand” the accents. If you are American and cannot understand an Irish accent by now I can’t help you. Just saying.

Schitt’s Creek is still great and I never want it to end.

I have taken the plunge and started watching The Expanse. There is a lot going on and they just throw you in feet first.

Nonetheless, it is just gritty enough to keep me curious. It isn’t shiny or cute either which is good. At first I thought the premise was a bit hokey but it grew on me.

Edward Hopper has kept me sane during the pandemic. So many of his paintings feature figures that are in isolation despite being in a large city. His elegant landscapes of urban areas are beautiful but desolate.

As this thing goes on I find myself looking at his work and finding comfort. If there are people in his paintings they look burdened or miserable or just tired. People can relate to that. If they are landscapes or houses or gas stations they are appear desolate and abandoned. the tis another thing that resonates today. They drip of melancholy and that makes me oddly calm.

Appliance news for this month……

There is a spiffy new rotating fan that has really helped cut down on running the AC. We also got some new hospital grade air filters. Hopefully that will help keep germs and viruses at bay, or at least slow things down.

Not quite an appliance but there is a new kitchen table. It has opened up some space in way too small kitchen which is fantastic. It is nice to have the extra space.

There has been workmen outside the apartment playing terrible classic rock for the better part of two weeks now. It is like an obstacle course trying to get around them because they are of the ilk that doesn’t social distance, even outside. They are nice but….

  • 1. They have crap taste in music
  • 2. I do not know what form of English they speak
  • 3. They love to litter
  • 4. They don’t clean up after themselves
  • 5. See social distancing complaint above.

Anyway, the poor bastards have bene out in the heat taking down hornets nest and walking on roofs so I can cut them some slack. They have a cherry picker that has been out in front for a while and they love it. They go up and down all day like giddy school kids.

Randomness…

I need to see that damn comet.

They should not be playing sports.

Selfish & stupid people are going to be the end of us.

On some mornings I find myself watching old timey steam trains in North Wales. They are on webcam and you can see them as they come and go. Everyone is socially distant and wearing masks. They run mostly from Porthmadog and Tan y Bwlch.

You can see the mountains of Snowdonia in the background too which is also calming. My dad worked for a railroad and I remember when he took me to the roundhouse and it was pretty cool.

Link: https://www.festrail.co.uk

I miss being able to travel. I still have no desire to eat inside a restaurant or go bowling. I wish I could say this is all going away, but nope it is not.

I just want one day where it does;t feel like 2020 is piling on. Just one. Ok, maybe a few. Like the rest of the year.