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| Photo by Austin Nelson |
You know it’s all beginning…
To feel like it’s ending…
Three years ago today, my buddy Jason and I launched Speakers in Code, an experimental writing playground of sorts where we could spread the word on the artists and music that we loved. We had not a clue in the world if anyone would read our blog. Honestly, we really didn’t care. We just both felt like we needed an outlet to express our devotion, on our own terms.
The very first Jam of the Day was “Can’t Stand It” by Wilco, the song that gave us the name of our site. Jason and I agree on a lot, don’t get me wrong. But, while he might lean a little heavily toward the sad bastard tunes, and I still get my kicks on some neo-soul or ’80s synthy stuff, Wilco will forever and always be a band that we’d toast together. And, pour a little liquor out in its honor, just for the hell of it.
So, I’m here to wish Speakers in Code a very happy birthday. The last three years have afforded us an insane amount of revelatory opportunities, and I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished. While our features have definitely evolved over time, and our (always amazing) cast of contributors has changed, one fact remains true: we do this out of passion and respect. We don’t get paid. We don’t win awards. We don’t mind.
We’re gonna celebrate our blog baby’s birth belatedly–in a very proper fashion–with a Tift Merritt and David Wax Museum show at Off Broadway on February 9th! You can get your tickets ahead of time here.
Selfishly, I’m also writing today to officially announce that I’m stepping down from Speakers. Life, man, you know? It’s busy. Too busy to continue to overpromise and under-deliver to my amigos who consistently breathe life into this blog. I’ll leave the particulars at that, but I will further say that this has been the most agonizing decision. It’s not easy to walk away. It’s quite upsetting, actually.
Of course, the blog remains alive and well. I’ll be hovering behind the scenes, rooting for Jason, Matt, Aggie, Mary, and our newbie contributor, Rachel, maybe sending a show tweet or two. I’ll be rooting for the St. Louis music scene, one that I’ve have the intense pleasure of getting to know more intimately over the past three years. And, I’ll be rooting for our fellow St. Louis music writers, whose own various takes on our shared love of music has inspired me and challenged me in the most awesome of ways.
So, one more time for old time’s sake: “Can’t Stand It” by Wilco. I’ll be hollerin’ our titular lyrics a little louder than usual today. See you February 9th at Off Broadway for the official birthday celebration!
Signing off-
Katie