It's true. After 21 months in St. Louis that have been both the shortest and longest of my life, I will move to Dallas to be the music editor of our sister paper, the Dallas Observer.
It feels like a short time because it is. People told me I might find cold shoulders in St. Louis, but I didn't. I found people who care about music and who have made sacrifices for music that I will never equal:
Venue owners who could take a few days off every once in a while if only they didn't insist on not booking garbage. Fans who forgo sleep and make frequent stops at merch tables. Engineers and producers who could be working half as hard and making twice as much with nine-to-five jobs. Record store owners and employees who masterfully steward the enthusiasm of anyone who bothers to walk in the front door. Radio DJs who choose odd paths against the sweeping currents of culture. And musicians, who must be a little bit of everything. They are artists writing songs, technicians repairing gear, managers organizing members and money, publicists spreading the word about shows and entertainers on stage. And almost always, they do all that in what the rest of us call spare time.
Since long before I got here, it has been RFT Music's goal to document their efforts and provide a forum for discussion among anyone who cares about music in the St. Louis area. I have been lucky to work with an exceptional group of writers who elevate that mission through their knowledge, passion and commitment. None of that is about to change.
I am going to Dallas because there is a finite amount of time when you can meet these sorts of challenges without massively disrupting the lives of your loved ones or digging yourself a financial hole. And I want to eventually settle down with minimum regrets. I won't bore you with any more specifics than that - find me at a show any time in the next several weeks, and I'll buy you a beer and give you all the nitty-gritty you can handle.
I am not leaving because I think Dallas will be better than St. Louis. I think Dallas will be great, and I can't wait to immerse myself there with all the enthusiasm my liver can handle. But nowhere is St. Louis, and anyone from this city just got a new friend in North Texas. Stop by anytime.
