my unreleased convo with the "married in a year in the suburbs" kid...
THE INTERNET IS RUTHLESS!
By now, if you use the internet, you’ve seen the clip below…
21 million views in 2 weeks.
Viral.
But for Brendan Abernathy, what would normally be considered a gift from god, has quickly sparked controversy…one the entire world has felt the need to weigh in on.
Myself included.
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Two sides of a coin…
In October of last year, I asked Brendan if he wanted to come over on a Saturday morning to chat…about music, life — a catchup of sorts.
We drank sunset cinnamon tea, my first tea experience.
What I assumed would last an hour, lasted three.
Before I could have the interview edited and cut into clips for social media, like the one below with Candlebox’s Kevin Martin, I ran out of money.
Y’all think I’m joking when I say these subscriptions fund the promotion of artists.
The fine line between ego and self confidence…
I booked Brendan his first gig in LA.
We stayed in touch thereafter — he’d call me from the road, and we’d talk about our struggles in the music biz, how things were changing, and so on.
Brendan was one of the few artists that I’ve come across in almost a decade of doing this, that’s really put the pedal to the metal.
For 5 years straight, he booked himself small shows, in every market across the country.
200+ gigs a year, just him & his guitar.
His instagram bio reads…
Brendan’s goal from day one was to connect directly with each fan, in a meaningful way.
Whether it’s a crowd of 3,000 in Atlanta opening for The Script, or two fans in a coffee shop in Minneapolis, you always get the same dude.
Every gig, no matter the size, is meant to feel like an intimate experience between artist and audience…
A house show.
I can hear my Mom’s voice now…
“TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF WHEN YOU’RE IN THE FUCKIN HOUSE LUCAS”
So the viral clip, the one where we judge a young man based on a raw & passionate 10 seconds…a kid who’s been grinding away at his dream for years, dedicating his life to a path filled with uncertainty (and very brief bursts of euphoria if you’re lucky)….
Was nothing more than an attempt to get off the stage, into the crowd, and connect.
THE OTHER SIDE…
I’ve literally never seen an artist (that no one knew of previously) get flamed this hard on social media.
It’s like every troll found their way to Brendan’s comment section, and decided to take out their years of trauma and depression on him.
Videos mocking the original received hundreds of thousands of likes and comments of their own.
In an attempt to answer the simple question of “why?” some creators have since put the viral clip & the hate it’s received under their own microscope.
Why does everyone hate this clip SO much?
Is it the lyrics, the tip toes, the socks, the howling vocals, the hand gestures…
Or quite possibly, did Brendan, in an effort to curate an intimate moment with his audience, appear to the naked eye as ego driven?
Self centered?
Forced?
Suffering from “main character syndrome?”
I’ve spent the past 10 years of my life putting myself in the shoes of young artists — standing side by side with them, understanding how they think & feel, relating to the path that they’re on, always offering empathy, not judgement (unless you’re Greta Van Fleet, I fucking HATE that band).
WHAT I’VE LEARNED:
No one listens to you until you make them.
Every day you’re reminded that someone, somewhere, is doing better than you, and making more money than you.
You begin to question everything.
Is this for me?
Am I even talented?
Do I have what it takes?
It’s lonesome.
Confusing.
You’re pushed to the edge of sanity daily.
And yet, you continue onward.
So what if that 10 second clip is a product of survival.
Self confidence.
Pride.
As for the filmed interview I did with Brendan, I’ve decided there was a reason it was never released.
Maybe it was just meant to be a conversation between two friends, both in the middle of chasing their dreams.
Let this be a lesson for every artist currently posting on social media.
Remember that you’ll never be in control of the outcome.
Your years of hard work will never mean anything to a man sitting on the toilet.
The internet is not real.
You are real.
Your art is real.
And no matter what anyone says…
If you feel it,
Do it.
Post it.
Long live rock n roll,
Lucas
Was waiting for your thoughts on this. Ppl are so eager to be bullies online nowadays…