Piecing It Together, Joe

[mezzanine, bar]

"I LIKE THIS, BUT IT SOUNDS A BIT DERIVATIVE, YA KNOW?"

"Huh?"

"AND YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT I'VE NEVER REALLY USED THAT WORD BEFORE WHEN DESCRIBING MUSIC. BUT YOU LOOK LIKE A REALLY SMART GIRL, AND I FIGURED I COULD USE A TEN-CENT WORD AROUND YOU AND YOU'D UNDERSTAND IT AND APPRECIATE IT. I JUST THOUGHT THAT THIS BAND WAS DERIVATIVE. MY NAME IS JOE, BY THE WAY."

"Oh."

"NICE TO MEET YOU. DO YOU COME HERE MUCH? I CAN'T SAY THAT I DO. ESPECIALLY SINCE THAT WHOLE COVID THING. THAT WAS SCARY, RIGHT? I WAS REALLY SMART ABOUT IT. STAYED HOME, WORE MY MASK, TRIED TO DO THE RESPONSIBLE THING. BUT I FIGURED THIS BAND FREE THROW MIGHT BE A GOOD SHOW TO SEE, AND I'M GLAD I THOUGHT THAT, BECAUSE I ENDED UP HERE, TALKING TO YOU. WHAT DID YOU SAY YOUR NAME WAS AGAIN? I'M ONLY ASKING BECAUSE YOU LOOKED LIKE YOU'D BE COOL TO TALK TO, THAT'S ALL, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE A CREEP, I HATE CREEPS, BUT I THOUGH MAYBE YOU'D HAVE AN OPINION ABOUT FREE THROW AND THEIR ALBUM PIECING IT TOGETHER, SINCE THEY ARE PLAYING THE SONGS FROM THAT ALBUM HERE, NOT SURE IF YOU KNEW THAT."

"..."

"SORRY FOR YELLING. THEY'RE REALLY LOUD, RIGHT? SOMETIMES I LIKE THAT, BUT TODAY IT'S JUST NOT HITTING ME AS MUCH AS I HOPED IT WOULD, I DUNNO WHY. MAYBE I'M JUST GRASPING AT STRAWS WHEN I USE THE WORD 'DERIVATIVE' BUT FOR REAL, I FEEL LIKE I'VE HEARD ALL THIS BEFORE. NOT THAT IT ISN'T FUN, BUT THEY AREN'T REALLY BRINGING ANYTHING NEW TO THE TABLE. I WAS AT A TBS CONCERT LIKE TEN YEARS AGO AT THIS VERY MUSIC VENUE AND I FEEL LIKE I HEARD THE EXACT SAME SONGS THEN. AND THAT WAS TEN YEARS AGO. HAS MUSIC NOT CHANGED AT ALL? WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS, THAT WE LISTEN TO THE SAME SHIT OVER AND OVER? 'TBS' IS TAKING BACK SUNDAY, BY THE WAY. CAN I BUY YOU A DRINK?"

"I'm good."

"YEAH I CAN FOR SURE GET YOU THAT, I JUST GOT PAID THIS MORNING, I HAVE THIS SWEET GIG AT MY UNCLE'S LAW FIRM, I DON'T HAVE TO DO SHIT BUT I'LL NEVER GET FIRED BECAUSE THAT'S MY DAD'S BROTHER AND MY DAD WOULD KICK HIS ASS. MY DAD GOT ME INTO WEIGHTLIFTING WHEN I WAS YOUNG. THAT EXPLAINS WHY I HAVE SIX-PACK ABS. YOU CAN SEE THEM IF YOU WANT. SERIOUSLY, JUST ASK, I'M NOT EMBARRASSED. OH COOL, THEY ARE PLAYING MY FAVORITE SONG FROM PIECING IT TOGETHER. NO... NO WAIT, DIFFERENT SONG. IT'S TOUGH TO TELL SOME OF THESE SONGS APART. I FEEL LIKE WE'VE BEEN STANDING IN THIS LINE FOREVER—"

"[rolls eyes]"

"—AND WE'VE HEARD LIKE THREE SONGS BUT THEY ALL SOUND THE SAME. IT'S NOT LIKE I'M NOT MAKING AN EFFORT TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THEM, I'M HERE AT FREE THROW'S CONCERT, I FUCKING CARE, YA KNOW? AND AFTER A WEEK OF TRYING TO GET A HANDLE ON THESE SONGS, I'M STILL STRUGGLING. IT JUST FEELS LIKE ONE BIG BLOB OF POP-PUNK-EMO-WHATEVER TO ME. AND THAT'S BEEN KIND OF MY JAM LATELY, YA KNOW? I'VE BEEN PORING OVER SOME EMO CLASSICS THIS WHOLE YEAR AND I WAS HOPING THAT MAYBE FREE THROW COULD CARRY THE TORCH AND BRING SOMETHING NEW TO THE TABLE. MIGHT'VE BEEN TOO MUCH TO ASK, I DUNNO. DO YOU LIKE EMO MUSIC? I DON'T WANT TO MAKE ASSUMPTIONS, I'M NOT THAT KIND OF GUY, BUT YOU ARE AT A FREE THROW CONCERT AND YOU'RE WEARING BLACK EYELINER, WHICH LOOKS REALLY GREAT, BY THE WAY, REALLY STUNNING, I LOVE GIRLS WHO KNOW HOW TO PUT MAKEUP ON THE RIGHT WAY, AND FOR REAL, TELL ME IF I'M BEING A CREEP, BUT MAYBE WE CAN STAND NEXT TO EACH OTHER IN THE MOSH PIT. JUST AN IDEA. I'M JUST PUTTING MYSELF OUT THERE. I'M USUALLY NOT LIKE THIS, BUT I FIGURED YOU LOOKED REALLY COOL AND I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE COOL ENOUGH TO SEE THAT I'M COOL TOO AND THAT WE'D BE COOL TOGETHER AND MAYBE LISTEN TO FREE THROW TOGETHER, SINCE WE BOTH CLEARLY LIKE THEM DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY ARE KIND OF DERIVATIVE. SHOULD I USE THAT WORD? I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK I'M SHOWING OFF WITH MY HIGH VOCABULARY. I SWEAR I CAN BE CHILL. WHAT KIND OF DRINK DID YOU WANT AGAIN?"

"[subtly looking away]"

"I'M GOING TO GET A 24-OUNCE PBR, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S THE CHEAPEST ON THE MENU, AND I SWEAR I DON'T WANT TO GET STUCK IN THIS LINE AGAIN TOO SOON, THOUGH HEY IF I'M GOING TO BE MEETING PEOPLE AS COOL AS YOU THEN MAYBE I SHOULD GET A SMALLER BEER, HA HA. 'PBR' STANDS FOR PABST BLUE RIBBON, BY THE WAY. NOT THE PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDERS, WHICH IS ALSO 'PBR,' WHICH I KNOW BECAUSE I WAS AT XFINITY LIVE! FOR MY BOY'S BACHELOR PARTY A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, AND THEY HAVE A PBR BAR, AND YOU'D THINK IT STOOD FOR PABST BLUE RIBBON, BUT IT WAS PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDERS, AND YOU COULD ACTUALLY RIDE A MECHANICAL BULL, WHICH SEEMED STUPID. I MEAN, I COULD RIDE THE MECHANICAL BULL, I WOULD PROBABLY BE THE BEST ONE THERE TO BE HONEST, BUT IT'S STUPID BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO EMBARRASS ANYONE ELSE. BUT YOU COULD TELL THAT OTHER PEOPLE WERE CONFUSED, BECAUSE, YA KNOW, THE WHOLE 'PBR' THING MEANING EITHER PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDERS OR PABST BLUE RIBBON. NOT THAT I'M TOO GOOD FOR EITHER ONE. I'M ACTUALLY A REALLY CHILL GUY WHEN YOU GET TO KNOW ME. WHICH I FEEL LIKE WE'RE DOING NOW, BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU'RE REALLY CHILL TOO, AND CHILL PEOPLE USUALLY GET ALONG REALLY WELL TOGETHER. YOU'RE WELCOME. HA HA I'M JUST KIDDING. I LIKE TO JOKE AROUND A LOT TOO. I'M ACTUALLY A REALLY FUNNY GUY, JUST ASK MY FRIENDS. THEY'RE AROUND HERE SOMEWHERE. ACTUALLY THEY'VE BEEN IN THE BATHROOM A REALLY LONG TIME, I HOPE THEY ARE OKAY. PROBABLY DRANK TOO MANY CRAFT BEERS IN THE PARKING LOT. I STOPPED AT YARDS BREWERY ON THE WAY HERE AND WE DRANK A FEW IN THE PARKING LOT. IT WAS REALLY COOL. I KNOW A GUY AT YARDS, HE HOOKED ME UP. THE BEERS WERE ACTUALLY PRETTY HEAVY, AND I WASN'T SURE IF I WAS GONNA BE COMING TO THIS BAR BUT I GOT A 'SECOND WIND,' HA HA. GET IT? BUT ME AND MY BOYS WOULD PROBABLY DRINK BEFORE ANY CONCERT, IT JUST SEEMED RIGHT BEFORE A FREE THROW CONCERT. I FEEL LIKE THIS BAND NEEDS A LITTLE HELP, YA KNOW? LIKE THESE ARE THE TYPES OF SONGS THAT WOULD HIT REALLY HARD WITH A GOOD BUZZ ON. BUT WHEN I WAS LISTENING TO THEM ON THE WAY TO MY UNCLE'S OFFICE, THEY JUST SEEMED A LITTLE GENERIC. SORRY, I DIDN'T WANT TO SAY 'DERIVATIVE' AGAIN. BUT YEAH, WE GOT A LITTLE TIPSY IN THE PARKING LOT. IT'S HELPING. I LOOKED UP FREE THROW'S OWN DESCRIPTION OF THEIR ALBUM, AND IT SAID SOMETHING LIKE THIS ALBUM IS AN 'EXPLORATION OF SELF-ACCEPTANCE.' I MEAN, I TOTALLY GET IT, BUT DO YOU? I CAN TELL YOU IF YOU'VE NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT IT BEFORE. YOU REALLY GOTTA ASK YOURSELF WHAT IT IS YOU ARE 'ACCEPTING,' YA KNOW? AND I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO ME, I'M ACCEPTING THE FACT THAT NOT EVERY ALBUM I COME ACROSS IS GOING TO BE LIFE-CHANGING, AND JUST BECAUSE IT ISN'T LIFE-CHANGING DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NECESSARILY BAD IN ANY SENSE OF THE WORD, YA KNOW? JUST BECAUSE I DON'T CARE ABOUT THIS ALBUM ENOUGH TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT FREE THROW, AND JUST BECAUSE IT'S DERIVATIVE DOESN'T MEAN IT CAN'T BE GOOD IN A COMFORTABLE WAY. I'VE SPENT TEN PERCENT OF THE TIME THINKING ABOUT FREE THROW THAN I DID ABOUT DEMI LOVATO LAST WEEK, BUT YOU DON'T SEE ME AT A DEMI LOVATO CONCERT, NOW DO YOU? I THINK THE SELF-ACCEPTANCE IS ACCEPTING THE SPECIFIC PART OF MYSELF THAT KNOWS THAT I'M ALWAYS GONNA REACH FOR THE PAINT-BY-NUMBERS EMO-PUNK-WHATEVER, AND ACCEPTING THAT MOST MUSIC IS LIKE THIS, AND THAT GENUINELY EXCITING MUSIC THAT'S ALSO GOOD IS ALSO ALSO EXTREMELY RARE, AND IT'S TIRING SEARCHING FOR IT CONSTANTLY, BECAUSE THEN I'M CONSTANTLY DISAPPOINTED. SO, LIKE, IT'S JUST EASIER TO LISTEN TO THIS KINDA THING, PIECING IT TOGETHER, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T DISAPPOINT, IT JUST IS, YA KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I JUST CAME UP WITH THAT INSIGHT. I TALK ABOUT MUSIC A LOT. ME AND MY FRIENDS GET TOGETHER EVERY WEEK AND TALK ABOUT MUSIC ONLINE. IT'S CALLED RECORD CLUB. IT'S REALLY COOL. MAYBE I CAN GET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS AND I CAN SEND YOU AN EMAIL ABOUT IT SOMETIME?"

"I should really go."

"NO IT'S COOL I TOTALLY GET THAT, I DON'T EVEN HAVE A PEN ANYWAY, AND MY PHONE IS ON LIKE 1%, MY HINGE APP WAS TOTALLY LIGHTING UP BEFOREHAND AND YOU KNOW HOW THAT DRAINS THE PHONE'S BATTERY, HA HA. AND PLUS YOU PROBABLY WANNA GET BACK TO THE MUSIC, TOTALLY MAKES SENSE. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY I'M WAITING FOR A BEER, I SHOULD REALLY GET BACK TO MY FRIENDS TOO, THEY'RE PROBABLY GETTING WORRIED ABOUT ME. I'LL JUST EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT I WAS TALKING TO A REALLY CUTE, SMART GIRL IN LINE TO GET A BEER, THEY'LL TOTALLY UNDERSTAND. PLUS I CAN HEAR THE MUSIC FROM HERE. SOUNDS PRETTY GOOD. I LISTENED TO THIS ALBUM ALL WEEK. WHAT SONG IS THIS AGAIN? 'THE GRASS ISN'T GREENER' MAYBE? ANYWAYS, I KNOW I CAN TALK A LOT, SORRY ABOUT THAT, I JUST GET REALLY EXCITED WHEN I'M WITH SOMEONE WHO I THINK IS AS COOL AS ME. NOT THINK, KNOW. KNOW IS AS COOL AS ME. YOU'RE AT A FREE THROW CONCERT. WE'RE TWO PEAS IN A POD. YOU WOULD PROBABLY GIVE THIS ALBUM 3 PUKES OUT OF 5 TOO, RIGHT? WHAT'S THAT? YEAH, I SAID 'STARS.' STARS. THREE OF THEM. IT'S A GOOD ALBUM. I'M GLAD I'M HERE. A BIT DERIVATIVE. WHAT WAS YOUR NAME AGAIN?"