Billy Childish

A couple songs were super rockers. And a couple poems were really moving. I’ve heard him read before but never when I was a father, and his poems about his son and “the man who never thought he would be a father” were moving. And I left thinking that the future of the web involves building applications like artists craft lifeworks.

I liked this show. I don’t want to live like Billy Childish or recite his poetry often, but I dug a lot of what he was saying. Sure, it’s a bit self-indulgent and endlessly sour but it’s authentic and I felt more awake leaving than coming. The musical performance was not my thang.

His in between banter was where I most connected. Billy’s commentary on products called “Grandma’s cookies” or Grandma’s anything being sold at Wal-Mart or other mass market outlets was spot on. Thanks for that, Billy!

I also realized last night that the act of continuing on with his creative lifestyle and people showing up to drink and listen to poetry is more important than academia-approved texts that I rarely read.