Loving a band is feeling connected to it. They sing the words you long to hear with notes and chords that light up your brain. They fit perfectly inside your pocket. For a lot of people, these feelings are merely stepping stones to other experiences. But for some, they are more than feelings. They are meaning, one of life’s design elements.

Lois Maffeo, from the booklet We are Beat Happening, included with “We Are Beat Happening” (box set, Domino Records, 2019)

It’s all been said, and it’s all true. Beat Happening remains on everyone’s “Top 100” all-time great bands from the Pacific Northwest. Remember, your independent record shops and fav recording artists are still out there. Their doors might be closed to the public, their tours put on hold, but behind the scenes, many, like The Business in Anacortes, WA, and Resurrection Records in Spokane, WA, are providing mail order from their warehouse locations. Independent record shops are a vital part of the ecosystem that supports countless recording artists.

There are also a zillion fine bands on Bandcamp (including a few offerings from Beat Happening) where you can buy merchandise and digital downloads. Even a small amount of support right now will go a long way toward helping record shops and recording artists survive this national health crisis. We’re all in this together.

And think about all the time you have in the coming weeks to work your way through a multi-LP box set of a band’s entire output! Escape into their music. Read the enclosed booklets. We’ve added this sumptuous Beat Happening box to The Palace Collection thanks to the good people at The Business. Did you know this monster was remastered at Abbey Road? This little band made it all the way from their rebellious start at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA, to St. John’s Wood, London. Marvels await within.

photo credits
(where not otherwise credited)

“angel” / photograph by 1000 Words on Shutterstock (editorial use by permission)