To say a few things about the state of music today...

Seeing a shitty commercialized band is something I am going to try to avoid for a very long time. Those shows aren't good, they're pathetic. Ostentatious and ridiculous. It should be entertaining to watch these bands, but never should someone in the audience walk away praising them on such an amazing show.

I was saving this rant for a day when I had absolutely nothing to do, and then I remembered that was every day. SO music today. Well, most of it sucks. The whole "nu-metal" isn't new and it isn't metal. Merauder is fucking metal. Crowbar. Not this shit. Slipknot sucks man. If you think Staind and Godsmack and Limp Bizkit are the god saviors of music you've got some major problems. I used to be a corporate whore. I only listened to the radio and knew nothing of the bounties outside the K-rock sphere of influence. Then slowly I realized that something as personal and important as music has to be discovered for one's self. I can sit here and write this, but unless the reader takes the initiative to go out and explore things for him/herself, it is all in vain. It is the people that supposidly dedicate themselves to music, though, who are too blind to explore outside the modern rock airwaves that blind me.
I own some of the radio shite, I'll admit it. Some of it is even pretty good. Make Yourself, not a bad album. Not my style, but I can see how someone could classify it as a good album. I own the Linkin Park album. I think that in and of itself is pretty funy, but they seem to be a guilty pleasure of a lot of the kids around here. I have a lot of respect for Korn, they were innovative for their time, and I have to say that no matter what Tool ever does, it'll be fucking amazing. Just because it's Tool. And let's not forget Perfect Circle because you would have to be out of your mind if you didn't acknowledge the genius behind Mer De Norms.
But let's expand our interests and look past the horizon. Beyond there we see the little bands, the kids that really are doing it for the love of the music. Beyond the commercialism of modern day rock, the emotions run harder and deeper. These kids play for less and pay for more. A harsher lifestyle makes their music fresher, richer, and more potent. These bands don't travel on buses, they travel in vans. They sell their own merchandise at the show and hand out flyers beforehand. It's D.I.Y. at its finest. Friends record the songs, the band does the mixes. The band puts on its own CD release show, the local kids show up in droves because it's the "hometown boys done good" vibe. They put out a record, no one knows who they are outside the town./ They go on an extensive tour involving shitloads of money from their own pockets and time off from work/school. There is no cash for a hotel so every day is a new surprise. Where we gonna stay? I dunno. Yet, despite the malnutrition and lack of funds and high probability that the bus will break down, they still plod on. WHY? Because they love it.
Those are the types of bands that really need the support of the kids these days. The bands that will give up everything just to go out and play. Just to see the one kid in the back of the crowd singing along. If you see them on the road and offer them something, they probably won't take it. These kids are fiercely independent while at the same time completely aware of the interconnectedness they have with the kids around them. Usually they are soft-spoken and somewhat shy. These are the kids that give me hope for music. I watch the way they give up everything for music. I see how they are not the average spectator at any show they go to. These kids have a walk about them that sets them apart. It isn't arrogant, just different. It seems like they see the shows differently. I do not possess the words to describe it. It's beautiful. I don't know a lot of the hardcore kids back home so during the intermissions I sit by myself. One of these people approached me once, when I was feeling especially down. He told me not to worry if I didn't know the kids. He showed me that even if I didn't know the kids in the scene, I still belonged there. You should go to shows for yourself. They do something for you inside, and you can't be afraid of that. You can't be afriad of how other people will react to the fire inside you. As long as you are always honest with yourself as to your feelings and emotions, nothing else matters. Do not feel the need to hold up to some sort of stupid stereotype. Break free and enjoy the scenery. Forget about the radio, discover music on your own. Once you find something that really speaks to you, read about it, learn about it, but make it yours, don't become a part of it. Always be an individual. Don't let anyone stereotype you. If you do, you might find yourself conforming to that stereotype longer along the line. Never sacrifice your individuality.