I didn’t use Pandora until 2015. Just another casualty of my Luddite lifestyle. I probably would have enjoyed it the free days. Playing games with playlists just to see what effect they have on each other. My music taste is broad, but in my head it all fits together. Pandora’s algorithm only plays with the safe associations between artists and genres. I glom onto the sound of the music. After that it just comes down to performance quality.

A band that can’t play live loses my interest quickly. Musical talent is tactile to a point. I can feel it when I dance. I want to feel it when they play. I want to reach through the music and run my hands along the fingers creating that sound. I want to dance and sweat and feel the heat of passion when the music plays. Every sweaty hug I get after a good show just adds to the experience. I crave that tangible connection to the sound itself.

Of course, my thoughts and feelings are irrelevant until I’ve secured rights to my own vlog. So there’s always that.