Xioma

Hiiii,
I’m writing to you from one of my old favorite coffee shops, sitting outside, feeling the wind, and sipping on my oat milk cortado. Still feeling glimmers of that post-show-glow and wanted to write a big thank you on the internet.

When I wrote the grant application for this project, the blindfold was a metaphor for the “umbrella of protection” that originated in conservative christian-dom. Anyone under this umbrella of protection (men, women, children are all eventually under it) learned to put up blinders. Blinders that “protect” them but also keep them disconnected. Protection was promised but not delivered. We see this again and again in any patriarchal setting.

When I started tearing apart the beliefs I had built up as a kid and going out into the world, it felt so much like I had a blindfold on. There were so many cultural references, social behaviors and rules that I wasn’t prepared for or didn’t know how to react. And I was scared that people would see my naiveté. And I was scared that it would be taken advantage of.

I was surprised when it wasn’t. I was surprised so many times. Arrogantly, ignorantly, and repeatedly surprised by the goodness of the world and the goodness of the people I for so long had thought of as “them.”

So when I put the blindfold on played a whole set about it on stage, it was a trust fall and it was nerve-wracking but I knew enough to know even if I fell (or failed!) I’d be caught by the goodness of the world. Thank you for being that goodness.

Endless gratitude to the musicians/artists/hosts/grants that made this show possible and to you for being there and making it special.

p.s. and .teeth.band right?!!! wtf what a perfect start to the night. i’ll never forget the 2nd-ever full performance of EMBARRASSING CHEMICALS.

p.p.s we are doing a little filming of two of the songs soon so stay tuned!

made it all happen!
made us sound good!

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