Welcome to Anyville, USA

You could be anywhere and you are

Take a listen

Over the past few months I've been doing a bunch of random activities, one of which includes supporting a band called VibeMuzik. Here's their new single called 10/12 and I designed the cover art. It wasn't difficult 😂. There's an app for everything now. VibeMuzik single 10/12

Hopefully you'll take a listen, send some feedback, good vibes and share it with others.

On the move: Somewhere in Louisville, Kentucky

I had to take some time to think about where I was not only mentally but the actual physical spaces that I walked through the streets of Downtown Louisville. Across the river is Shelbyville almost taunting a Simpsons episode to predict future events.

The bourbon factories, Louisville Slugger museum and Muhammad Ali Center only tell piece of Louisville's story.

At the Nomadness Tribe summit I was attending, one of the representatives for Louisville asked how I felt about my stay. I told him I was in Anyville, USA. He looked confused and said “I don't know what that means.”

So I explained that it was a pleasant enough place but I couldn't find anything that felt attach to the city. Sure, it had the museums and restaurants but it felt too polished. When I asked clerks or people where to go and things to do, most of them told me the same three places in the downtown area. I could have been anywhere.

His reply was that maybe it was trying to keep visitors safe. To which I replied “Maybe Louisville is trying to keep itself safe from the visitors.”

We’ve all seen the way gentrification has taken it's toll on cities. Local favorites get torn down for new and shiny apartment complexes that families with origins to the city can barely afford. Eventually they are pushed out before they know what has hit them.

I got a few rare moments of feeling closer to understanding what people were like throughout my stay. One of my Lyft drivers plays for the Harlem Globetrotters. He said he comes home after being on the road with the team, drives to make some money and spend time with his daughter. I wanted to ask him more but the ride was over.

I wandered into a shop and heard these guys rehearsing for an up-coming show. I also did that thing I do by giving unsolicited advice on the order of songs. I didn't attend the event like I wanted to unfortunately. Instead I chose to check out something happening at The Gathering Spot called “Vote for Brenna Taylor” in hopes that I could meet local organizers who were working with the city.

While I want to be fair to the organizers for wanting to mobilize people, I also want to be mindful that invoking the name of someone slain is serious business. It signals that you’re moving with the intention that aligns with why they were killed and mobilizing. It’s a call to action.

From an outsiders perspective and as someone who has written pieces and watched the “Say Her Name” movement happen, it felt like a missed opportunity. I don’t lead other people but I know why people stop following along with a journey.

I was disappointed to find that the potential voter registration was really just a “kickback” with some hot dogs and hamburgers. I sat there attempted to make conversation, listening to a local DJ play a lot of Jay-Z for an a while waiting for maybe an announcement or another clipboard or something. The only sign that identified the event were the $50 sweatshirts.

I was more so disappointed because they didn't even play local music I had never heard of. It was all commercial pop hip hop. That’s probably a Bay Area bias I have. We will give you our music all the time—whether you want it or not.

I will say that Louisville is definitely not hiding it's history. There are placards and signs documenting the centuries of history in the streets. But even with all of the historical references and aged brick, I wasn't sure where the soul of Louisville lived. It was so sanitized and scrubbed for consumption that it had no flavor.

It’s like putting the pain on display for consumption and selling spaces of joy as the side dish. I know we're in economic strife but was I only meant to experience it once I put a coin in the jar? Hadn't I paid enough to be there already? Overall, it wasn't a bad place to wander around in but maybe I would really see the difference if I knew what made it different.