Penn’s Pix for Flix

I've always said that movies are storytelling for humankind. It's how we tell each other stories, sometimes just to amuse ourselves and sometimes to pass along important lessons. I think you could very easily say the same about music. Concert-going isn't really a thing right now, much like movie-going as we knew it isn’t either. And what a loss that is. The common experience and bonds that come from twisting the night away or relaxing with a large popcorn in the theater are priceless, and for lots of us, an invaluable part of what keeps us sane. I miss it. We miss it. I know.

Movies and live entertainment have a lot in common. The losses we've all felt this past year are for real. I know there are more important things in the world than the new James Bond movie or Taylor Swift's newest tour. Definitely. But let's not just discount those things either, and let's not make it about just George Clooney and Taylor Swift. What about the musician you've never heard of? The local cover band delivers every bit as much life and vitality to this existence as anyone else. The poet spending time up in her room, putting words to music, is desperately important. Same goes for the kid shooting a new movie on an old iPhone they borrowed from their dad. That movie matters to us. That kid matters to us. 

So let's toast someone we've never heard of. Let's toast the kid in her room writing songs, the script being written in a notebook, and the cover band that's just aching to gig again. Here's to the storytellers and the gifts they bring. "To the storytellers.” Cheers.

By Penn Ketchum