It's not a Sin

I think I've tried to no avail to get some of you to appreciate the Pet shop Boys. Now that I saw them live it makes more sense to my why it didn't take - you are not homosexuals. But, I saw the Pet Shop Boys last night and it was one of the greatest concert experiences of my life. I was youngest person among an audience composed predominantly of gay men between the ages of 30 and 60 who admire Neil Tennant for more than his ability to pair creative lyrics with electronic beats - and yes his voice really does sound like that outside of a studio. So where I guess I'm going with this is that I always enjoyed the pet shop boys for their electronic sound because I think it's fun. I like electronic music, I like synthesizers and I like dancing my affection for the pet shop boys or any new wave electronic band isn't that complicated. I never knew they wrote songs that became anthems to an entire subpopulation. But I discovered this last night. It was the first time I'd ever really seen a gay pride in Minnesota and it was really awesome because generally speaking I don't think people are that tolerant of it out here. Not to mention they played almost all of my favorite songs, and everyone was dancing -- a lot.


It was a much needed reminder of how infectious cheap beats can be and how much better music sounds when you are listening to it with people you like it as much as if not more than you do. Not only that but I think arguably a negative implication of being one of the listening elite is that one starts to take the act of listening to music too seriously. We become critics and forget to just enjoy it. If I may borrow an expression I encounter often in law school, music becomes "inextricably intertwined" with out identities so such that I think we become self conscious about how we project our musical taste to the rest of the world and might fear admitting that we like something god forbid for example has made it's way into mainstream pop culture. Don't we always get over the indie bands once they get more of a mainstream audience? Why? Have our tastes changed? Was it just a fad? Or are we too cool to like them anymore? That being said I encourage you all to put on your tightest jeans, your neon hooded sweatshirt and your puma sneakers, and indulge in some pet shop boys -- to be posted to the box soon. I sincerely hope you have fun not taking yourself too seriously for an hour such that you might consider trying it again.

Before I wrap up, however, I'd like to pose a three part question: what music was/is your guilty pleasure? Why do you love it? And why are/were you ashamed?
Mine used to be oldies, I would only listen to them while I was alone in the car driving places. I love them because my dad and I used to listen to them in the car when I was little and he would tell me stories about when he was young and now they remind me of being a little kid. Everyone who caught me listening always had some sort of backhanded comment to make. But I'm not afraid any more! I've matured tremendously