Ode to Gerard Cosloy

Gerard Cosloy,
who I don't know personally. 

I don’t know Gerard personally, despite a clutch of courteous conversations across the years. By all accounts from reasonable people, a decent human. But the public persona, the one who writes and fights – that Gerard I know.  From Bands That Could Be God to Conflict to Homestead to Matador to ‘Can’t Stop the Bleeding’ and beyond, I’ve had the good sense to follow him down.  He sets the bar high.  While I’m no means lazy with my time, choices or discretionary dollars, it’s worthwhile to also throw your lot in with a few fellow travelers who build the signposts. Doesn’t really matter if that vibe is reciprocated, just knowing they’re out there is inspiration enough. Gerard’s track record of putting his neck out on behalf of worthy artists and musicians has been nothing short of prescient and judicious. And consistent.

Case in point: Casual Victim Pile, Gerard’s 2010 rep of current Austin bands worth knowing about. You’d think there’s just so much low hanging fruit around a town like that, and maybe there is. But I’ll bet the streets are littered with the corpses of lousy carpet bagging faux blues careerists, so anyone who takes the time to discern what’s what has got blood on their boots. So it better be worth it. And CVP is really worth it. Woven Bones and Harlem and Bad Sports and Golden Boys were sorta known entities to me. They’re all great. But the moxie revealed by Follow That Bird! and Kingdom of Suicide Lovers and Dikes of Holland and The Distant Seconds and Tre Orsi and Wild America is striking. It's this kind of dedicated quality control that keeps a grown man like me coming back for more, absorbing all that cigarette smoke at Death by Audio or some other firetrap joint where I’m the oldest fucker in the room and have to get up at 6:00 AM the next morning to take my son to ice hockey practice after a sixty hour work week (well, okay maybe Hamish is the oldest fucker in the room, but he is a  musician after all). When DIH or KOSL or the Distant Seconds roll through town, I’ll be there to offer safe driving tips and I’ll try to drag you with me. That would be the direct consequence of Gerard’s efforts.

So when art is this good, it’s worthwhile thanking those who bring the revelry. Don VV reminded us that the dust blows forward and the dust blows back, and Gerard will return to dust soon enough just like Don, as will you and I. It’s just music, I know. But it’s really great music and it helps me get through every day. And once again, I have Gerard to thank for that.

Thanks Gerard!

And happy birthday.

Buy it at Amazon or from Matador