Concerted Resolution

Hmm. New Year’s Resolutions. Not really my thing. I always want to be healthier, make more money, and finish writing that novel. How is a new year going to make me more likely to do any of that? After all, New Year’s Day is arbitrary. One year, I had three of them. One on January 1st in Singapore; another a couple weeks later in India when the Tamils ran painted bullocks through town and threw apple-bananas in the air; and a third a month later when I ate Indian-Chinese food to celebrate the Year of the Horse.

That was the year I realized that every single day is a new year, and whenever you need to make a change – or are ready to do it – is the right time to make a resolution. These days, I still figure out my total income at the end of December and set a goal for the next 12 months, and I still look at my Goodreads “Year in Books” report and set a new challenge, but only because it’s convenient to do those things around January 1.

But real resolutions, those can happen at any time. The last resolution I made was in October. In the fall of 2016 it seemed like there was a concert almost every night of the week that I really wanted to attend, but I hardly made it to any of them. In 2017 I couldn’t find a show I wanted to go to. Then I went to the Reykjavik Calling concert at KEXP and remembered how much I love seeing live music. Now that my kids are a little older, it no longer requires moving mountains to arrange a night out. So I resolved to see a band every month.

In November I went to the Freakout Festival in Ballard.

I took December off to hole up in my house and hibernate. I needed that and I don’t count it as a failure because I am still resolved to see live music every month. So far 2018 is looking very good for live shows. Does Showbox have a subscription offer, some kind of season pass? Because they are killing it this year.

I have tickets to Meshuggah on January 24.

I got my husband tickets to Run the Jewels open for Lorde in February. He has a friend who is way more into that band than I am, so they might go together. If he doesn’t take me to RtJ, I can see Corrosion of Conformity or Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in February instead.

Steve Aoki is coming in March, as is the Decibel Tour with Enslaved, Wolves in the Throne Room, Myrkur and Khemmis.

I might have to look for a local show in April – that will be nice.

Steven Wilson is coming in May. Plus Northwest Terrorfest is in May (tickets go on sale January 8).

I think 2018 is going to be a very loud year.