Why CoolDad Music

Black Wine as Devo at The Knitting Factory Brooklyn.

I Have to Do a Post Like This Every Once in a While

"What the hell am I even doing?"

That's what I was thinking to myself as I sat, pulled over on Marcy Ave., waiting for the NYPD officer to finish writing out my summons for supposedly running a red light. It was about 3AM, and I'd maybe endangered the lives of me, my passenger, and whomever else could have come through that intersection. We were heading home from the second night of the Don Giovanni Records showcase in Williamsburg.

We got back home at about 4AM, and I sat in the driveway scanning the ticket. It could end up costing $278. Ouch.

I thought the same thing again -- "What the hell am I doing?" -- as my car slipped and slid down Route 35 on my way to The Battery Electric's record release party. About 3-4 inches of slush covered the highway, and there was always someone behind me who thought I could be driving faster.

Coming home was less harrowing but no picnic either. It was probably about 2:30 by the time I got to bed.

I'm a 45-year-old suburban father of two getting home at 2, 3, 4 in the morning from covering rock concerts. I spend hours on Satudays and Sundays and almost all of my free moments during the week editing photos and preparing posts. Why??

I got my answer soon after those Don Giovanni shows in Brooklyn.

And, again, after that Battery Electric release show in Asbury.

Our first Asbury Park show was an undeniable blast. @asburylanes was as fun to play as it is to hang out at, @thebatteryelectric brought out a great crowd for their record release party snow be damned, and excellent, photographers like @cooldadmusic were there to document it all. We'll be back soon.

A photo posted by Black Wail (@blackwail) on Feb 23, 2015 at 7:51pm PST

And these are just two examples. Over the three years that I've been running CoolDad Music, I've had several thoughts about what I want the site to be. What I've found that works the best for me is just documenting. Documenting what these artists, however big or small, bring to a show night after night. Documenting what happens inside these venues. Documenting the feelings that all of this brings up inside my own mind. When I go back and view these pictures or read these posts, they take me back to some of the special moments I've experienced and shared over the last three years. Those experiences, together, have been a life saver for me; and it's just icing on the cake when I see evidence that they hold meaning for someone else.

So the answer to "What the hell am I doing?" is "I'm doing something that I love. I'm producing work of which I can say that I'm proud." It's no small thing, I tell you.

I've said this before, but that thing that you always read about finding your passion? It's true. Find what you love and do whatever you can to shoehorn it into your life. Doing it as a job, I guess, would be cool; but who really gets to do that? It doesn't matter anyway. Find what you love. Devote as much time to it as you are able. Do a good job. And when you find yourself asking, "Why the hell am I doing this?" look back at the work you've produced, and you'll see that it's healed your soul; it's allowed you to express who you really are; and it's probably touched other people along the way.

That's kind of what art is, isn't it? I believe each and every one of us is an artist deep down inside. We all just have to figure out what kind  -- musician, painter, writer, photographer, parent, chef, baker, sandwich maker, friend, listener, ballplayer, housecleaner, or a combination of several different things. Whatever kind of artist you are, once you find it and act on it; you'll be the happiest you've ever been.

Thanks for reading.