I love st. louis, but i feel deeply disconnected from it. my weekend in chicago was so good that i feel like my perspective on stl has been shifted completely. 

I have a handful of friends in chicago, and ive spent a lot of time talking to them about the music scene in stl in relation to chicago’s.. i think that ive felt this magnetism towards chicago because there seems to be a lot of opportunity for personal growth there. 

St. louis is so deeply deeply flawed, so much internal divisiveness. HOLY SHIT! i feel like every thing i hear from any one person is “i love this person // i fucking HATE this person.” in addition to the already discombobulated music and art scene.. we’re all over the fucking place.

we’re too small to be sectioned into specific scenes , and seemingly too big to really ground ourselves. quality control is forgone in so many key places. i don’t say this to say “stl music sux.. chicago music rox.” i say it to say im pretty dissatisfied with my experience in stl. i feel like ive been pouring my heart into creating a space for myself and likeminded people, and end up at square one repeatedly. 

i love st. louis, but i can safely say i have a finite amount of time left here. i love this city more than i could express, i am from st. louis thoroughly. north county’s problems shaped how i perceive everything, the neglect, decay, and abandon that in a way shapes st. louis has given me an appreciation for things i don’t think any other city could. however, i know that in many ways, ive spent more energy trying to find/create a place for my art in this city than doing my art. 

dang..

well, as always, please let me know if you have any thoughts on this! i’m happy to chat !!
goomanstl@gmail.com