#7 A Breathtakingly Graceful Roller Skater
or, songs of grieving through the midwest
On March 1 my grandfather died. He had not been doing well for a while due to his dementia, and his timing of when he passed was honestly so situationally ideal that it almost feels like he somehow knew and chose it. But of course, even when the timing is expected and seems ideal, it's not.
My grandfather spent the majority of his life in the southwest region of Chicago that over the last 80 years has morphed from farmland, to exurbs, to solidly Chicagoland suburbs. He loved flying, playing penny slots, and Old Bay. He was a Catholic Deacon and apparently a breathtakingly graceful roller skater, altho this I never witnessed. His radio would play almost exclusively country. He also gave me my first camera.
The timing of the funeral meshed with other responsibilities I had in the Midwest, leading to spending nearly 3 weeks away from home last month. This playlist is created in reflection of my grandfather and his spirit, as well as moving through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Wisconsin, the feeling of multiple snowstorms, looking at art, and of course, grief. There is a lot of country and country adjacent music this time around, including the first and probably last appearance Taylor Swift will make within this project.
Take care y’all.
The most incredible photo I found in my grandmothers garage. I obviously just got in trouble for something, my grandfather seems to have thought it was funny but can’t laugh, my grandmother is trying to act normal, and my dad is ready to go home. Meanwhile my sister and cousin are being hella smug about it all.
#7 A Breathtakingly Graceful Roller Skater
Listen here on Spotify
William Prince - Great Wide Open
Widowspeak - True Blue
Wilco - Someone Else’s Song
Randy Travis - Deeper Than The Holler
Tim Mc Graw - Just To See You Smile
George Strait - Write This Down
Gregory Alan Isakov - Second Chances
Justin Townes Earle - Kids In The Street
The Weather Station - Endless Time
Punch Brothers - Church Street Blues
Steve Martin & Edie Brickell - Sun’s Gonna Shine
John K Samson - Winter Wheat
Dolly Parton - Coat of Many Colors
The Highwmen - Heaven Is A Honky Tonk
Lonestar - Pretty Good Day
Josh Turner - Would You Go With Me
Elvis Presley - (Marie’s The Name) His Latest Fling
Taylor Swift - Mine
Sam Hunt - 23
Pinegrove - Iodine
Leif Vollebekk - Long Blue Light (Live)
The Avett Brothers - Murder In The City
Donovan Woods - Cheyenne
Ben Folds Five - Evaporated
Audrey Hepburn - Moon River
Youth Lagoon - Montana
Cloakroom - Doubts
Jon Guerra - Teach Us That One Song
The Innocence Mission - It Is Well With My Soul