Summit Coffee (Davidson, NC) here we come!!
First things first: I’m so excited that this Friday will mark the return of Bradley Wik and the Charlatans to Summit Coffee in Davidson, NC! Summit is where I played my first show with the newly reformed Charlotte-based Charlatans. Jamie and the whole gang over at Summit have been so supportive of me and the band during my short time here in North Carolina and I cannot wait to unleash some Rock ‘n’ Roll this Friday at 7pm. It’s outdoors and socially distanced, so come join us as we so rarely get to see y’all Live and In Person these days. Only getting to play like 2 shows a month leads to a lot of… blue fingers? Or whatever the musical equivalent of blue balls is…
(Editor’s note: I know I talk a lot of shit about Facebook, but it is the most convenient way to keep people up to date on things like shows. So, yes, I do occasionally pop on to post. But, Brianne also does a lot of it. I can usually tell when she’s getting ready to post on my FACEBOOK or INSTAGRAM because she’ll come up to me out of nowhere and ask me some really random question like: “if you were on the radio, what would you say about your next show?” or “what you say if someone asked about your favorite album of 2020?”)
Vote like your life depends on it…
As we continue on in this what-the-fuck year of 2020, there is one thing that has been abundantly clear since the beginning but has gotten direr as we continue to struggle with Covid-19, the Great Depression 2.0, and are beginning to confront this country’s history of white supremacy and how much that hasn’t really changed over the years: the importance of the elections this November.
I’ve been ASKING MYSELF SOME REALLY HARD QUESTIONS these days and I can’t say I’m loving the answers. But, one way to start addressing these issues is at the ballot boxes in November; or possibly even sooner. 34 states plus Washington D.C. allow for no-excuse absentee ballots; meaning you can request one and vote from the safety of your own home. Many states even allow you to vote well ahead of November 3rd, like here in North Carolina where ballots go out in a couple weeks. It’s like being sent the test ahead of time and I can actually take the time to study the candidates for those downballot races that I usually only have a cursory knowledge of. And, let’s be honest, there’s very few people who are waiting until the debates to make up their mind on the presidential election, so why wait. The sooner you vote the sooner we can get the results after November 3rd. With all the extra absentee ballots and the concerted effort to defund and disrupt the USPS, it could be a week or longer after the election before we know the final results. So vote early and get your vote counted ASAP.
And here in North Carolina, the process couldn’t be simpler. Seriously, look at the ballot request form:
The absentee ballot request form here in North Carolina.
Name, date of birth, address, social or driver’s license number and a signature. Boom. Easy. They even have AN ONLINE VERSION that Brianne and I filled out and emailed in. I think it took 5 or 10 minutes tops. And for those who think it might not be safe to vote by mail like this, Brianne’s initial application was rejected after her digital signature didn’t quite line up to her registered signature. Trust me, they’re double checking these.
Those of you who know me well might be saying “Didn’t conspiracy Bradley use to think that presidential elections weren’t actually decided by voting/the people?” (Conspiracy Bradley also believes we did NOT land on the moon in 1969 as there is just too much evidence against it and not enough for it, that JFK was assassinated by the CIA as he was sure to plunge us into a nuclear war with the Soviets at any moment, and is still not sold on the reasoning behind the very quick and precise collapse of the WTC towers, and that aliens do indeed exist). And you’d be right. I’m still not 100% sure if the powers that be would allow us commonfolk to determine the future leader of our country, but I’m voting just in case I’m wrong. There’s just too much at stake.
The presidency, the House, the Senate, they’re all up for grabs this year. The future of our country will be shaped by these elections, hopefully for the better. So, figure out what your state has available and go vote. 2020 has been a shit-sandwich of a year, let’s not finish it off with a shit-sundae for dessert…