Farewell Couch By Couchwest. Oh wait...hello!

For the past five years, a good time was had by all at the Couch By Couchwest on-line music festival. Though I had nothing to do with its operations, I've been all-in with the CXCW vibe:

• learning about new bands and songwriters
• taking random pics of tacos, French toast, and co-workers - though never in the same shot
• developing new friendships, and
• drinking beer. Plenty of beer.

The fine folks who ran CXCW did a helluva job soliciting original videos, collecting and watching them all, playing the tough guy role the few times when folks didn't adhere to just a handful of basic rules, building a page for each featured video, scheduling each video for its right time release, monitoring comments on the website and social media channels, etc. For a group of folks that celebrated slacking as an artform, they sure worked their collective asses off each March for our enjoyment.

But... all good things must come to an end. Or at least a pause. As announced recently on the CXCW website, it just ain't happenin' this year. The couch has been taken to the curb.

But...the absence of a formal CXCW in 2016 doesn't mean the discovery of great new music and bands end. I along with others believe it's the right thing to do to keep the spirit of CXCW alive in whatever meager ways we can.

I'll plan to feature videos sent to me or that I find along the way that would have been in the wheelhouse of CXCW had it continued. I'll do so through blog posts and tweets. Others are encouraged to do the same. Use Facebook, Tumblr, Snapchat, etc.? If so - leverage it. Those aren't my things, but I'd certainly recommend others use them to help spread the word for deserving music.

So how about getting things started with a couple of back in the day John Prine videos that would have fit perfectly with Couch By Couchwest ... had it existed in 1983.




TMC