Forget the politics and enjoy the music

Paul Brandt and Terri Clark.

I went to a concert last week. Two Canadian country artists who were especially big in the 1990s: Terri Clark and Paul Brandt. Both hail from Alberta and their tour is billed as Homecoming 2.0.

I love the music of both artists. In fact, Paul Brandt’s song “I Do” was the first dance song at the wedding of My Favourite Husband and I. Hearing it played live was a special treat for me. 

The tour was acoustic and both artists blended their voices together and, when it was time to perform that song, I admit rivers of tears slid down my cheeks. 

Bittersweet memories that made me smile at the little bit of sharpness that still echoes inside, at times. Sometimes what’s gone can never come back, so I simply remember with love the days in that chapter that I wrote. That song made me do just that. 

Today, I'm still smiling, reflecting on the concert. I got to spend time with a good friend, catch up on our lives, sing along to great music. It was a magical night. In fact, I shared a few photos on social media capturing snippets of it. 

I also shared a bit about the evening with a friend for whom music is a passion. He responded that he could never see Paul Brandt in concert because he allegedly supplied food and beverages to the participants of a blockade protesting COVID-19 immunization. The bulk of the blockade was peaceful but some factions within it were not. When the majority of the protesters dispersed, the ones who stayed behind were accused and convicted of plotting to overthrow the provincial government and had weapons that were potentially going to be used against the RCMP. My friend was vehement in his opposition to these actions. I am vehemently opposed to these actions. But it made me think about my personal line and if it was drawn in sand or embedded in concrete.

My friend said he did not judge me for attending the show. Truthfully, even if he did, it was my choice to make both going and accepting his remark. Did his remark upset or offend me? A little, at first. (Ed. note: What an a-hole thing to do.) In my experience, there are times when someone says they aren’t judging but even making that remark can feel like judgment. However, those feelings subsided quickly and pivoted my thoughts, instead, to thinking about principles, how mine align with the words and actions of others and what kind of bend I might have in them.

If the allegations are true, the food delivery incident happened at the beginning of February, 2022. 

That was almost four years ago. In the time since, according what I’ve been able to find online, Paul Brandt has been involved in different philanthropical endeavours, including working to stop human trafficking. What does it all mean? I guess, for me, it means he’s human. A complex mixture of a person supporting different causes, different actions. A human whose views and causes may or may not change depending on what’s going on in the world, what fits with his own views and how he can help. 

Full transparency: when I purchased tickets to attend the concert, not for one moment did I think about the personal causes of either artist or if they aligned with my own. I only thought about their music and my connection to it. Is that right, though? Should I have considered a past incident — one associated with an event I don’t agree with — when purchasing tickets? Is it wrong of me to only consider the music of an artist or should I be considering what they stand for as well? And, if I do take into account what causes they’ve supported or actions they’ve taken in the past, do I have a personal statute of limitations on what I’ll let influence my decision to purchase tickets and support? Do I have bend in a nonalignment of beliefs? 

It’s complicated. I think about how much I’ve grown and changed in the last four years. At times, based on research and personal experience, some of my own beliefs have shifted and changed. I’ve acted in the moment to support causes and, sometimes, time has made me wish I’d made different decisions. But I’ve learned and you learn more from past behaviours or past mistakes than when everything goes well. I have no idea if Paul Brandt regrets delivering food or not but shouldn’t there be grace for past actions?  For me, I’d say yes.

With that in mind, I’m comfortable with my ticket purchase. Comfortable attending a concert where music was the only focus. Comfortable enjoying the evening for what it was — storytelling and songs — and not for what it wasn’t: a celebration or acknowledgement of causes past and present.

I might make different decisions regarding different artists should controversial actions of theirs arise. But whatever decision I do make, I know it’ll be the right one for me.