Jan. 20, 2024
I was buying some potatoes the other day, when I thought I heard something familiar emanating quietly from the depths of the produce department. It was almost subliminal, barely audible over the store’s usual muzak system. At first I thought it was coming from one of the light fixtures above the spuds, but then I figured out there was a bluetooth speaker stashed on the other side of the shelves, in the area where the produce workers do their thing. It took me a minute to realize exactly what song it was, and when I did I had to ask the guy stacking spuds for confirmation. Sure enough, it was Holding, by Grouper. We had a nice little chat, a great example of how music connects us to one another, helps us find kindred spirits.
Grouper (Liz Harris) is an artist who lives in Astoria, Oregon. We hosted her at the Chapel a few years back, as part of the Substrata Festival. As I recall, she did a rather remarkable set performed entirely on portable cassette players. I wish she’d come back someday, though I know she doesn’t much enjoy performing live. (I can relate.) I can’t say I’m a dedicated fan, as I only have this one album, but I do admire her. And this song is the stand out for me, just a gorgeous bit of melancholic loner balladry. I can never listen to it just once.