Readers, we're not necessarily killing off this blog. But...we're sort of killing off this blog. At least in its current incarnation.
Here's the thing:
In recent years the blog has mostly been a repository for jokes and commentary that we've already made via Twitter over at @larryvillelife. In that format, the material elicits immediate reaction and, in the best cases, interaction. Yes, it's kind of nice to have the same material and photos here as a more permanent "museum" for LFK's joys and pains, but we're finding it more pain than joy to invest the time in that.
The biggest loss is going to be our weekly and weekend picks, which actually do serve a useful purpose for the handful who look at them. We like to think our "picks" have provided a bit more of a critical lens than other local sites (since I Heart Local Music only writes about shows that they like) and a more specific focus than the LJ-World's brief "best bets" (which rarely convince us that the writers have any familiarity or fondness for their selections). But, the thing is, it's a fucking drag to compile these things every week, and there's not enough room for creativity in the task, and we always end up forgetting to include our friends' bands and have to go back in and update a few times. So that feature is disappearing too...unless someone offers to pay us for the service.
Chip: "I'm getting really nervous here. Will I continue to exist in some fashion?"
Well, Chip, you'll continue to exist in all our hearts, but the boner jokes were getting kind of flaccid too. And surely LFK's omnipresent Harpoon Presents comedy gang can provide all the dick and fart jokes this town needs. They're in a different bar every night, after all, and the Replay every Thursday. Perhaps you should try the open mic? Also, you'll continue to be an implied presence in the "collective first-person" voice that has become so ingrained in this blog AND the Twitter account that we can't quite distance ourselves from it (yet).
So what WILL appear on this blog? We don't know. Do NOT look for daily features. That's not happening. But we want to keep this blog around for longer-form pieces that can't work on Twitter, such as continuing interviews with bands and artists and comedians. We'd also like to try our hand at some longer "creative nonfiction" glimpses into the weirder corners of LFK. Also, our long stint as members of PBR Book Club makes us nostalgic for the days where we actually wrote a bit of "literature." We're pondering a series of short plays set in various bars around town. Perhaps our friends at Card Table will eventually perform them. Guest pieces are always welcome too. Let us know.
For those in immediate need of more LFK-related info than our obnoxiously frequent tweets can provide, we recommend bookmarking the Larryville Artists page. They are on an absolute blogging spree at the moment. Can you keep it up, Karen and company? We have faith in you.
Anyway, Happy 2015, readers! We know it's a shock that things can change even in LFK, but at least you can remain confident that some things never will, as evidenced from the photo below.
