“Look in their eyes, stand in their shoes. Put ‘em on the ground right next to you. So many jerks and so many fools. Oh, it will make you laugh when you meet your heroes.”
–“Meet Your Heroes” by House of Freaks, 1989*
The above epigraph from a song by one of my favorite hometown bands suggests that it’s often disappointing when you meet your heroes. No doubt it is often true, especially if your heroes are celebrities or wealthy public figures with publicists and others who help them to carefully cultivate and maintain idealized public personas. That song echoes in my mind when I have the good fortune to meet someone I admire. Fortunately, it is not always thus!
A few weeks ago, I had the good fortune to be able to meet one of my heroes, B.J. Barham of American Aquarium. The band was playing at The Sinclair in Cambridge, MA, and I’d signed up for a meet and greet pre-show thing that ended up being canceled. Nonetheless, when I arrived at the venue, I was taken backstage to meet Mr. Barham, a gifted singer-songwriter who’s not afraid to speak his mind. In fact, it the band’s 2018 sing “The ‘World is On Fire” that first brought this Raleigh, NC based band to my attention. The song begins with the the singer recounting a couple’s experience of watching 2016 election coverage, and the gradual realization that the unthinkable had happened. It ends on a note of hope and defiance alluding to Trump’s campaign promise to build a wall with the singer hoping that the baby girl they are expecting in the Spring will bust through any walls that may be put in her way. It’s a well-written, powerful song. Though clearly political, it is not didactic as many political tunes are wont to be.
Barham was gracious, friendly, and seemed genuinely interested in meeting me. He played that song for me backstage, and it’s still as powerful as it was in 2016, perhaps because the real impact of the 2016 election is only now being felt, the show in Cambridge happening only a week after the Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade.
I’d like to be able to say that I took the opportunity to ask probing questions so that I could write this up as an interview piece, but the opportunity to speak with Mr. Barham one on one was unexpected, and I probably came across a bit star struck; indeed I was.
I’ve wanted to interview Barham ever since downloaded a sampler that was available on BandCamp. American Aquarium songs resonate with me well beyond the politics: The deep ambivalence toward the culture of “The South,” an awareness of heritage that is often a source of pride but equally as often a source of shame, strong family connections to families, lives profoundly touched by addiction and tragedy, etc. I had a lot of things I would have liked to ask him about his career and music, but instead I really just gushed about how much his music has meant to me.
Anyway, I probably went on longer than I should, but he was gracious about it, and kindly played a solo version of that song for me. It was amazingly cool, and he’s a genuinely nice guy.
I hope to earnestly revive the music coverage of this site at some point. Perhaps that will include an actual interview with B.J. Barham. In the meantime, be sure to check out American Aquarium’s new album, Chicamacomio. Barham has called it his most personal album, and the title track is a perfect example of that dealing with a couple facing a profoundly personal tragedy from Barham’s personal life. Yet despite is specificity, it also comes across as a timely anthem for all of us hoping to wash off the collective traumas of the past few years. Another good example is “The First Year,” which deals with the loss of a beloved parent.
To paraphrase the lyric of another song on the album, if you want to feel better, even if only for a little while, sometimes all you need is a good cathartic song. Somehow American Aquarium manages to release an album of songs that seem to apropos to the moment, and right at the time I need it most.
The show was brilliant, of course. The members of American Aquarium genuinely seem to be having fun when they play together, and they really are a talented bunch! Barham is a charismatic front man, punctuating the show with just the right amount of anecdotes and banter. So do yourself a favor and catch them live!
Of course, I also have to mention Caroline Spence, the show’s opener, as I was impressed. I admit that I was pre-disposed to like here because she hails from my home state, but she merits the praise. I can’t imagine being a soloist with a guitar opening for rockers like American Aquarium, but she held my attention with strong melodies and powerful lyrics. Check out her music, too.
