This upcoming Sunday marks a very important date in my life. It will be six months since I’ve personally decided to start up The Memory Tourist. From the ashes of my former website Optigrab, I have created a more inclusive website that has been cathartic in helping me deal with the pandemic. I personally feel that as a result, I have become more open and even happier. I’ve been allowed to express myself in ways that I felt like my pop culture writing hadn’t really allowed me to in the past. I don’t know that it’s been nothing but straight masterpieces, but at least it’s given me a reason to move forward and continue trying.
That is why I’m choosing to celebrate this week’s Top 5 by looking at my favorite things that have been created to make the quarantine better. For the record, I am mostly talking about things that will have some direct influence from not being able to pursue a normal life and as a result have no choice but to take to the internet or alter how we all interact in public spaces. For the sake of context, I am going to stick specifically to things that qualify as entertainment, which I personally feel has had the biggest change of anything at this time. It has helped to create some of the most interesting work, proving that you can’t keep a creative mind down for long.
While there are several other things worthy of mentioning here, I am sticking to specific things that appealed to me. Longtime readers will likely notice most of it from previous entries, and that should only help to speak to their qualities. If you have anything that’s been keeping you sane during these fraught times, feel free to leave in the comments section. I am always looking for new things to fill my day with joy and remind myself that even in the time of darkness, there are those who want to make it a better place. If you get anything out of this, I hope it’s the desire to support talented people who are doing their part to not only stay productive but make this year feel so full of life.
1. Quarantine Albums (Charli XCX, Taylor Swift, etc.)
Even as late as September, it’s difficult to say that we’re running out of new albums to put on and enjoy. There’s still plenty on the way that was recorded under normal circumstances, and while they may come across as bizarre in the current moment, they’re all a revelation in terms of keeping my sanity. Whenever I’m having an odd day, I’ll pop on The Weeknd’s “After Hours” and get lost in the spacey vibes of “Blinding Lights.” The same could be said for the latest releases by a handful of bands who, if they have any connection to the pandemic at all, decided to push up their releases often by several months (see: X’s “Alphabetland” and Run the Jewels’ “RTJ4”), believing that the world more than ever needs a song.
But for those select few, this has been a time to craft something wholly original, taking time to self-reflect on their art and make music that is likely never to be replicated again. One can hope that this pandemic doesn’t last forever, and it will always be exciting to know that musicians had songs that captured a sonic representation of our emotional distress in these times. Where other albums implicitly fit into that box, albums like Charli XCX’s “How I’m Feeling Now” perfectly capture the angst of being young and trapped while accompanied by a colliding electropop that feels like throwing a message in a bottle through a digital ocean, looking for someone waiting to rescue them from this misery.
Others like Taylor Swift with “Folklore” have far exceeded their expectations. Whereas she just came out with the poppy “Lover,” she went in a more mature direction that also found her lyrical and musical craft growing more interesting, self-reflecting on her life in ways that find the phenomenon tipping her hat to the future of her career. There have been other albums including some made for a lark. However, the best are ones that speak to the internal struggles of the moment, and there’s a good chance that there are many more surprises on the way. For now, Charli XCX and Swift have set the bar high, and it’s everyone else’s job to match it.
2. The NBA Restart
There hasn’t been a greater miracle than what The NBA has pulled off (so far) with this Orlando, FL bubble series. Sure it’s sped up and it’s seen many great teams fall victim to these isolation techniques (R.I.P. to The Milwaukee Bucks), but at the end of the day, everything is going according to plan. Where every other sport has suffered some setback, there hasn’t been a major scandal from basketball. At best, The Bucks staged a boycott following the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, WI, but even that was done for more significant causes.
On the one hand, it does feel strange to have basketball when so much else about the world isn’t going according to plan. However, their approach of wearing jerseys with social commentary lining their backs only helps to give this more meaning and purpose. The court’s Black Lives Matter slogan has a deeper meaning. Their involvement forces the world to watch and hopefully take account of the change that needs to be made.
To be fair, the season hasn’t gone entirely how I’ve wanted it to. Without The Bucks or The Los Angeles Clippers in the mix, I’m without my Top 2 picks for winning the entire season. While I can theorize that they would’ve stood a chance at winning had the season progressed in a normal way, its current trajectory is more exciting and unpredictable, with none of the big teams from the 2018-2019 season making it to the finals. For something as simple as a basketball game, it reflects something optimistic and hopeful about not only the sport but its ability to convey so much to its audience.
3. Hamilton
As I’ll continue to harp until the day The Long Beach Playhouse opens back up, I miss live theater, and I’ve been finding any small way to numb that pain. I am thankful that Hamilton (2020), originally scheduled for a Fall 2021 release, was moved forward in an attempt to make this pandemic a much more tolerable place. After all, nobody was going to get into the room where it happened for probably a year at least. Lin Manuel Miranda’s magnum opus has taken the world by storm and its access to the public is another one of those miracles that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
More than anything, it’s one of the best-directed adaptations of a stage musical that has been released since Cats (1998). Going beyond the insanely catchy soundtrack is the shot compositions, which are ridiculously iconic, making every second memorable. For those who weren’t able to see the show as it was in 2015, this is a perfect tool of preservation that every major musical should have. Hamilton’s biggest gift isn’t just the show itself or the lively conversation it’s inspired, but the need to keep live theater alive, even as things prove to be financially fraught in most cases.
The good news is that this has inspired a whole host of future productions, including a Ryan Murphy-produced version of The Prom (2020) in the near future. There’s also talk of Disney+ doing Once on This Island, and the Dear Evan Hansen movie has had significant casting announcements. Even if a theater isn’t open to the public, there’s plenty to look forward to in the future for a medium that is as old as time, continuing to find new ways to enthrall and remind us of the warmth of public gatherings. One day, hopefully, that will come back and it will be splendid. Also, I hope it will allow me to win The Hamilton Lottery. It’s been five years. I’m due for something.
4. Ben Brainard
As perverse as it sounds, one of the things I’m most thankful during the pandemic is discovering stand-up comic Ben Brainard. Through a series that he’s called “The Table,” he has produced videos that comically poke fun at current events by personifying all 50 states in America. They argue about everything from recent bills passing through congress to who has the best barbecue. Each episode is packed full of a variety of topics that are delightful, keeping everything unpredictable and full of optimism. Even as he depicts Florida wanting to burn down the world and rob the national bank, he’s doing it in jest.
After over six months of doing these videos, they have formed their own language and fan groups. He has a lot of merchandise highlighting his various catchphrases (“Wow!”), and if you catch him on a good night, his TikTok will let you in talkbacks and even filming sessions. If not, the videos are guaranteed to cheer you up while teaching you a thing or two. It should be said that it’s not all federal-level news that he skewers. If you like talk about meth gators and Sturgis Rallies gone wrong, then he is the man for you. More than current events, he’ll make you appreciate how weird this screwy country is.
Beyond comedy, he’s also a genuinely caring man who raises attention to good causes. He’s lead causes to report hate speech from the president on Twitter. More recently he’s done incredible work helping to highlight charities like The Cajun Navy by raising over $4,000 for hurricane recovery. For a man with over a million followers on TikTok, I’ve come to admire how he’s used his platform to make the world a better place both with laughter and actual action. If you haven’t watched his videos, you might want to fix them. They’re only usually three minutes long, and I guarantee that they’ll be three of the best you’ll experience today.
5. Double Threat
One of the more predictable ways that people have been productive during this pandemic is to start a podcast. It’s allowed people to be more vocal and interactive with each other on a regular basis. By now, however, it’s interesting to separate the boys from the men in terms of who has an actual passion for this medium that has filled me with thousands (no hyperbole) of hours of entertainment. There’s been plenty to consume during these times, though I don’t think anyone has done as effective of a job as this new creation from Tom Scharpling and Julie Klausner.
I’ll admit some personal bias with these two. Over the past 20+ years, Scharpling has hosted The Best Show, which is a very unique and entertaining call-in show. Klausner meanwhile has jumped through different projects ranging from her own podcast How Was Your Week to the TV series Difficult People. Together they make a perfect duo and one who knows how to play off each other and explore strange media in a quest to understand this screwy world. To be honest, it’s all a bit of madness and improvisation in every episode, but that only makes the results more worthwhile. If you’re looking for a good laugh and a study of esoteric media, then this is worth giving a try.
Honorable Mention
If I can be transparent for one minute, I think that most quarantine entertainment has been a bit bland and unmemorable. They’re often compilations of performers in their own homes, not recognizing the value of sound engineers and mixing. They’re still enjoyable, but few of them have professionalism that would be a relief during this time.
One of the few that got it right was a three-hour concert tribute to Stephen Sondheim that found dozens of performers singing many of his classic Broadway tunes. What made it great was the spontaneity, the fact that no two performers felt the same. It wasn’t just the song choice. It was in a presentation that ranged from Mandy Patinkin standing in a field singing Sunday in the Park with George to Meryl Streep, Christine Baranski, and Audra McDonald making drinks while singing Company. It was a delightful compilation and one that holds up. Whether you want to watch one segment or the whole thing, it’s a worthwhile tribute that shows performers doing what they do best, and paying tribute to a man who made the world a better place because of it.
What has been making your quarantine time more exciting and meaningful?
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