"You Suck!"

       The internets don't seem to love me... or at least one corner of them doesn't. When I started this month off I was posting video for all my songs to Youtube. (It got a little overwhelming workload-wise so I stopped for now)
I went back to check out my views and comments a few days later and noticed my song "We will rise up" had 2 comments!! I went to see what people had to say. The page loaded and emblazened in the comment box was the message. "You Suck!"
      Twice.
      From the same person.
      I was a little disheartened at first. But then I remembered, part of building a fan base is making people hate you and your music. In audience of ten people at an open mike perhaps one person will like your songs. The rest will say: "YOU SUCK!" But you've done your job and created a fan. In an opening slot for another act with an audience of 100 people perhaps ten people will enjoy your songs, the rest will say: "YOU SUCK!"   At a festival playing in front of a 1,000 new listeners perhaps a hundred people will love your music and 900 will say “YOU SUCK!”
       I saw this happen to Robbie Fulks at A Ben Folds Five concert years ago in New York City. All around me people were  booing him off the stage.  The crowd had turned, they were looking for torches and pitchforks.  And me, I thought he was funny as hell. Maybe a little too country but the clever won me over.
       The job of an artist’s is to elicit an reaction from people and a visceral one at that. Getting someone to take the time to say “YOU SUCK” from their little corner of the world is in it’s own way a vindication that you’re doing your job. Sure we all want genuine praise, but sometimes a hearty “YOU SUCK,” can be validation that you’re moving in the right direction as well.