Mar 22 : "I Forgot to Live And Love Today" - Tom Shaner (New York)

PANDEMIC FRUSTRATIONS

Probably everyone can relate to this. In the middle of the pandemic, you want to get out, see other people, have life back to normal, but you just can't. If not a connection to people then a connection to just some activity, just something. It's a feeling of frustration that you haven't really lived life the way it should be lived.

That's the theme of New York musician Tom Shaner's new video, "I Forgot to Live And Love Today". The song was actually written during the height of the pandemic, but the video was released just last Monday, March 14.

I asked Tom to give us some background about the song. Hi Bob- thanks for reaching out. I had a general inspiration for simple melodic idea while in Ireland Summer of 2019 I sort of forgot about it, as I’m often bouncing around many different ideas in my head. Then a few months into the pandemic I was playing guitar one day and the melody reappeared and (it had no words before) those words start sort of tumbling out. “I Forgot to Live and Live Today.” And I thought it was a bit corny. But it seemed like that’s what it wanted to be, those words. So I figured out where to go from there. I guess it dawned on me during pandemic that you’ve got to feel some sense of love everyday to have a chance of any organic connection to happiness. It doesn’t have to be a person. It could be you love novels or baking, or whatever.

And the chorus about the “blue margarita girls” refers to a memory I had of when I used to be a bartender years ago, we offered blueberry margaritas. And these two gals would come in often and that’s what they liked. And I was feeling down about a break up, and they would try and get me to go drinking with them.

In the years before the pandemic, I did get to see Tom do a show with his full band at Spike Hill. But here he's singing solo "I Forgot to Live And Love Today" :::

TOMORROW NITE!

Tom has been doing a residency in March at LIC Bar, and is excited about his show there tomorrow night! It’s just two more Wednesdays. It’s been fun. I’ve tried several new songs out snd have written new ones this month to try as well. I’ve mixed it up playing with different musicians such as my pal Felix Slim. Tomorrow night an old collaborator and friend Bob Sharkey will sit in. It’s been a fun ride to try and new stuff and play some older stuff in new ways. Then in on Sunday April 10th there’s a show at Mercury Lounge. Here is the click to LIC Bar (CLICK HERE) and this is Tom's click Tom Shaner on Facebook (CLICK HERE).