Not-so-secret Secret Society
Holding with the Good Vibes Cartel
In these Prohibitive Times, we’re all in search of something to hold on to. Californians have flocked to secretly open gyms, beauty salons, supper clubs, and massage parlors. Being in Oregon, the last time I enjoyed music with friends was on my birthday a year ago. We sang karaoke and drank gin cocktails not knowing it would be our last hooray for an indefinite amount of time.
We’ve all been missing social situations. I try to talk to delivery drivers and strangers at the grocery store, but something is amiss. I’ve started a little reading circle, which is quelling my appetite for academic conversation, but there’s still something lacking. Luckily, my Instagram circle turned me on to a little corner of the internet that gives me hope for the future.
Without much to look forward to these days, I’m excited to add this story to the collection that will be shared with my grandkids.
I can hear myself now bragging to squirmy kids in VR helmets about how we had to use our imaginations in the 2020s…
You see kids, we were all worried about the effects of virtual learning, screens, and technology on our kids, but through the worry emerged a crystal clear gem: In order to be around other people in 2020, we had to stretch our social, technological, and creative skills.
My favorite place to do was a virtual speakeasy. Specifically, the Speakeasy that is Not a Speakeasy, brought to you by the Good Vibes Jazz Cartel. This place is like Cheers, where everybody knows your name, and you’re always glad you came. At the center of this place was the magnificent piano player Eric Lewis, or Elew as we called him.
“What’s Cheers, Grandma?”
Nevermind. Now, to the unsuspecting scroller, this place looked like any other Instagram live stream: there’s someone streaming themselves and other people commenting.
But the VIBE, tho. If you know, you know, you know what I’m sayin’, kids?!
“No…But Grandma, who cares? We do live streams all day. I only ever see my friends online.”
Oh, dear.
Sweetheart, you have live streams now, and virtual avatars of your bodies, so it feels like you’re right there, but back in the day, we had to pretend. All we had were text threads. Elew would call upon the virtual bartenders to serve up wine, beer, and little cocktail emojis. We’d all smile — or at least I imagined we were all smiling.
“So you’d just sit there and watch a guy play piano in his kitchen on your tiny phone screen and type things to each other?”
Yes, and it was beautiful. The second you stepped into this place, the vibe was just right. Even in your best VR rooms today, you can’t capture the magic of this place. You kids try to construct a vibe like a recipe, but if you’ve ever tried to make a copy cat of the caesar dressing at The Cheesecake Factory, you know the replica is never quite as good. You have to try over and over again. There’s nothing like the Real Thing, Baby.
“What’s The Cheesecake Factory, Grandma?”
A tear rolled down my cheek and a poured a little Metamucil out on the floor for the Great End of the Golden Restaurant Era in the 2020s.
Nevermind that —it was all a suburban dream. I first saw Elew on a livestream with Eric Weinstein where they were talking music history, culture, math, and science. It was fucking awesome.
“Eric Weinstein?! Wow! I chatted with Zombie_EricW on GPT50 net. His preserved consciousness is crazy smart.”
Yes, the real Eric was even cooler. A few weeks later, a friend sent me a link to Elew’s live as I was wrapping up some work. When I entered, I was greeted not only by the incredible legend himself, but also by a fellow Instagram friend, Will Reusch.
“GRANDMA YOU KNEW COOL PEOPLE!”
Yes, my child, the coolest. Being greeted by strangers and friends creates a sense of belonging — something you kids should start doing again. We did it out of necessity. The world of isolation was new to us. Just a year before we worked in office buildings and strolled into bars without a mask or proof of vaccine. Socialites, music lovers, and artsy types alike were all dying inside, yearning for some viable alternative to what we had before.
VR wasn’t accessible to most yet, and people we are so desperate for connection that we’d stand in our own kitchens and pour our own cocktails pretending to be at a party vibing out to the sweet, sweet sensations of jazz. It was fucking incredible.
“Sounds boring, Grandma.”
Oh. it wasn’t. It taught us all how to live in the moment and enjoy simple pleasures again.
“Did he make DogeCoin from this?”
No, darling. If you can imagine, he did this because it was fun. Plus, we still used national fiat currencies back then.
::GASP::
I knew plenty of “creators” that hawked for “tips” online. They’d pin their Cash apps and Venmos to their bios of various platforms. They had Only Fans and Patreons and scorned the idea of working for MegaCorps.
“Were AIs running MegaCorps back then?”
No, no, child. Humans actually ran governments and companies.
“How inefficient!”
Anyways, there was something absolutely magical about the vibe in Elew’s kitchen. His musical prowess extended beyond my own comprehension. Watching him shift from Brahms to Coltrane and hit some atomic age jingles in the middle gives all the feels a musician can imagine. His sweet steady smile told me it all was right in the immediate world, and that’s what we needed.
“It’s so weird to think of humans playing music for a career.”
I know it’s hard to imagine, but you should listen to some human music, kids. Elew’s musical phrases linger and shift with incredible skill and precision. Maybe not with the perfection of an AI, but it was awesome.
“AI’s can be configured to make mistakes, Grandma, so what’s the big deal? Why are artists to into imperfection now? It’s weird.”
There was something in Elew’s consciousness that made it special. You almost couldn’t tell when his brain found a new vibe to riff on. His music seemed to diffuse from his mood, which was upbeat and light most days. Even on that day when his neighbors almost ruined his jam session, we laughed and quoted The Godfather. You couldn’t rain on his parade, but the subtle struggle of trying to overcome adversity was the most beautiful part of the QKS Jazz Cartel. That little kitchen was filled with people from all over the world, looking to fill a void in their own hearts. It kept us going. That’s not something an AI can do.
Maybe I’m full of shit, but I know one thing: I’m going to be a cool grandma.
So, if you kids of the future are trying to reconstruct the QKS Secret Society Vibe, I’ll give you a head start. I was a little concerned that this essay would spoil such a beautiful little oasis, but I have faith that the magic of this place is in us. Either way, it’s my solemn duty as a deputy of the Society to spread good vibes into the universe.
As a woman of science, I suspect like most things, there is a rough formula for concocting such a scheme.
What are the components that make QKS Secret Jazz Society so special?
A welcoming face. I know you can’t tell women to smile anymore, but a shitty facial expression won’t cut it.
Engagement. Stop acting like you’re so cool that you don’t need to acknowledge other humans. You never know who is going to make your day special. I’m talking to you Twitter Blue Checks and everyone on Clubhouse.
Inclusivity. Speaking of Clubhouse, my friends know my feelings on this. Using exclusivity as bait works to drive interest, but not to drive a vibe. People want to feel part of something, so include them.
Interaction. You don’t have to engage with Blue Checks to have a meaningful interaction. In fact, interacting with regular people is usually better. There’s so much beauty in regular old human interaction, especially with strangers (Thanks for the tip, Emerson).
Connection. It’s not just interaction. It comes through a delicious combination of emotion and cognition. Watch social cues, and listen to the
Music. If you don’t know much about music, start playing. Music draws a connection between mathematical, linear thinking and the expanse of nebulous emotive thinking. Music is fucking amazing for human consciousness. I don’t know what life would be like without it, but I wouldn’t want to live it.
“Without music, life would be a mistake.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols
To join the QKS Good Vibes Cartel head over to @elewrockjazz on Instagram around 3PM PST. His Venmo is the same address.