In the 11 years I spent writing about music for this paper, the perks were plentiful. I was ubiquitously guestlisted, forever loaded up with free records, and paid to pepper questions upon people I admired. Back then, strangers would come up to me, introduce themselves, then eventually present me with their latest music. I liked that.
And it still happens, but now people approach me in public and give me weed – which I must admit is preferable over unmastered mixes of a new project they’re working on.
I will really miss that free weed. I’m giving up writing the Austin Chronic at the end of September…