Nnedi Agbaroji (Trouble in the Streets) and Serena Nguyen with Ichigo (cat) and Kimble (possum) Credit: Photos by David Brendan Hall
Nnedi Agbaroji (Trouble in the Streets) and Serena Nguyen with Ichigo (cat) and Kimble (possum) Credit: Photos by David Brendan Hall
For the entirety of stay-at-home – nearly two full months now – I’ve lived alone with my dog, Fleck.
Sure, I’ve interacted with a few humans from a distance throughout, but my pup’s constant companionship sustains my spirits daily during all the uncertainty. Never has a pet’s unconditional love felt more important than in this moment of near-total isolation. Scrolling through social feeds makes it obvious many fellow musicians feel similarly.
In fact, without constant shows accounting for most of their time, many local music makers have adopted or fostered animals for the first time. Eager to reconnect on any level with my community, I documented these crucial relationships with humankind’s other best friends: dogs, cats, birds, fish, the rare rabbit, or even a possum.
Among more than 100 participants, one sentiment proved unanimous: At a time when questions about the music industry’s fate far outnumber the answers, the bonds with their pets – even imagined animals, in a few cases – provide a sense of stability, a foundation for the will to push forward.
Leslie Sisson (Moving Panoramas) with Bobo, Hazy, and Nutmeg
(l-r) Dan Duszynski (Loma), Anastasia Wright (Hong Kong Wigs), Andy Grant, and Jonathan Meiburg (Shearwater/Loma) with Bobo, Noodle (cat), and Ghost
Joe, Ethan, and Emma Boley (the Boleys) with Cheech (dog) and cows
Ismael Quintanilla III (the Guacamole Police) with Wuera
Kady Rain with Poca (cat) and Lila (dog)
Sara Hickman with Twig
Sara Houser (Löwin) and Taylor Wilkins (Otis the Destroyer) with Freya and Otis
Eric Braden (Big Bill) with Little Kitty and Big Kitty
Caleb De Casper with Bethesda
Kyle Dixon (Survive) with Havi
Adrian Quesada (Black Pumas) and Celeste Quesada with Ana Empanada (dog) and Fluffy (cat)
A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.
