What's Going On? How Music & Food Can Save Us

I have to admit, the past 2 months has been rough. I’ve discovered two things: first, a toothache can bring even the most independent among us to our knees. Second, watching the American election unfold can be just as excruciating—except ibuprofen doesn’t take the edge off.

Lately, I’ve heard far too many people say, “All politicians are corrupt.” But let’s be clear—what we’re witnessing right now isn’t just politics as usual. When the richest man in the world—who, mind you, no one elected—can fire thousands and thousands of workers without cause and threaten civil servants with weekly loyalty tests, we’re not in normal territory. We’re in full-blown dystopian world like, Fifth Element, where Zorg fires one million people on a whim.

Resistance is Not Futile

If you’ve ever watched Star Trek: The Next Generation, you know the Borg’s chilling catchphrase: “Resistance is futile.” Well, I say resistance is necessary.

Ben Shahn says, “Without the person of outspoken opinion, however, without the critic, without the visionary, without the nonconformist, any society of whatever degree of perfection must fall into decay.”

Artists have always played a crucial role in shaking society awake. Artist are not here to entertain the world—they document it, challenge it, and reimagine it for the better. Artists are the historians who capture what really happened, not just who won. Artists are the truth-tellers who remind people of what they’d rather forget. Artists are the dreamers who ask challenge the status quo. Artists are the rebels who refuse to obey when obedience means surrendering our humanity. I embrace my inner artist to resist what’s happening, and I hope these songs inspire you to take action too.

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

In They Live, Roddy Piper’s character discovers sunglasses that expose the hidden commands: “Obey” and “Consume.” Likewise, we must unmask the subliminal messages shaping our reality. Hell, 77 million people either refused to believe the truth—or worse, embrace a demagogue that wants to destroy our Democratic Republic.

Denial is dangerous. Apathy is compliance. As Philip Slater warned, “Every apathetic individual is a brick in a tyrant’s throne.” Now more than ever, we must stay engaged, stay informed, and—yes—stay loud.

This fourth release from From Playlist to Plate: The Art of Pairing Music with Food is more than a collection of recipes and songs—it’s a call to stay awake, to resist, and to nourish both body and soul. Because right now, we need both food and music to keep us strong.

Food has always been a force of resistance, a protest against injustice, and a symbol of survival. Historian E.P. Thompson called it part of the “moral economy” of protest. From the bread riots of 1766 England, where people fought against the rising price of wheat, to the global food protests of 2007 and 2008, where millions rallied against economic oppression, food has been at the heart of rebellion.

It has also been a feminist act—just look at the 1863 bread riots in Richmond, Virginia, where hungry mothers took to the streets, demanding “bread or blood!”

And food is identity. In the 2007 tortilla protests, Mexican demonstrators declared, “Sin maíz, no hay país”—without corn, there is no country.

This collection is about more than what’s on your plate. It’s about what fuels you—your spirit, your fight, your connection to something bigger. So turn up the volume, grab a seat at the table, and let’s feast with fire in our bellies.

Stay aware. Stay defiant. Act from a place of love and protection for those being oppressed.

Listen [Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube] and let me know what you think—I put a lot of time into these playlist and I want them to touch you like they’ve touched me.

If you enjoyed this content, help me grow my email list from 15 to 500 before the book launch by sharing this email with a friend. Together, let’s make From Playlist to Plate a celebration of music, food, and the experiences that bring us together.

Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash