As someone who grew up in the entertainment spectacle of the 80’s, endured the brooding alternative scene and ennui of the 90’s, and then dove into the new social media/influencer culture of our current day, I’ve started to have a strong distaste for a lack of authenticity. It’s not so much that authenticity hasn’t been important in the past, but as I’ve grown more into being comfortable with who I am, I’m conscious of my desire to see and hear people’s authentic self. Not just what they put forth for the camera.

This was never more evident than last night when I finally got to see musical artist Charlie Parr live. Charlie Parr is a very unique folks singer from Minnesota who has a blues-infused style that drips with storyteller motifs and foot stomping rhythms. He usually performs solo, or with just a percussionist, and has the ability to captivate a room full of people for an effortless 90 minute show.

But it’s not just his unique and engaging musical style that draws me in. It’s the genuineness of his character that you see expressed on stage and in media about him. His demeanor, mannerisms, and even unique attire, is completely honest to the person he appears to be. Given that he’s been in the scene for over two decades now, and hasn’t seemed to change much, speaks to a style of authentic-ness that really resonates down deep with me. Getting to finally see him live drove that idealism home as he shared stories and jokes about attending galas in a flannel shirt and giving the sound guy a ride home after the gig.

It’s not just in music though that I find a desire for authenticity. In my athletic and outdoor pursuits I also love seeing people express who they are when they show up for something like a trail race. My friend Scotty Kummer recently shared some thoughts about ultrarunner sensation Courtney Dauwalter and her level of authenticity in a sport that is quickly being overrun with corporations and media.

In his post there is a yearning for a type of down to earth realism that we often lose sight of in a world of influencer branding and the marketing-of-self that dominates our media landscape. He rightly asks the question, “Will there ever be [another Courtney]” in our sport? And if not, what have we lost by giving up the desire for something genuine and real in our community?

I spend a lot of time watching content on YouTube, and more often than not the channels I watch are ones where the people pass the sniff test of authenticity. A young guy building cabins by himself in northern Minnesota. Nomads living out of broken down old vans, not some custom vehicle that costs as much as a house. People sharing their mid-to-back of the pack athletic struggles, showing the pain and disappointment that all of us really go through when we don’t instagram-wash everything for our feeds.

So ya… authenticity. For me it really matters, and I wish we had more of it in the world.