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August 24, 2026 · 26:33 · 7 min

The fair bar story: music's unifying, steeping power

Ben tells his Iowa State Fair story: watching a bar full of Iowans belt early-2000s country bangers they know by heart, borrowing an identity for a moment -- 'you're not Toby Keith, dude.' He reflects on music's strange solidarity and steeping power: what you sing saturates you, so he is warier of bad theology in Christian tunes than in secular ones -- there is 'nary a mention of God in the erotic poetry of Song of Solomon,' yet a love song shared with your honey is fine.

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