Wednesday, July 22, 2009

The Livest Ones



People continue to put out records that sound great in the living room, the car and the headphones. Seriously, it's quality music from reputable artists. But then something happens- the live show. Attending live shows is an increasingly risky enterprise for a couple of reasons:

1) They're expensive (relatively speaking)
2) They require a lot of time (travel time, ticket line time, waiting time)
3) They require a lot of faith ("I really hope this cat group/band/act doesn't have an off night on my dime.")
4) Most are extremely uncomfortable to sit through (i.e. long periods of standing in crowded, cramped spots)

With all this on the table, why even bother going? It's simple. We hope to see our favorite group deliver that same explosion that came through on wax x 2. We want to see what can't be captured digitally- the crowd going nuts, the energy, the lights, the mood, the power that only a live experience can deliver. So, when our expectations aren't met, the disappointment goes waaaaay beyond what we would have endured with a wack CD. The whole damn night is shot. We're broke, tired, pissed and our faith in the artist dies just a little more.

Artists can't seem to figure this out. Standing in front of a mic isn't enough. Long drawn out speeches and unrehearsed rants aren't going to get it. Your song selection and sequence is important. How many artists do you think truly put a strong effort into their shows? I mean, really. How much rehearsing and planning do you think goes into them? Especially, hip hop acts. Please don't overestimate the entertainment value of you standing in one place and spitting monotone, mumbled verses Mr. Emcee. Where's the showmanship? Where's the ENTERTAINMENT!!!!!??? I'm through wasting my dough and energy. Until you all get it together, you're on time-out.

-Kendal

Peep some heads that knew how to get it started. God bless 'em.

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