I saw the Foo Fighters Friday night from, of all things, a corporate luxury box at the FedEx Forum. Terrific show, as huge rock extravaganzas go, 2+ hours of solid music, well-formatted and executed. But I have to say, my concert days are really past. The light show is annoying, all the screaming, the surging drunk crowd, I don't have the patience anymore. Can't complain about the music, though. And I don't mind the drunk dancing and singing along, they're at least all engaged in the music. But the young girls around me having shouted conversations while the music was happening was the kicker. My indignation had so little company that I eventually kept my dirty looks to myself and just tried to block it out. Live music is dead to me. If the venue is small and the band good, I'll take it in, but no more concerts. Were we that annoying when we were young? Maybe, but I can't ever remember being at a concert and being as disconnected from the music as many of those around me Friday night.
8 comments:
That is very sad, but I understand your feelings. I used to hate House of Blues shows when artists would try to do quieter songs only to be drowned out by chatter.
I saw Sebadoh there, a noisy band for sure, but on one of the quiter numbers Barlow actually said, "You fuckers are talking louder than we're playing". Good for him.
For Johnny Cash, folks were appropriately respectful and quiet when they needed to be. Same thing for a Costello and Nieve show. Elvis sang the last song off mic with unamplified piano accompiament and you could have heard a pin drop. I also saw him at a big outdoor venue here in NC last fall, and the excellent boot I received of the show reveals an unbelievable amount of quiet respect from the wine-swilling yuppie crowd.
The fact that people were asses during such an electric show as the Foo Fighters is ridiculous. But I do believe people are disengaged from music now; iTunes and illegal downloading have rendered it an accessory like a bracelet or new cell phone. I find that my students say that music is really really important to them, but only until they find their next 'jam'. No one is a fan of artists anymore.
But I say don't give up on the live music experience. I saw Neko Case last year in a relatively small venue, and her ability to hold the room was spellbinding. I'm sure Joe will back me up.
PS: I saw the Foos after the first album release in a hangar in New Orleans, with Spearhead as a support act, but haven't seen 'em since, even though I LOVE Dave Grohl.
I think you're right, Dave, that it's more than me getting older and crankier, the way the kids connect to their music has shifted. Those are wonderful moments you talk about, when a performer can hold the audience. Maybe being in the forum made people think of the show more like a sporting event.
I saw Duran Duran (shut up Joe) at the Orpheum a while back and the crowd was a lot of fun, very energetic and into the music.
At least you weren't complaining the music was too loud. You know, when I was in Austin seeing live music was a little more than a hobby, and I got to the point where I was perfectly happy going to shows alone because then I didn't have to worry about having to talk to someone during the shows. Sad, I know.
Not sure whether this is a related phenomenon or not, but one sad aspect of the mp3 revolution for me is that if folks are not buying and listening to entire albums, but instead purchasing songs a la carte, they are (a) much less likely to take the time to get to know and love some of the less immediately catchy tunes on an album (if they ever hear them in the first place), (b) less likely to give a few more listens to a record they initially didn't take to but later come to love, just because I-spent-$20-on-this-and-I'm-damn-well-going-to-try-to-like-it, and (c) possibly relevant to this thread, less likely to be familiar with a band's entire catalog, and be bored during the unpleasant interludes between the 5 songs with videos on youtube. If there is any truth to this last suggestion, it would explain the difference between younger and older crowds, not in terms of "respect" or anything like that, but simply in terms of the likelihood that the older crowd bought and listened to the band's albums in toto.
Of course, the more plausible explanation is that young people are scum.
Both of your theories seem plausible these days, Andy. This all reminds me of something I posted last April,
Jarvis Cocker's wondering if music still matters.
Very true on the album vs. song thing, especially back when skipping a song meant lifting a needle and trying to drop it right on the next track. I think about REM's Murmur, Bowie's Ziggy Stardust and Talking Heads Fear of Music, how different songs would grow on you at different times and you just ended up loving the whole thing.
The album mentality has carried over to the digital age for me. Even with the option of buying only what I currently like, I have to buy the entire album from iTunes.
Are any of you bastards a la carteing?
This will probably be lost, since this thread is now rather buried, but I do order a la carte on occasion. Recent examples, Delilah by Plain White T's, which I didn't think could possibly be representative of their CD, more of a tour de force, and Glen Hassard's Falling Slowly, since that's the track from the film I really loved. But generally, I do albums.
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