tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25163331.post7968487059972583436..comments2024-03-22T21:10:17.357-04:00Comments on What Is This Shit?: 6/18/08: R.E.M. For The PeopleSean Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02776860555668926535noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25163331.post-45706065932933026552008-06-21T20:48:00.000-04:002008-06-21T20:48:00.000-04:00Luke: About the White Stripes concert - yeah, I th...Luke: About the White Stripes concert - yeah, I think I jumped the gun saying they didn't put on a show. They kinda got lumped in to my negative sentiment and I didn't mean them to. I thought they were really cool live, but I think the briskness of the concert bugged me a bit (short sets are fine but something just didn't sit right with me). Either way it was an entertaining show, just short.<BR/><BR/>Adam: About the indie thing, I am in one way talking about the culture, but I am also talking about the music. I liked Modest Mouse, but I get bored quickly with a lot of modern rock bands. I don't <I>want</I> to, but I do. There's a lot of that angular post-punk dancey stuff out there, and that doesn't do it for me. Neither does arty, slow, let's-throw-a-balalaika-in-there kitchen-sink music that I keep hearing. Yeah, the culture is pretentious and should be considered separately from the music, but I feel as if that pretentiousness is seeping <I>into</I> the music. And that sucks.<BR/><BR/>Oh and yeah, "indie rock" is a bullshit misnomer, but that doesn't matter to me anymore. I could be all "labels don't matter, man, it's all about the music!" but the truth is that I when I hear so-called "indie rock" I know it. Lots of indie rock bands have a similar sound and attitude. Arcade Fire, to me, feel like an exception to the rule. <BR/><BR/>Eh, maybe this is something I'll pontificate on in a later blog post.<BR/><BR/>Oh, and on showmanship. Yes, Luke, I agree that music is probably the most important factor, but I also tend to consider concerts to be something of a visual medium as well as an aural one. I think I just love seeing a band making the audience feel good, and while music certainly does that, I just love people who can put on a good show (maybe being weaned on Who and Springsteen videos makes me a little biased here). So yes, while I agree that music is priority number one, seeing a compelling band just makes things all the better for me.Sean Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02776860555668926535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25163331.post-36687968867719888342008-06-21T16:37:00.000-04:002008-06-21T16:37:00.000-04:00I should stop commenting on facebook because when ...I should stop commenting on facebook because when all is said and done, this is what's gonna still be there.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, I'll say it again. Eddie Vedder looked like David Cross.<BR/><BR/>In addition to what Luke said, I don't know if you were just using hyperbole, but the White Stripes played for about 80 minutes total and did 4 encores, one of them being "Ball and Biscuit," which is a pretty damn long song. Still kinda short though, I will agree there.<BR/><BR/>You know I dig indie rock. I enjoy that Wolf Parade and Grizzly Bear and all those other hipster bands that ALL THE COOL KIDS WEARING AMERICAN APPAREL WITH TRENDY HAIRCUTS listen to. But we both know that hipster-ism and "indie"-ism is pure horseshit, especially since the definition of "indie" has been completely obscured over the last 30 years. So strip away the bullshit hype and chatter and what's left?<BR/><BR/>That's right, the music.<BR/><BR/>The important stuff. You said it yourself here; despite Isaac Brock's lack of movement onstage, you said that the band performed well and went through their songs with energy... now, did you enjoy what you heard? Well, if you did, then who cares about their "indie prowess"? I just think that you're letting the pretentious culture get in the way of the music itself. I know you really like The Arcade Fire - there's plenty of other great modern music out there, excellent pop songs and whatnot that you shouldn't exclude yourself from enjoying.<BR/><BR/>Then again, most of the modern music I like (Man Man, DeVotchKa) has lots of accordion and (bass) clarinet and other instruments that give me a boner when I hear them. So uh... that's where we differ I suppose.<BR/><BR/>You're dead on target discussing R.E.M. They were fantastic and Michael Stipe is thoroughly engaging and likable. I'll disagree with Luke on the idea that I don't have to be buddies with the band at concerts. While I don't NEED to hear musicians barter about politics and what a nice night it is, establishing a rapport with the audience always makes the audience feel good (as Stipe said at the end of the show, doling out credits, "Audience on audience!"), and audience interaction almost always enhances any performance. This is what made Frank Zappa and Minor Threat and so many other groups so fun and enjoyable, and it's the easiest way to make a performance thoroughly "live" and unique, as opposed to just hearing a replica of an album you've already heard 27 times.<BR/><BR/>I mean, after the show, I just really wanted to give Stipe a hug because he seemed like such an unbe-fucking-lievably nice guy.<BR/><BR/>And yes, once again I'll say that it was excellent seeing R.E.M. at this point in their career. May they continue to rock out.<BR/><BR/>That's my 85 cents. Go buy a truffle.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25163331.post-16841356139838067132008-06-21T11:07:00.000-04:002008-06-21T11:07:00.000-04:00First of all, it obviously sounds like you had an ...First of all, it obviously sounds like you had an awesome time at that show, which I'm kind of sorry I had to miss. But Philly's about five hours away, and I was working that night, so I couldn't really make it over there. (I'm seeing the Silver apples play tonight, though, so there!)<BR/><BR/>Anyway, apart from the awesomeness that was R.E.M., there's something I wanted to dispute with you, namely how you talked about the White Stripes as not putting on a show. Yes, you're right, they didn't do a lot of audience participation and said maybe two sentences when they weren't singing, but it was definitely a spectacle. What I really want when I go to a concert is to hear some good musicianship, maybe a few reworked songs, and some interesting choices in material, which is true of most shows I've been to in the last few years. I don't really need the lead singer going "how y'all doin' tonight?" because I'm at the show, and my night is pretty much dependent on how well he does. I'm there for the music, not to be buddies with the band for an hour and a half.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12737019498250179071noreply@blogger.com