Re: the comment on last night’s post. When I invent my time machine (and trust me once my shipment of dilithium crystals come in I will be able to commence active testing) I would like whoever wrote that comment to find said time machine, travel to the University of Illinois campus circa 1993 or 94, make their way to Everitt Lab and find the tall, skinny kid with glasses. Wait, I’ll need to be more specific. Find the tall, skinny kid with glasses, a blue backpack and a Duke baseball cap. Once you locate him, please repeat word for word what was written in the comment. It might have made the years spent in the lab much more bearable if I knew someone considered it exciting.
Seriously, the only time anyone ever referred to anything I did as “hot” is when I set a circuit board on fire. We almost had to break out the fire extinguishers.
Wednesday Night Music Club: So I just got back from seeing Kathleen Edwards in concert That’s part of the reason why I posted the video but mainly I think Kathleen is so incredible that I can’t believe that everyone doesn’t know who she is at the moment. She is such a talented singer and songwriter that it makes you wish that this is what you would hear on pop radio as opposed to whatever American Idol wannabe now runs the charts.
The show was at Knuckleheads and I really need to go on a rant about this club. First off, the place is the musical equivalent of Brigadoon in that it is impossible to find and might not actually exist. The official website directions actually has you going more than a mile out of your way to find the place and you have to follow some very small signs to figure out how to navigate the neighborhood. If you miss a turn you are just plain out of luck. It is a roadhouse in the industrial part of town with train tracks running literally behind the club. If you can find it the place is awesome.
However, with the roadhouse design comes one very small flaw. Their stage is maybe a foot off the ground and in front of the stage there is this small open area, then some pillars and a low wall and then this big room with tables where everyone sits down to watch the show. This setup causes nightmares for me and has resulted in my being yelled at the last two times I’ve seen a band there.
See, I consider it a sin to sit down at a concert. Unless I am given a ticket with a specific seat number or the show is this mellow, acoustic thing where it is best meant to be experienced in quiet contemplation I want to be standing and bouncing around. Not only does that make me feel better but it makes the band feel better. You know you are reaching people when they are moving about. I’ll almost always stand (I make exceptions at times if I’d be the only person standing) and I feel that is the way people in every other venue on the planet would behave.
But here this is an issue. I started off fine. I found a pillar to stand in front of and figured that no one could yell at me for blocking their view because the damn pillar was still going to be there. But, some guy with a camera (and I’ll rant about people watching concerts through the viewscreen of a digital camera some other time) knocked me off of my perch so I stood to the side for about half a song. After which I was yelled at for blocking the view of the people behind me. Luckily, camera dude gave up his seat to knock me out of the way so I just stole his seat back. Still, I felt like a complete doufus sitting while Kathleen was rocking out but I did get to see several other people chastised for standing.
I stand for the encore and once again was told by the people behind me to sit down. Given that it was the encore I decided that I earned the right to be pissy and say “Or you could stand up”. That didn’t win me any favors with them. I’m sorry but we were in the midst of a great set by an amazing performer. Get off your ass and stand and dance and enjoy life. The Iguanas are playing there next week and I don’t know if I’ll go because I don’t want to have to deal with people giving me crap for a band whose entire mission in life is to make people happy by getting them to celebrate. You don’t sit during an Iguanas show. You just don’t.
So I’m asking for two things. First off, go out and buy a Kathleen Edwards CD. I’ve played a few of her songs here as part of the music club and I guarantee you that this will be one of your best music purchases in ages. Second, next time you go to a show stand as close to the stage as possible. If you want to just sit there and watch rent a freaking DVD and stay on your couch. The rest of us want to live in the moment we find ourselves in.
No comments:
Post a Comment