Mentioning how R.E.M. headlined Langerado a few months ago got me thinking about festivals. First of all I would have loved to have been there to see them (of course), but I have tickets to catch them here in June. Naturally, I am really looking forward to it. Modest Mouse is opening, which makes it even better. Anyway, about those festivals…

First of all, I love live music, and I go to as many concerts as I can. This hobby does depend on available money and time, however, so it is impossible to catch everything I want to. A good solution to this problem is to attend festivals. Festivals are not only relatively cheap compared to purchasing a single ticket for a band, but also a chance to more than one of your favorite bands. Depending on how many stages are at the festival, one could feasible catch back to back concerts for a full day or more. With fewer stages, wait time between shows could be an hour tops. In all, the set up is not too bad.

For five years in a row I went to Music Midtown Festival in downtown Atlanta. This was from freshman year of high school in 2001 to Freshman year in college in 2005. The only reason I stopped going was because the festival was no more. Throughout all the years I was able to catch some great shows: Tom Petty, Foo Fighters, Counting Crows, Steve Winwood, Crosby Stills and Nash, Joe Cocker, Buddy Guy, War, Jethro Tull, Cheap Trick, Blue Oyster Cult, Bush (when I listened to that…), Stone Temple Pilots, The Offspring, The Edgar Winter Group, etc.. For a three day pass to the festival tickets were generally between $45 and $75. For my Petty tickets this summer, I spent $55. Not too bad of a price, but my point is the whole Music Midtown weekend was about the same price. That’s pretty cool.

After Midtown ended, I decided to try another festival: Bonnaroo. Unlike Midtown, Bonnaroo is a camping festival (as I sure everyone knows) and that made things a bit different. But I liked the camping part. Although my friends and I had a bit of a walk, everything went pretty well. We had our own place to go back to, we could pack or own food, etc. and we got the chance to meet new people who were close by in our camp site. Like Midtown tickets were relatively inexpensive at about $180. They were more than Midtown, but the level of bands was much higher, and there more of them. In the years I went (2006, 2007), I got to see The Police, Radiohead, Beck, Tom Petty, John Paul Jones, The Roots, Bob Weir, Ben Folds, Ben Harper, moe., Oysterhead, Mike Doughty, etc. Among them were some of my favorite shows (Ben Folds was my favorite of the two years combined) and I had some pretty good times.

There are some cons to the whole festival atmosphere though. First, it’s hot all the time. Much of the space at Midtown and Bonnaroo is in the blistering sun. At Bonnaroo, the campround had no shade. No shade means that there is no more sleeping in your tent past about 7:00 AM because it is literally like 100 degrees in there. Music doesn’t start until after noon, so you have nothing to do until you that time. I mean you can’t sleep.

Also, as a musician I like to be as close as possible to watch the band. That is also just part of human nature, too. Either way, to get up front means that you have to get their early and wait through several of the bands before that band. As people leave, you can slowly make your way up to the front. This also becomes a weighing thing too, becuase if you do wait long periods to watch a band, you may end up missing other good bands on other stages. At Midtown I once waited six hours in the same spot, on my feet to watch the Foo Fighters. At Bonnaroo, I waited under the same conditions for Tom Petty. This was not uncommon at either festival. Also, crowds are so tight up towards the front are always so crowded and hot. It was once so compact at Midtown that I was able to take the weight totally off my feet and still stand. Of course, wanting to stand up close is totally voluntary and that is just the price one pays to be so close. Some call it dedication, some call it stupidity. Whatever it is, the crowd thing is not the festivals fault but just a whole bunch of people wanting to get really close.

While festivals are good, there are some other things that I don’t like about them. First, I have always enjoyed the feeling of an intimate venue. I often purposefully avoid large arena concerts because I love smaller venues so much. Shows with one band also have the benefit of having a like minded crowd. All the people are there to see the same band. There is probably much more in common in a crowd at a single show than in a festival, and that is part of what makes that experience so cool. The venues are also alot cleaner and the shows are less work to attend. At a small, closed venue you can walk in, sit down and watch the show. At a festival you have to plan for a whole day or weekend. You also don’t walk away dirty, which is always nice. Also, the most important, and possibly underrated things about a venue show is that they are mostly at night. To me, concerts only feel right at night for some reason. Perhaps becuase that is just the nature of Rock and Roll.

These days, there are not too many festivals that I would want to go to. Although I love the music, I find more pros in attending small venue shows. I may go to Echo Project this year though. That one is in October, its camping on the Chattahoochee, and its just 40 minutes or so from my house. Definitely worth a try.

Let me know what you think about festivals!

Man! It has been a little while since my last post. The semester has kind of taken over. Anyway….

As you may have noticed, my last post was about my concert meter (kind of lame, I know. What can I say, I’m a lame guy…). To explain, there are certain things that make a concert memorable for me, and those things have formed a kind of personal checklist to rate my concert experience. Spontaneity, crowd interaction, the band playing in the moment, and seeing them “change things up” are all parts of this checklist. These are certainly not the only things that make a good concert, and we all have our personal test, but I guess you get the picture. (Feel free to check out my previous blog to get some more detail about all of my different areas.) After writing last month’s blog, I got the chance a few nights ago to test my concert meter at Smith’s Olde Bar. The show was from a band called RAQ that I had seen years before as an opening act. I had heard them a few times since that time, had wanted to see them again for a while, but never got the chance until then. Almost totally forgetting what they sounded like, I thought that this would be a good chance to try to rate the show, and even do a kind of concert review.

Briefly, RAQ can be defined as a “jam band” in that much of their music is devoted to extended, improved segments of songs. Unlike many other jam bands, though, they are heavily rock oriented and have a tremendous talent for tightly composed song structures. They are actually quite progressive if nothing else. They are influenced by bands such as Phish, moe., and the Grateful Dead, but also bands like Zappa, Dream Theater, and Billy Cobham. All of these play a role in the sound of the of the band, and all could be heard that night. As usual with a band like this, the instrumental interplay shined throughout the night.

From the start, the band was on fire. They ripped through the first song and didn’t stop for until their set was over 2 plus hours later, high energy the whole night. Again, it had been a while, so I had no idea what to expect from their show. I also own none of their music, and really had heard only a few clips of their songs to remind me what they sounded like. Walking into the show “cold” was a rather interesting experience, as most of the time I know exactly what to expect. I must say, though, that I was impressed with the show.

The show opener was a high energy rendition of a Zappa tune called “I am the Slime.” To put it simply, the song was really well done. (I have to admit, that I have recently begun the arduous task of getting into Zappa. I am still unfamiliar with much of his material, although I am pretty knowledgeable on his general style. Anyway, this was not one that I recognized, and it was not until checking online that I discovered it was a Zappa Song. Oh well….) It was obvious throughout the night that they were heavily inspired by Zappa, so it comes to no surprise that they opened with a cover of his. The rest of the night carried this same energy and much of this same Zappa type sound. As the band sped through the rest of their set, the played another 15 songs. Towards the middle of the set the band did another two covers: one was another Zappa song, while the other was a ZZ Top song. Now, I know what you’re thinking: a little too much Zappa, right? Well, I can see as how you might say that, but I assure you, it was not too much Zappa, as the band really embellished that Zappa sound to make it their own. As a ZZ Top fan, “I’m bad, I’m nationwide” was a nice touch. The mid-set covers were great, but it was really the band’s own material that seem to captivate me the most.

The only song that I remember hearing at their show the last time was “Welcome to the Donkey Show.” With such an odd title and lyrics, how could I forget? The song was full of energy, just as I had remembered it, and after hoping to hear it again, it was a nice addition to the set. The rest of the songs had a similar sound and while the band extended 15 songs to a substantial length, the show seemed to fly by. The night was filled with moments of funky grooves, low pulsing techno like moments, dance-worthy melodies, and overall excellent musicianship from all four members. While the songs did sound similar at times, there was still a good amount of variety to the show. The final song of the set was an obvious fan favorite entitled “Brother From Another Mother” which carried on RAQ’s trademark funky, rock sound. For the encore, (which no touring band can go without) the band played a lighthearted bluegrass groove called “Coming Home.” Overall, the show was one of the better that I have seen, and seemed to rate highly on the coveted concert meter.

As with any good jam band, spontaneity is always its highest. RAQ was no exception. Throughout the night, they always seemed to be on their feet and in the moment. I never knew what to expect from song to song, and within the songs themselves. Each part felt fresh and new, and many probably were. I never got the feeling that the band was simply going through the motions (and being a musician, I can usually tell these types of things pretty quickly). There was also alot of interaction between the band members, and they looked like they were having fun. I also know that with RAQ, setlists are different every night. Songs within those setlists are also different every night. Simply put, RAQ got a strong rating on the concert meter. The show was filled with what I consider strong qualities. I will not only go to see them again, but will hold my meter to a new standard.

I give this show a 7.5/10. Pretty solid. Go see this band, you won’t be disappointed!

This question is one that I have been thinking over for quite some time. And after much deliberation, I do have some theories….

While some of us practically spend our lives at concerts, most probably only catch a concert on occasion. However often the attendance though, there is still something about a live performance that draws even the casual listener in. Perhaps it is the almost surreal experience of seeing your favorite band live, seeing those songs come to life on stage, seeing that music you have heard only on head phones take shape. You could go to “study” the music and watch the musicians themselves. It could also be the social aspect of a concert that draws you in. Concerts are something to do on a Saturday night, and are always a good choice for you and some friends. In addition to your friends, even, you could also seek to meet other like minded people at concerts. Chances are, if you like a certain kind of music and they like a certain kind of music, then you could be a fair bit alike. There are many reasons that bring us to a show. Music itself is certainly universal, and in a way, concert going is as well.

Often times we may never forget those moments spent in front of a good live band –I know that there are many that I will never forget. The question that I have been grappling with is just what is it that make those concerts so great? What makes certain concerts better than others. Seems simple enough right? You just know what is good and whats not. Well I thought so too, until I really started to think about it. What is it exactly that draws us in and keeps us there?

After much deliberation, this is what I have come up with. In a way, it kind of serves like a “concert meter.”

The essentials are:

1. The Unexpected. To me, one of the most important factors of a concert is that you don’t know what is coming next. The set list should be a good mixture of the new and the old material, the popular and the not so popular. Although I know that many people come to a concert to hear the hits, I believe that a concert can, and should mix things up a little. How interesting is it really if an artist just sticks to just their string of hits? I think that any song, from any album should be fair game. Perhaps a B side or a deep cut, or maybe even a cover could make things interesting. Examples: I have seen Tom Petty 3 times now. Now I am a big Petty fan, but I have to say that almost every time I have seen him, he has played almost the same set list, in nearly the exact same order. “Free Fallin’” has always third or forth, “American Girl” has always been the encore, and most of his staples seemed to fall in relatively the same order. A couple songs changed up here and there, but for the most part, the first time I saw Tom Petty could have been the last time I saw Tom Petty. Every night was really a night of the hits, with only a few songs that differed. An example for comparison is the band moe. I have seen moe. 5 times and each time has been a completely different experience. There have only been a few songs that have been repeated between all of those shows, any song serves as an encore, the shows are always a mixture of the new and old material, and the set list seems planned moments before taking the stage as opposed to planning one for an entire tour (or worse yet, a career).

2. The varied. Initially, this may sound similar to “the unexpected” but I am thinking of something a little different. What I mean here is varying the songs themselves. I certainly think that there is talent in being able to replicate a song exactly how it sounds on record. Some people appreciate that, and I can see why. For me though, this is not all its cracked up to be. After all, I already have the album, do I really want to hear the tracks played back verbatim? I could spend alot less time and money at home listening to the same thing. There is always something that can be done to change things up a bit. Perhaps a different solo or maybe a new arrangement could change it up. Maybe a new, unexpected intro to the song, or even extending parts of the song works for some bands. Anything to change things up. Example: I saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers play a few years ago on their By the Way tour and they did an excellent job of varying things up. John Frusiante’s solos differed from the ones on the original recordings and seemed more improved and on the spot, songs like “Can’t Stop” had extended intros that created anticipation of the song itself, and the band seemed in the moment at all times, as if they could change things up at any moment. They were never going through the motions, and their level of energy and willingness to experimentat showed it. A perfect counter to this was when I saw the strokes a little while ago. I like the Stokes, and I like their music. This show, however, was nothing to write home about (although, I guess I kind of am). Their songs were played straightforward with little deviation, there was really nothing “unexpected” about their show, and through it all, they seemed to be going through the motions. A band certainly does not have to change up their songs for them to seem “in the moment.” There were several things that turned me off from the Strokes that night, and that is just one of them.

Note: I did see the Strokes a couple years before and the show was much better, and rather enjoyable.

3. Connection to the audience. The connection to the audience can make or break a show quicker than anything else on this list, and is in many ways it is the most important thing here. There is really no getting around it, to be a successful band or musician, there must be a strong connection between them and the crowd. First, it is easy to spot an act going though the motions. You can hear it the music and see it in the band itself. For music to truly resonate with an audience, it first must resonate with the musician. Music must be inspired and from the heart to mean anything. It must have feeling and soul behind it to elicit a response. Second, some kind of verbal interaction with the crowd can go a long way. After all, the audience is why the band is there. This could be just a quick “How is everybody doing?” or casual conversation, or interaction on the level of encouraging the crowd to sing along with certain parts of the song (obviously without overdoing it). Example: At Bonnaroo ‘06, I caught Ben Folds. Ben Folds accomplished the “connection to the audience” requirement better than anyone I have seen, which made for one of the best shows that I have attended. There was energy behind every note of every song, he and his band were consistently in the moment, and the music was clearly made for the audience. Not only did Folds encourage the audience to sing along, he divided the entire audience into thirds and organized a complex three part harmony. Reminiscent of the Who, at the end of the show, Folds picked up his stool and repeatedly smashed it on the keys of his baby grand to sounds of clanking keys and screaming fans. It was one of the most energetic shows I have seen, and one where everyone was captivated.

4. Being in the moment. To reiterate briefly, being in the moment is essential. Going through the motions is simply not going to cut it live. This is the most important thing that any band can do. It is also the easiest to explain. Any good show must have this before anything else.

Basically, a good show is built on spontaneity, energy, and chance. If the band is in the moment, then chances are the crowd is too. Seek out those bands that are living to perform, not simply performing to make a living. To hold a crowd all evening takes talent, having them remember that night, every night, is a gift.

Oh, and next time you see Tom Petty, yell for “Wildflowers” or “Square One” before “Refugee.” (That is, if you are one of those who yells out songs. Not that there is anything wrong with that…) Anyway, you never know, he may want to play it as much as you want to hear it.