IL: There is something intrinsically boring about watching people play music. Have you ever been to the symphony? What are you looking at? There’s nothing to see. That’s why a guy like Mozart used to put on a performance. Jump around, act the fool. He realized to keep his audience he had to entertainer. Yes, Mozart had to entertain. But Clapton, not to mention Phish, thinks he can get away with noodling for three hours.
HB: Dude are you freaking Devils advocating me? Symphonies kick ass it’s called mental imaging!! I used to go Tanglewood in Lennox MA every summer with my hippy trip mom and remember clearly the Boston Symphony’s summer series. I would lie there amongst the picnickers saying listen! That’s sounds like running foxes as the music swelled. Fast forward to now, and there is nothing more contenting than a symphony seated next to the man you love. I do believe that’s why men’s suits have shoulder pads. So a girl can rest her head on their shoulder at the symphony and close her eyes making mental movies while inhaling the perfumes of the haughty old hags around her. It’s a comforting gloriously sensual experience. As for Clapton and Phish, well I suppose there fans need to suck down chemicals to get a groove on. The environment does not allow the mind to wander. It’s too busy too ego charged, to uninspiring.
IL: If you want to mental image go to sleep, if you wanna be entertained watch somebody do something. The problem with rock is its self-seriousness. The problem with rock stars (as opposed to, say, country stars), is so many of there unwillingness to make an ass of themselves. To, like the Plasmatics, blow up a cadillac on stage.
HB: You never colored as a child did you? Imagination is art. Inspiring art is a gift. I think you share the same opinion as some youth of the day. I cant come up with my own visuals so you show me what Im supposed to see. MTV anyone? On the contrary I think Rock stars try TOO hard. Skip the flash and unglue the hamster from your face.. lets see what ya got stripped down. Remember MTV Unplugged? Where is it now?
IL: On Palladia. You mistake flash for style. We are consumers and we are paying money for what is essentially a way to kill our leisure time. And rock is too po-faced to get it done.
HB: Diversify young man. Theres a time and place for everything. All comes down to entertainment. Either the full spectrum ‘big show’ or the inspiration to create your own entertainment. Both have purpose. And I don’t want to kill my leisure time I want to prolong it. I want to create memories like Brian did (which totally chokes me up like you would not believe), I want to take something with me to the water cooler Monday morning, I want to be at a stop light and recall a memory, a feeling provoked or a situation experienced. Leisure time is precious. If I want to waste it Id spend it asleep or drunk.
IL: I don’t agree. At least not the way you are putting it. Perhaps all you want is deep emotions but in the end concert going is ESSENTIALLY AND AT LEAST so our clowns can do trick for us. That is the bare minimum we can expect. If Mozart and Armstrong go so far out of their way to provide a rush of pleasure why shoudl, i dunno, the Strokes be any different. Uou can believe Paul Simonon (or Pete Townsend to be credit, etc.) are bashing in their guitars as an act of samanism or catharcism, i see it as an act of entertainment. It is a prerequisit for popular music.
HB: and I am saying that with talent that’s not necessary. Give me the proper sound/atmosphere then I’m fine on my own. Music runs a bit deeper with me, maybe it’s a Mars vs Venus thing but yeah it does. Not at all times, there are times that musicians are there to entertain me. I think our definition of entertainment is not the same. I prefer to participate at least mentally, you prefer to passively observe.
IL: It really depends on how you define entertainment as well. I have thought a lot about what xconsitutes good acts and it has always seemed to me that there is no such thing as good acts. Even Mother Theresa was good because she felt good when she acted good. So it goes with entertainment: what drags me, a buncha people playing, like Phish, like the New York Philharmonic might float somebody elses boat. The sight of men with tattoos emoting is a straight drag for me. But I can watch MJ (or Fred Astaire for that matter) dancing forever.
HB:I think to myself what are the best concerts I have seen and just off the top of my head I can come up with The Clash, The Ramones and David Bowie. Aside from Bowie, not much showmanship there. But they are the most memorable. I saw Fall Out Boy on the Honda Civic Tour a few years ago. I was charmed by their presence as they ran about, I remember the cannons of confetti at the end, but I cant replay one song they did in my head. No nuance that set it apart. It may also come to observation. Veins popping from Joes neck as he screams a lyric or Bowies graceful hand gesture can be just as entertaining as a sleigh ride from the ceiling.
IL: The Clash were every bit the showmen and, obviously so was Bowie. The Ramones are an exception that proves the rule. And the main reason the Stones were a better live band than the Beatles was because Mick Jagger was a better front man than Lennon. However, come the 17th we will have seen Lady Gaga and can revisit?
HB: Entertainment is in the eye of the entertained. Bring on the 17th, if we don’t duke it out at the show, we can discuss it again here or at least post the obituary.