Remember that old VH1 show? Its aim was to catch us up on the activities of music stars of yore. I felt like I was in an episode last night.
Wisconsin has an incredibly large number of opportunities for live music, not least of which are the county and state fairs. At the county fair last night I got to see both Soul Asylum (remember Runaway Train?) and Everclear. Despite the mosquitos and hint of goat in the air it was a great time. Mostly it was fun because Jodi is an Everclear fan and she danced oh-so-cutely while they were on.
Neither band's performance really wowed me. Soul Asylum's music has always been a little tame for my taste, and Everclear's songs all sound alike (literally, when they started playing their encore I asked "Haven't they already played this one?"). However, what really struck me was the enthusiasm and sincerity that both bands displayed. Neither of them seemed to be overly depressed at having to play the Waukesha County Fair, despite not being able to pronounce "Waukesha" and making, by my estimation, barely enough to cover the busses and booze for the show. It was fun seeing a couple of once-big-time bands still enjoying what they do and making ends meet the best way they can.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Summerfest Report
One of the nice things about being in Wisconsin is Summerfest. I finally had a chance to get down there and it was a blast. Many thanks to Chris and Dan for organizing things and getting tickets for us.
Ironically, Matisyahu (the artist we went to see) doesn't really fit well with the usual musicofsound fare. There was very little electronic influence, no processing, nothing really innovative sonically at all. In fact, his music is very much a message of peace and understanding, perhaps more pertinent to a musicofmeaning blog. That being said, it was nonetheless the best time I've had in the city since moving here. Matisyahu was energetic, entertaining, and very talented. He sang, rapped, beat-boxed, and danced...all while wearing his orthodox jewish attire (complete with hat and shawl). I was keenly aware of the positive message of his songs (even though in many songs I could only understand half the words or fewer), and Chris mentioned to me how he feels uplifted when listening to his music. I'll definitely be purchasing some for my own listening. In fact, at my son's birthday party yesterday we used some of his free music online to play musical chairs with the kids.
Ironically, Matisyahu (the artist we went to see) doesn't really fit well with the usual musicofsound fare. There was very little electronic influence, no processing, nothing really innovative sonically at all. In fact, his music is very much a message of peace and understanding, perhaps more pertinent to a musicofmeaning blog. That being said, it was nonetheless the best time I've had in the city since moving here. Matisyahu was energetic, entertaining, and very talented. He sang, rapped, beat-boxed, and danced...all while wearing his orthodox jewish attire (complete with hat and shawl). I was keenly aware of the positive message of his songs (even though in many songs I could only understand half the words or fewer), and Chris mentioned to me how he feels uplifted when listening to his music. I'll definitely be purchasing some for my own listening. In fact, at my son's birthday party yesterday we used some of his free music online to play musical chairs with the kids.
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