Hello from Park City, Utah. We are doing our last day of a three day run here at the Egyptian Theatre which opened in 1916! It’s a fantastic little theater with a very kind staff. Park City is lucky to have them. We are a happy little unit, slightly ground down by our intense rehearsal schedule but tomorrow we have a much needed day off. There will be naps, sandwiched between other naps.
I took my daughter to her first concert when she was in 8th grade. Death Cab For Cutie at the Bowery Ballroom. When we left, she said "I feel so full of energy and I don't know what to do with it!" I think that's part of the feeling I'm hoping for when I go see a live show.
I’m part of the crew for a touring band, so live music is imperative to my life and livelihood. Whether I’m happy-crying at a huge amphitheater with the Cure, or sharing a tearful moment at the merch table with a fan of our band*, live music has the power to help us let our guard down once in a while. It’s a significant thing.
*This happened during our own 3-night stint at The Egyptian a couple years ago. Beautiful venue, lovely people!
I love live music so much, because no matter how good a job musicians do of recording their music, there is an extra something that comes from the artistic, emotional, and cognitive sharing of an experience in real time. For me I consider getting to listen to music a gift, and listening to a recording is like someone mailed me a gift, while hearing it live is like having someone present the gift to me - experiencing first hand and in collaboration the motivation, emotional energy, and intention that is what the material gift symbolizes. And I get to say a heartfelt thank you to them, instead of saying it in a text or phone call. I'm autistic, and have a hard time communicating with most people; music somehow eases that - it's am emotional translator of sorts. I hope that makes sense; it's the best I can do to try to explain it. My favorite musicians (and you, Neko, are at the top of that list) all write songs that don't shy away from digging into all the complexity and nuance of the whole range of emotional experience, and that connects me to the rest of humanity in a way that other art forms don't. These days, my disabilities make it almost impossible for me to navigate the crowds and unpredictable obstacles of most music venues, and I miss it so much! Fortunately, there's the occasional street musician to listen to live. If I wasn't an atheist, I'd say you musicians do God's work. 🙏🏼
I go to shows because I love music and want to support musicians. I know most touring musicians are not rich and may depend on tours and merchandise sales to survive. It is the least I can do in thanks for making art that plays a huge part in my life.
When I go to a concert I feel like it is an entire ecosystem of sights and sounds and emotions. I feel a sense of community being with others who enjoy the same music as me. There is also a unique dynamic compared to other art forms where the performers and the audience experience and interact with each other.
I love the feeling of community that comes from enjoying live music with others who are live music fans, and enjoying the great gifts that artists share with us through their art. Going to see Allison Russell tonight in an old church, incidentally. Have a great tour, Neko!
I go to live music in search of something transcendent, and I’ve been lucky enough to experience that a few times. Just off the top of my head I remember how Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Muse, and Jeff Beck took me to that place along with several Austin musicians. So did you. You played Liberty Lunch in Austin opening for someone (maybe Whiskeytown or The Old 97’s, but I can’t recall exactly) not too long after The Virginian came out. Before the show, I asked the person selling your merchandise if you ever performed “Duchess” and told her how much I loved that song. She said that she hadn’t heard you do it. During the show, you said that you were going to do a song that you didn’t usually perform because somebody out there wanted to hear it, and then you sang “Duchess.” I was blown away! That was at least 25 years ago and is one my favorite musical memories. I always wanted to say “Thanks a Lot” for that awesome display of coolness!
Why do I go to hear live music? What do I hope to leave with?
Connection. In a culture where we have so many people and seemingly so few ways to be together and share what I believe is a primal, wild, necessary experience. Music. It’s a hardwired connection. We have to care for it.
Live music is my time travel. So many connections to the past in so many tunes. The ones that don't live in a specific part of my life journey are like visiting carnivals of the future, places and moments I hope to run across in real life someday. Live music is also my ultimate in-the-moment travel -- the place where I love swaying to the music eyes closed but ears, heart, and mind wide open, sharing a beautiful moment in time with other beautiful people, allowing my soul to heal and regenerate all the love and peace I can muster.
Live music is my heart. I call it my therapy. When it's good it makes you feel all the feels. When it's great it's transcendent. It's entertainment for sure, but it's just so much more. Physically you can feel it all through your body. When the artist is in it, really connected to the material and the crowd, it's a communal shared experience that just makes you (i guess i mean me) feel more connected to humanity. It's magical when you get lost in the music.
I read this as “naps, sandwiches, and naps” and thought that sounded fantastic. I can get anxious in crowds, I’m only 5’2” so if it’s GA I can rarely see the stage, but STILL. Being in a room with other people who love my favorite artists feels like being home. These days I tend to only go for my favorites- I saw the new pornos at the 9:30 club on the twin cinema tour, snagged front row at Liz Phair last November, and had to talk myself down from spending $3k on Stevie Nicks. Definitely considered adjusting my trip to Lawrence KS to catch this tour! But listening to music anywhere else feels like a solo venture. The music goes directly from my AirPods to my ears, my record player or Alexa speakers fill up my tiny apartment, but that’s it. When I’m at a live show, I feel like I’m seeing all of the other people who wander around the city in a bubble of this music and it’s very much a feeling of “oh! This song affected you, too. It’s the soundtrack to your life, too.” To say nothing of how cool it is to see the people who pulled my favorite music out of thin air and remember that they’re also just out here connecting to people through these songs we all love.
i see live music to transcend the moment, and admire folks with musical talent. i have none, so it's something that can wow me. thanks for the laugh. who knew mic condoms were a thing? not me!
Nobody wants to see their equipment sent back home in the middle of a tour because it got pregnant! Stay safe!
I took my daughter to her first concert when she was in 8th grade. Death Cab For Cutie at the Bowery Ballroom. When we left, she said "I feel so full of energy and I don't know what to do with it!" I think that's part of the feeling I'm hoping for when I go see a live show.
I’m part of the crew for a touring band, so live music is imperative to my life and livelihood. Whether I’m happy-crying at a huge amphitheater with the Cure, or sharing a tearful moment at the merch table with a fan of our band*, live music has the power to help us let our guard down once in a while. It’s a significant thing.
*This happened during our own 3-night stint at The Egyptian a couple years ago. Beautiful venue, lovely people!
Live music is my church. Heals my soul and lifts my spirit.
I love live music so much, because no matter how good a job musicians do of recording their music, there is an extra something that comes from the artistic, emotional, and cognitive sharing of an experience in real time. For me I consider getting to listen to music a gift, and listening to a recording is like someone mailed me a gift, while hearing it live is like having someone present the gift to me - experiencing first hand and in collaboration the motivation, emotional energy, and intention that is what the material gift symbolizes. And I get to say a heartfelt thank you to them, instead of saying it in a text or phone call. I'm autistic, and have a hard time communicating with most people; music somehow eases that - it's am emotional translator of sorts. I hope that makes sense; it's the best I can do to try to explain it. My favorite musicians (and you, Neko, are at the top of that list) all write songs that don't shy away from digging into all the complexity and nuance of the whole range of emotional experience, and that connects me to the rest of humanity in a way that other art forms don't. These days, my disabilities make it almost impossible for me to navigate the crowds and unpredictable obstacles of most music venues, and I miss it so much! Fortunately, there's the occasional street musician to listen to live. If I wasn't an atheist, I'd say you musicians do God's work. 🙏🏼
I go to shows because I love music and want to support musicians. I know most touring musicians are not rich and may depend on tours and merchandise sales to survive. It is the least I can do in thanks for making art that plays a huge part in my life.
When I go to a concert I feel like it is an entire ecosystem of sights and sounds and emotions. I feel a sense of community being with others who enjoy the same music as me. There is also a unique dynamic compared to other art forms where the performers and the audience experience and interact with each other.
I love the feeling of community that comes from enjoying live music with others who are live music fans, and enjoying the great gifts that artists share with us through their art. Going to see Allison Russell tonight in an old church, incidentally. Have a great tour, Neko!
I go to live music in search of something transcendent, and I’ve been lucky enough to experience that a few times. Just off the top of my head I remember how Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Muse, and Jeff Beck took me to that place along with several Austin musicians. So did you. You played Liberty Lunch in Austin opening for someone (maybe Whiskeytown or The Old 97’s, but I can’t recall exactly) not too long after The Virginian came out. Before the show, I asked the person selling your merchandise if you ever performed “Duchess” and told her how much I loved that song. She said that she hadn’t heard you do it. During the show, you said that you were going to do a song that you didn’t usually perform because somebody out there wanted to hear it, and then you sang “Duchess.” I was blown away! That was at least 25 years ago and is one my favorite musical memories. I always wanted to say “Thanks a Lot” for that awesome display of coolness!
Why do I go to hear live music? What do I hope to leave with?
Connection. In a culture where we have so many people and seemingly so few ways to be together and share what I believe is a primal, wild, necessary experience. Music. It’s a hardwired connection. We have to care for it.
Thank you and your band for forging a bridge.
Live music is my time travel. So many connections to the past in so many tunes. The ones that don't live in a specific part of my life journey are like visiting carnivals of the future, places and moments I hope to run across in real life someday. Live music is also my ultimate in-the-moment travel -- the place where I love swaying to the music eyes closed but ears, heart, and mind wide open, sharing a beautiful moment in time with other beautiful people, allowing my soul to heal and regenerate all the love and peace I can muster.
Live music is my heart. I call it my therapy. When it's good it makes you feel all the feels. When it's great it's transcendent. It's entertainment for sure, but it's just so much more. Physically you can feel it all through your body. When the artist is in it, really connected to the material and the crowd, it's a communal shared experience that just makes you (i guess i mean me) feel more connected to humanity. It's magical when you get lost in the music.
For me seeing live music is a recharge for my soul. It feels like I walk out on a freshly charged battery ready to take on the world!
Seeing you in Eugene this week and can't wait!
I read this as “naps, sandwiches, and naps” and thought that sounded fantastic. I can get anxious in crowds, I’m only 5’2” so if it’s GA I can rarely see the stage, but STILL. Being in a room with other people who love my favorite artists feels like being home. These days I tend to only go for my favorites- I saw the new pornos at the 9:30 club on the twin cinema tour, snagged front row at Liz Phair last November, and had to talk myself down from spending $3k on Stevie Nicks. Definitely considered adjusting my trip to Lawrence KS to catch this tour! But listening to music anywhere else feels like a solo venture. The music goes directly from my AirPods to my ears, my record player or Alexa speakers fill up my tiny apartment, but that’s it. When I’m at a live show, I feel like I’m seeing all of the other people who wander around the city in a bubble of this music and it’s very much a feeling of “oh! This song affected you, too. It’s the soundtrack to your life, too.” To say nothing of how cool it is to see the people who pulled my favorite music out of thin air and remember that they’re also just out here connecting to people through these songs we all love.
I thought that was a pack of noodles at first. Gave me a good laugh, so thanks for that.
Cannot wait for Pomona!!!! Driving up from Oceanside. I’ll bring Mama Pacific ocean vibes with me, for all to share. 🥳
i see live music to transcend the moment, and admire folks with musical talent. i have none, so it's something that can wow me. thanks for the laugh. who knew mic condoms were a thing? not me!