I have this theory about concerts. Well, maybe not a theory exactly...more of a rule of thumb for categorizing the intensity of the concert experience (for all people concerned, concert-goer and band) based on the amount (and type) of reverence involved.
Formalized analysis of fun? Sort of.
A young band, a hit single of the radio, lands a support slot on an established group's summer shed tour. Every night the band launches into the hit song and thousands of ears perk up. The seed has been sown for the future. That seed might die, but at least the band has a chance.
A band has put out several records, gone on many a successful tour, and had a lot of radio play. They've made it. At their shows the kids are sporting band t-shirts, engaging in some crowd surfing and generally having a great time. The new material is given respect (though a few bathroom breaks do start) but the more energetic response comes when the hits arrive. The kids sing along, dance around and, for a short while, forget who they are.
But...there's a level above this.
The concert, moving beyond audience-listens-to-band, becomes a celebration of the songs...almost like the songs are a third party to the event. Being a 40-something, I'll use the Bruce Springsteen live experience as an example. There have been times when the reaction to the 'arrival' of a song is so intense (say, during the two minute-plus intro to "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out") that it seems like the audience and the band are almost worshiping the moment. Honestly, I get choked up when this happens.
So am I here to compare Guster to Springsteen? No, but while watching the DVD that comes with Guster On Ice, I recognized a bunch of moments of uber-song-reverence. The kids are smiling, singing along, crying, hugging, kissing...all the while the band is locked in to pure pop bliss. I loved Guster's Keep It Together but clearly the live show brings out the true spirit of this band. I rate them right up there with pop-meisters like Joe Jackson, Elvis Costello and XTC.
The DVD concert begins an acoustic bit of "Careful", followed by "Fa Fa" and "I Spy". By the time the very cool cover if the Talking Heads' "(Nothing But) Flowers", I was hooked (and also more than a little annoyed that I didn't attend one of these shows...I happened to be staying at a hotel right around the corner from the State Theatre on both nights...it was so cold that weekend that I gave up an opportunity to shop for used records...that is cold!)
Guster has come from their dorm room, guitar and percussion roots to become one of the most interesting and fun bands out there. Will they end up filling giant arenas and stadiums? That doesn't really matter: because they've taken their musical ideas and created something that can't be taken away from them or their fans. It was a cold pair of nights (December 19 and 20, 2003) up in Portland, Maine, but Guster, their fans and the music drove off the chill.
(First posted on Mark Is Cranky)
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
excellent job Mark, I know exactly what you mean by worshiping the moment and literally getting choked up: it can happen anywhere, I've felt it at high school halftime shows