I remember when I started going to what was essentially underground rock shows in my hometown region. And it doesn’t get more underground than that shit. I don’t remember indoor bathrooms in many of the venues. We were fucking hicks. But we knew what we liked. And we knew what we didn’t want to be ultimately. Well. Some of us. Like all things in life. There are sellouts and burnouts and everything in between.
This was post Sex Pistols and before Nirvana hit the alt/indie/punk genre with a defibrillator to get that one last faint glimmer of a heartbeat before it faded into a cacophony of noise. What does alternative mean? What does punk mean? When that noise eclipses signal? The scene is dead. So alternative, baby.
What was made clear to me by my peers is that these events were not “concerts”. These were “shows”.
To the ear of the uninitiated that means video screens. Pyro. Maybe some strippers on either side of the stage working poles or each other. Definitely a disco ball. Goddamn. You know? Flash.
Please.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for that stuff. But, c’mon.
So what’s a show?
I remember this like yesterday.
One of the first shows I went to, the lead singer hit the bridge, threw down the mic and started moshing with us. Down in front. He missed the chorus. And musically it was a mess. The certainly were not in tune. But it was energy all over the place. Passion. A _______ (fill it for me). Concert? Show?
But it has to be about the music!
Or else? What? It isn’t good? Hmmmmm.
Cool. Go to the fucking symphony and close your eyes.
Better. Go to any artist in any genre and do that. It’s all about the music!
Who does that? At. A. Rock…..concert?
Legislate the word fun while, too.
I miss those days. You know. Show days. That’s why this shit is called Year Of The Show.
Because the crowd was a show, too. Far more than now.
The point is this. A musical event where music is played live is a visual medium. If you don’t agree, that’s cool. Hope you and your seeing eye dog rock it out at the next concert you go to.
Like many things. The sweet spot is at the fulcrum. The middle ground. The show closes the sale. For the artist. Has to now. Because recording has been devalued to the point that it might as well be a caste system for those with money behind them.
Therefore, to me, the show is the balance between the music and what the artist brings to it as a performer. View it as a teeter-totter. Libras can get off on it being called a scale.
The performer(s) can choose to focus on the music surrounded by their own natural passion. Or. Accentuate it with flash. Bells and whistles. Focus on that shit too much and it turns into a diversion. A cover-up. Nothing wrong with that. All’s fair. But, it surely isn’t a long term career win.
But walking that over-stimulated spectacle path requires a ton of capital and the ability to appeal to the general population. Hard for an artist to position there. Playing to the hard core fan base and the lowest common denominator takes some real genius. Because in essence, the artist is cashing out the hard core for the (larger) casual fan. And the hard core knows it. Even if they don’t know how to express it in economic terms.
I know. I’m a motherfucker. It’s all about the music!
Fuck yeah, that’s why shoegaze is taking over the world.
Which brings me to The Kills.
ChrisT and I have seen The Kills many times now.
Never gets old. Let’s party….
THE KILLS
Wonder Ballroom
Portland, OR
Show Date: May 11, 2011
Ticket Price: $20
Playing against type, we go to Secret Society next to the Wonder for a little pre-function.
Ordering off menu cocktails. Trash among class. Lot of people around us are going to a concert somewhere. We’re here for a show. Everyone has their own fun. I didn’t see any dark shades or seeing eye dogs, though. Puritan reverb.
Yes, The Kills.
This tour is supporting their new release, Blood Pressures. I’m definitely in the bag for The Kills. No big deal. The music is worth a listen.
Genre labeling is beyond ridiculous at this point. My itunes auto-defined genre for The Kills includes PHYSICAL ROCK on some of The Kills singles. How physical we talking? Fuck. I’m going to get a tshirt done up that says PHYSICAL ROCK. That seals that deal.
I just don’t get it. Do convos like this actually take place?
“I really like this band”
“Oh, they are post-punk.”
“Never mind then, I only like shoegaze. And sometimes, physical rock.”
Ridiculous. Concert goer shit, there.
The Wonder is packed on the floor. But we know the score. Push forward on the 21+ side. Wait it out.
In this interview clip, there is a viewer comment from someone that Alison Mosshart makes her question her/his sexuality. That’s there. It is never overplayed though. It’s way cool.
Crazy enough?
Listen to the interview and Jamie “Hotel” Hince talks about how square US festivals have become. That seems about right to me. Of course, he’s vilified in the comments. It is hard to tell if these are patriots or people genuinely believing US festivals are a sanctuary for rock n roll excess. I hope those people rock the campgrounds after, cause I ain’t feeling the crazy vibe within the gates.
The show starts off with “No Wow” followed by “The Future Starts Slow” off the new album. Which is pretty much the story of the night. The crowd is hella energetic for old favorites like “No Wow” while still getting the feel for new tunes like “Baby Says”, the extrememly downtempo “The Last Goodbye”, and “Heart Is A Beating Drum”.
We’ve seen Alison and Jamie rock it alot of ways. Jamie slithering on the stage while getting dirty on the guitar. Alison climbing amps and monitors. Mock sexual tension/violence/God Knows What. Jamie on his knees banging his guitar with his fist. And on and on. And all of it crazy. Cause over-laid with the music from No Wow, Midnight Boom, and Keep On Your Mean Side? It’s all magic to me. Rock star type shit.
I’m sensing a trend toward focusing on the musical performance and less about the show is my final point. At least for this night. I used to get angry at these little turns in the journey. But it isn’t my life and career. And I get it. You can’t use your body and sweat as an instrument forever. It costs. Hard. And I have a feeling the masses will catch up.
But here’s the thing.
The final song was “Fried My Little Brains”. And if you are into The Kills, isn’t that worth it in and of itself if you do your job as a show-goer? Those around me stood up and saluted the flag. Make outs and grinding in evidence….my ticket stub looks like it was mailed from Beirut….my shoes slick with beer….all that shit. The fun. The show. And The Kills are really good at it. No matter how hard and deep they bury the show needle.
Fun night. Can’t wait for Wed night opening at MusicFest NW.
Because it will be a show. Maybe not a SHOW. Maybe a SHow. Or SHoW. That’s the fun.
But if it’s a concert to you? It’s all good. That’s the point. It’s just fucking fun. No one is rebelling against anything anymore. Calling it a show then to differentiate from our rock ancestors is just as ridiculous as me trying to defend the terminology. Just go. The debate about what it is? A distraction. To ease marketing. We all gotta be binned. Makes it easier for the inevitable economic shake down. But none of us can be fully labeled and shelved in the end. Certainly not The Kills. Cause it is just fucking fun when all is said and done. And they put on a really good ______________.
Visuals by ChrisT.
