06.29.05

you don’t know how it feels

Posted in culture at 2:35 pm by

So, last night I had the opportunity to enjoy a concert. I beheld a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers concert. The Black Crowes opened for them. I’m certainly glad to have gone but, I’ll be honest, I’ve far more enjoyed other live concerts I’ve seen.

The Black Crowes were cool, but I couldn’t shake thoughts that the lead singer is married to Kate Hudson, and all that that implies. I’ll admit, I’m not much of a Black Crowes fan–I didn’t even know they were going to be opening for Tom Petty until I looked at my ticket in the dark auditorium to find out who the hell was playing their music so damn loudly. Once the sound was properly adjusted, their sound reminded me a lot of the Grateful Dead or something. The other thing I kept thinking was that it’d be great if I had the same level of moral quandry about doing pot as I had when I was 18. Fortunately, enough concert-goers around me were imbibing themselves in ye olde ‘wacky tabaccy’ that I was able to get enough of a contact buzz to take the edge off of, well, most everything.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers put on a good show. Nice visuals, good sound mix, etc. Of course, for a band that’s been together for about 29 years, you’d expect a certain degree of polish. Tom sort of floated around stage ‘as if’ he were high on something flailing his arms around–artfully, I suppose. They played one song off the new album. As for the other 15 or so that they played, they were mostly Tom Petty standards. The only one I missed from his pop repetoire was “Great Wide Open.”

All in all, it was a nice show, a good experience. Though, I admit, I’m not a big venue music person. I suppose I was ruined by watching concerts throughout college in a comfortable, cozy auditorium. I’m pretty sure Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Ben Harper, Kelly Joe Phelps, or Harrod and Funck never sounded quite as good as they did in the Calvin College Fine Arts Center auditorium. Perhaps I’m wrong, perhaps not.

I think that playing an arena doesn’t really allow a band the necessary connection with a crowd that a smaller venue allows. Even the natural light a stadium affords allows at least a visual connection with an audience that an arena doesn’t. I don’t know if it’s just the cavernous emptiness that defines an arena venue, or what but I just felt markedly disconnected from the performers last night. That was disappointing.

Perhaps it was the venue, perhaps it was the fact that I don’t really LOVE Tom Petty–although I do think he’s pretty good. I don’t know. I had fun with friends and the time spent was worthwhile for that alone, but beyond that I don’t know that I’ll need to be going to watch a concert at the Van Andel arena again anytime soon.

Permalink

Trackback URL »

http://www.badchristian.com/2005/06/29/you_don_t_know_how_it_feels/trackback/

you don’t know how it feels

Posted in culture at 2:35 pm by

So, last night I had the opportunity to enjoy a concert. I beheld a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers concert. The Black Crowes opened for them. I’m certainly glad to have gone but, I’ll be honest, I’ve far more enjoyed other live concerts I’ve seen.

The Black Crowes were cool, but I couldn’t shake thoughts that the lead singer is married to Kate Hudson, and all that that implies. I’ll admit, I’m not much of a Black Crowes fan–I didn’t even know they were going to be opening for Tom Petty until I looked at my ticket in the dark auditorium to find out who the hell was playing their music so damn loudly. Once the sound was properly adjusted, their sound reminded me a lot of the Grateful Dead or something. The other thing I kept thinking was that it’d be great if I had the same level of moral quandry about doing pot as I had when I was 18. Fortunately, enough concert-goers around me were imbibing themselves in ye olde ‘wacky tabaccy’ that I was able to get enough of a contact buzz to take the edge off of, well, most everything.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers put on a good show. Nice visuals, good sound mix, etc. Of course, for a band that’s been together for about 29 years, you’d expect a certain degree of polish. Tom sort of floated around stage ‘as if’ he were high on something flailing his arms around–artfully, I suppose. They played one song off the new album. As for the other 15 or so that they played, they were mostly Tom Petty standards. The only one I missed from his pop repetoire was “Great Wide Open.”

All in all, it was a nice show, a good experience. Though, I admit, I’m not a big venue music person. I suppose I was ruined by watching concerts throughout college in a comfortable, cozy auditorium. I’m pretty sure Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Ben Harper, Kelly Joe Phelps, or Harrod and Funck never sounded quite as good as they did in the Calvin College Fine Arts Center auditorium. Perhaps I’m wrong, perhaps not.

I think that playing an arena doesn’t really allow a band the necessary connection with a crowd that a smaller venue allows. Even the natural light a stadium affords allows at least a visual connection with an audience that an arena doesn’t. I don’t know if it’s just the cavernous emptiness that defines an arena venue, or what but I just felt markedly disconnected from the performers last night. That was disappointing.

Perhaps it was the venue, perhaps it was the fact that I don’t really LOVE Tom Petty–although I do think he’s pretty good. I don’t know. I had fun with friends and the time spent was worthwhile for that alone, but beyond that I don’t know that I’ll need to be going to watch a concert at the Van Andel arena again anytime soon.

Permalink

Trackback URL »

http://www.badchristian.com/2005/06/29/you_don_t_know_how_it_feels/trackback/