any-night LIVE

Last night i went to UC Davis' Freeborn Hall with Eden to enjoy the music stylings of Passion Pit. In addition to hearing one of my current favorite bands play live, i also had the pleasure of discovering Mayer Hawthorne, dancing the night away, and realizing all the things i love about live shows. Now, i've gone to my fair share of live musical performances. From arena concerts to seedy bars/clubs and hardcore to top 40 pop, i've experienced quite the variety. Each show is special (although i've been to way too many to remember them all), but some stand out for certain reasons. I thought i'd go through a list of things that make a show memorable and noteworthy to me.

1) Danceability: one of my top favorite things to do at a show is dance. now i recognize that not all the music i like really allows that but there are some other factors at a show that might stop one from shaking their groove thing. for example, if no one else is dancing. I love a show where i leave drenched in sweat, euphoric from endorphins, and with cramps in my legs. The soreness and exhaustion the next day should be a rewarding reminder of the fun i had the night before.

2) Crowd Connection: you know when you're in math class and the teacher has been talking for hours, but when you look down on your paper there is a huge page of doodles and you have no idea what is gong on? yea, well a concert should never be like that. I like concerts where the artists are great entertainers and engage the crowd. That doesn't always mean cheesy shout outs like "everybody screeeeam!", but rather that the crowd feels emotion and care from the performer and is interested in watching, singing, dancing along. I've definitely been to shows where i find myself more interested in watching the girl two rows back pick her nose than watching the band. That would be a concerts' equivalent of a full page of doodles.

3) Good Sound/Mixing: obviously this is important. I mean, you paid money to here the band play their music and not some unrecognizable static. I hate when you're at a show and you feel like you're in your own never-ending version of the Tell Tale Heart because all you can hear is the kick drum and nothing else. Now, this is usually not the performer/artists' fault, but it definitely a contributor to the enjoyability of the concert. (for sacramentans: know that the boardwalk is notorious for shitty sound)

4) All Ages Shows: Yea, i'll admit i complain about the 13 and 14 years olds running around screeching and wearing to much glitter and hair spray, but i will also admit that i was once one of them. Honestly a concert is about the music and i don't feel that anyone who is a genuine fan and wants to enjoy their fave band live should be limited by age. After all, it is just a number, right?

5) Cost/Venue ratio: what i mean by this is how much the ticket costs compared to the size and quality of the venue. Shitty, tiny bars and clubs should range around $10-$25, depending on the artist, and arenas can range from $30-$100, depending the artists and arena. (Arco Arena should not charge $100 for a ticket, but sadly can.) People might feel i'm asking too much, but really it is important. Live music is one of the 3 things i'm really willing to spend my small amount of money on (clothing and food with friends being the other 2), so you can imagine that i've weighed the pros and cons. Trust me. It's not worth it to pay $45 to go to the Boardwalk to see Paramore. And by see i mean watch with your eyes as Haley Williams is confined to a 15 ft stage and listen to her drummer's kick drum as her lips move. Yea, not worth it.


Music: Passion Pit!!!!