Monday, May 15, 2006
Talking about music is like dancing about architecture
The irony of my complaints over having nothing to blog about is that now there's a lot to talk about, and not really the time to say it in. I started a post about Thursday's concert and never finished it. Then I was enticed to go to another concert yesterday. I've got a lot of music swirling around in my head, and I'm sure I'm not going to do justice to describing it all. But it's not like I'm going to have time later in the week, so here you go.
Live music is such an awesome and yet such a fleeting thing. I feel like I want to soak up everything at a concert: the lyrics, the melodies and harmonies, the vocals, the instruments, the performer's mannerisms and quirks, the vibe of the audience, the looks exchanged with friends, the smile of recognition when a familiar and beloved song is played...I want to remember it all.
I think it's partly because of this desire to absorb everything and hang on to it, that I usually enjoy a concert more when I'm familiar with the music. I'm such a lyrics girl. When I listen to a new album, what I love to do if I can is sit down alone, with the lyrics in hand, and read through as I listen. If there aren't lyrics in the liner notes (which always bugs me), I'm compulsive enough to try to track them down online. But I can't consult lyrics during a concert. ;-)
With live music that's new to me, there's so much to take in. If I know the music, it takes me one step closer to being able to remember everything better later. Because I've already absorbed part of it, I can enjoy it that much more. (That said, not knowing Regina Spektor's music certainly didn't keep me from thoroughly enjoying her show on Saturday. What that girl can do with a keyboard, her voice, and a couple of drumsticks on a chair...)
Wow. I totally went off about that. I'm gonna rein it in here. I'm currently sitting at the dining room table, and am being distracted by the roommate conversation going on around me. (It's a miracle...we're all home at once!) Julie just said: "You know what you should do right now? You should write your blog with us all sitting right here." Heh. Ok.
Maybe I'll just end with this:
Hem
Over the Rhine
Regina Spektor
Go check them out. You have been given links. You have no excuse.
Live music is such an awesome and yet such a fleeting thing. I feel like I want to soak up everything at a concert: the lyrics, the melodies and harmonies, the vocals, the instruments, the performer's mannerisms and quirks, the vibe of the audience, the looks exchanged with friends, the smile of recognition when a familiar and beloved song is played...I want to remember it all.
I think it's partly because of this desire to absorb everything and hang on to it, that I usually enjoy a concert more when I'm familiar with the music. I'm such a lyrics girl. When I listen to a new album, what I love to do if I can is sit down alone, with the lyrics in hand, and read through as I listen. If there aren't lyrics in the liner notes (which always bugs me), I'm compulsive enough to try to track them down online. But I can't consult lyrics during a concert. ;-)
With live music that's new to me, there's so much to take in. If I know the music, it takes me one step closer to being able to remember everything better later. Because I've already absorbed part of it, I can enjoy it that much more. (That said, not knowing Regina Spektor's music certainly didn't keep me from thoroughly enjoying her show on Saturday. What that girl can do with a keyboard, her voice, and a couple of drumsticks on a chair...)
Wow. I totally went off about that. I'm gonna rein it in here. I'm currently sitting at the dining room table, and am being distracted by the roommate conversation going on around me. (It's a miracle...we're all home at once!) Julie just said: "You know what you should do right now? You should write your blog with us all sitting right here." Heh. Ok.
Maybe I'll just end with this:
Hem
Over the Rhine
Regina Spektor
Go check them out. You have been given links. You have no excuse.
Labels: Music
| posted by Barbara | 8:28 AM