Post by mikej on May 27, 2017 10:12:09 GMT -6
An essay or article that I wrote for whomever would care to read it.... 
I Hope The Emperor Finds His Clothes
I generally don't like to be negative. And specifically I don't like to be negative at or about concerts. Truly I don't. I have had the experience at more than one show where I was having a perfectly good time, enjoying myself, only to have it ruined (or at least robbed of most of its luster) by a concert buddy poo-pooing the proceedings. Another reason I'm rarely negative about shows it that it's unusual that I don't come away with anything positive from a performance. Whether this is a testament to my good taste in selecting concerts or indicative of a "silver lining" mentality, I can't be sure. Whatever the reason, I count myself lucky to have had so many happy concert-going experiences.
Which brings me reluctantly, to a puzzling concert experience I am compelled write about. And because I still don't like to be negative, said performers shall remain nameless.
Nonetheless, these demons need exorcising....
An Amigo recently inquired if I would be interested in seeing Mr Fusion Legend and his new band. I was on the fence initially. I like Mr. Fusion Legend, had never seen him live, and respect the place he has carved out in the pantheon of Fusion history but I haven't bought or heard anything from him in years. I also have limited disposable income and generally will say yes only to artists I feel I can't miss. But the two other parties concerned were enthusiastic enough to make me want to join in - you only live once, right?
Right, so as the concert date approaches, Amigo #2 bows out due to scheduling difficulties but no worry, a substitute Amigo is found - albeit one who does not know what Jazz/Rock/Fusion is. Still no worries. Both myself and Amigo #1 like the idea of initiating our Novice Amigo into the musical world we so love.. We rendezvous at the appointed hour. Sushi is consumed, drinks are drunk and forthwith we arrive in our seats just as the cutain rises.
Mr' Fusion Legend and his Band come out. They (the Band) are young, relatively unknown but are enthusiastic and obviously talented and launch in to what seems to be an opening freeform improv jam. Mr. FL smiles and starts emitting flurries of disembodied lines, goading his cohorts to respond in kind. The results are chaotic, hit or miss displays of technique coming from all sides - impressive but borderline musically. Mr, FL is still smiling so I think this must be a warm up strategy in the guise of an opening. Fair enough...
They launch into a version of a signature cover "X," a tune I happen to really like. I like the tune so much that I am taken aback by what they are doing to it. Mr FL's recorded cover version was a departure from many of the recorded versions I had heard, but they are just being ham-handed, stepping all over it now, slamming it out so arbitrarily, it loses its meaning. But the crowd goes nuts and Mr FL smiles. I think to myself, "Alright, even if I thought they could have done better, at least it's nice to hear crowd response like this for Jazz/Rock/Fusion." Judgement reserved again...
Novice Amigo, feeling obliged to comment at this point, says something like, "That was really cool, that Jazzy thing he did there." Inside I cringe slightly. Not because his comment was kind of silly but because I'm desperately waiting for a moment here that will make him glad he came to hear this music. Little did I know it was never going to come - for him or me.
A couple of tunes from the latest record ensue and seem as if they would have been more enjoyable had I heard their studio renditions first. The rest of the audience's reponse is polite for these tunes as well. Then Mr FL grabs the acoustic version of his prefferred instrument prefacing it with "Check this out..." and proceeds with an extended solo spot. And now comes the defining moment of the evening...
In the midst of this solo piece, which seemed to be waiting to make a point, Mr. FL hits on - not really even a lick but a note bend - what we will call Thingy #1. Thingy #1 receives a Gospel Congregation-like shoutout repsonse from one audience member. Mr. FL mugs and repeats Thingy#1. A few more "Amens" from the audience. Mind you, there is no REAL musical nugget of anything here, it's just basically musical preening - on a BEND??? More repeats and more response from the audience. I am bewildered and bothered but unlike most of the audience, am decidedly not bewitched.
This scene repeats itself throughout the evening's proceedings with Mr FL's discovery of various other equally meaningless aural Thingies that the audience will respond to (such as incongruously placed one-note slaps or vaguely Flamenco-like Finger Flutters), to which he affirmatively nods and smiles over the nonsensical, yet increasingly entusiastic audience reaction.
To me, in the truest sense of the word, this is a shame. Mr. FL has talent, chops, musicality and an impressive legacy, yes, but none are on display here. Only audience pandering of the worst kind. He should be above all this but it seems to be his formula for salvation of a tepid show.
Though I am apparently in the minority with this assessment, I am clearly not alone. A guy three seats down from us, who was enthusiastically anticipating the show beforehand is now staring blankly into space as those around us rise to their feet. Amigo#1 looks over in my direction, baffled. I subtly shake my head. I don't even know what to say to Novice Amigo and dare not glance in his direction. The last notes are played and Mr. FL and the band are rewarded thunderously. As we file out, I sense my Amigo#1 attempting to begin the traditional Concert Post-Mortem but I am so weirded out, I can only cut him off with,"Not till we get to the car..."
Maybe the bigger shame is that the band WAS very talented but is lacking a crucial element that would allow them to shine - a bandleader.
This is clearly Mr. FL's job but instead he chose to be more like a (semi) musical stand up comic with a backup band.
Or possibly the biggest shame is that our friend, Novice Amigo, has this audience and performance as his only reference point as to what good Jazz Rock Fusion is.
It's not that Mr FL's performance was so bad...it's that it was so painfully unfocused and lackluster... and he apparently was enjoying it so much... as if to convince everyone else that it was good too. Well...almost everyone...
I'm still not sure what I witnessed exactly. Was it early in the tour and they hadn't jelled yet? Was the band having a bad night? Was Mr. FL making the best of a bad situation? Being a musician myself, I know what those situations are like but it didn't seem that way to me. But if that was indeed the case, I think I would have preferred him appearing a bit more dissatisfied with it all. That would have at least made me feel like we occupied the same temporal plane.
I know what it FELT like, though. It was akin to watching an infomercial on TV where the studio audience is paid to be enthusiastic - except this audience paid the guy hawking the schlock,
-OR-
is it possible that what I was witnessing was an audience confronted with a disappointing night of music that they paid good money for and, refusing to have a bad time, agreeing on a mutual delusion of a "good time had by all" with the artist? I don't really know but I do know it will take a long time to get the bad taste out of my mouth...
I still hope in my heart that this was some kind of anomaly for all involved and Mr. FL and his band go on to play legitimately moving performances that live up to their talent, aspirations and reputations. I also hope that audiences really aren't that tasteless or complicit in their own delusions...
...but then again, look at the American public in general.
Thanks for listening,
Mike Jacobs
PS - Our Novice Amigo hasn't expressed an interest in joining us again.
I Hope The Emperor Finds His Clothes
I generally don't like to be negative. And specifically I don't like to be negative at or about concerts. Truly I don't. I have had the experience at more than one show where I was having a perfectly good time, enjoying myself, only to have it ruined (or at least robbed of most of its luster) by a concert buddy poo-pooing the proceedings. Another reason I'm rarely negative about shows it that it's unusual that I don't come away with anything positive from a performance. Whether this is a testament to my good taste in selecting concerts or indicative of a "silver lining" mentality, I can't be sure. Whatever the reason, I count myself lucky to have had so many happy concert-going experiences.
Which brings me reluctantly, to a puzzling concert experience I am compelled write about. And because I still don't like to be negative, said performers shall remain nameless.
Nonetheless, these demons need exorcising....
An Amigo recently inquired if I would be interested in seeing Mr Fusion Legend and his new band. I was on the fence initially. I like Mr. Fusion Legend, had never seen him live, and respect the place he has carved out in the pantheon of Fusion history but I haven't bought or heard anything from him in years. I also have limited disposable income and generally will say yes only to artists I feel I can't miss. But the two other parties concerned were enthusiastic enough to make me want to join in - you only live once, right?
Right, so as the concert date approaches, Amigo #2 bows out due to scheduling difficulties but no worry, a substitute Amigo is found - albeit one who does not know what Jazz/Rock/Fusion is. Still no worries. Both myself and Amigo #1 like the idea of initiating our Novice Amigo into the musical world we so love.. We rendezvous at the appointed hour. Sushi is consumed, drinks are drunk and forthwith we arrive in our seats just as the cutain rises.
Mr' Fusion Legend and his Band come out. They (the Band) are young, relatively unknown but are enthusiastic and obviously talented and launch in to what seems to be an opening freeform improv jam. Mr. FL smiles and starts emitting flurries of disembodied lines, goading his cohorts to respond in kind. The results are chaotic, hit or miss displays of technique coming from all sides - impressive but borderline musically. Mr, FL is still smiling so I think this must be a warm up strategy in the guise of an opening. Fair enough...
They launch into a version of a signature cover "X," a tune I happen to really like. I like the tune so much that I am taken aback by what they are doing to it. Mr FL's recorded cover version was a departure from many of the recorded versions I had heard, but they are just being ham-handed, stepping all over it now, slamming it out so arbitrarily, it loses its meaning. But the crowd goes nuts and Mr FL smiles. I think to myself, "Alright, even if I thought they could have done better, at least it's nice to hear crowd response like this for Jazz/Rock/Fusion." Judgement reserved again...
Novice Amigo, feeling obliged to comment at this point, says something like, "That was really cool, that Jazzy thing he did there." Inside I cringe slightly. Not because his comment was kind of silly but because I'm desperately waiting for a moment here that will make him glad he came to hear this music. Little did I know it was never going to come - for him or me.
A couple of tunes from the latest record ensue and seem as if they would have been more enjoyable had I heard their studio renditions first. The rest of the audience's reponse is polite for these tunes as well. Then Mr FL grabs the acoustic version of his prefferred instrument prefacing it with "Check this out..." and proceeds with an extended solo spot. And now comes the defining moment of the evening...
In the midst of this solo piece, which seemed to be waiting to make a point, Mr. FL hits on - not really even a lick but a note bend - what we will call Thingy #1. Thingy #1 receives a Gospel Congregation-like shoutout repsonse from one audience member. Mr. FL mugs and repeats Thingy#1. A few more "Amens" from the audience. Mind you, there is no REAL musical nugget of anything here, it's just basically musical preening - on a BEND??? More repeats and more response from the audience. I am bewildered and bothered but unlike most of the audience, am decidedly not bewitched.
This scene repeats itself throughout the evening's proceedings with Mr FL's discovery of various other equally meaningless aural Thingies that the audience will respond to (such as incongruously placed one-note slaps or vaguely Flamenco-like Finger Flutters), to which he affirmatively nods and smiles over the nonsensical, yet increasingly entusiastic audience reaction.
To me, in the truest sense of the word, this is a shame. Mr. FL has talent, chops, musicality and an impressive legacy, yes, but none are on display here. Only audience pandering of the worst kind. He should be above all this but it seems to be his formula for salvation of a tepid show.
Though I am apparently in the minority with this assessment, I am clearly not alone. A guy three seats down from us, who was enthusiastically anticipating the show beforehand is now staring blankly into space as those around us rise to their feet. Amigo#1 looks over in my direction, baffled. I subtly shake my head. I don't even know what to say to Novice Amigo and dare not glance in his direction. The last notes are played and Mr. FL and the band are rewarded thunderously. As we file out, I sense my Amigo#1 attempting to begin the traditional Concert Post-Mortem but I am so weirded out, I can only cut him off with,"Not till we get to the car..."
Maybe the bigger shame is that the band WAS very talented but is lacking a crucial element that would allow them to shine - a bandleader.
This is clearly Mr. FL's job but instead he chose to be more like a (semi) musical stand up comic with a backup band.
Or possibly the biggest shame is that our friend, Novice Amigo, has this audience and performance as his only reference point as to what good Jazz Rock Fusion is.
It's not that Mr FL's performance was so bad...it's that it was so painfully unfocused and lackluster... and he apparently was enjoying it so much... as if to convince everyone else that it was good too. Well...almost everyone...
I'm still not sure what I witnessed exactly. Was it early in the tour and they hadn't jelled yet? Was the band having a bad night? Was Mr. FL making the best of a bad situation? Being a musician myself, I know what those situations are like but it didn't seem that way to me. But if that was indeed the case, I think I would have preferred him appearing a bit more dissatisfied with it all. That would have at least made me feel like we occupied the same temporal plane.
I know what it FELT like, though. It was akin to watching an infomercial on TV where the studio audience is paid to be enthusiastic - except this audience paid the guy hawking the schlock,
-OR-
is it possible that what I was witnessing was an audience confronted with a disappointing night of music that they paid good money for and, refusing to have a bad time, agreeing on a mutual delusion of a "good time had by all" with the artist? I don't really know but I do know it will take a long time to get the bad taste out of my mouth...
I still hope in my heart that this was some kind of anomaly for all involved and Mr. FL and his band go on to play legitimately moving performances that live up to their talent, aspirations and reputations. I also hope that audiences really aren't that tasteless or complicit in their own delusions...
...but then again, look at the American public in general.
Thanks for listening,
Mike Jacobs
PS - Our Novice Amigo hasn't expressed an interest in joining us again.
