Tag: music

Concert Culture

Jeannie Marie Leave a comment

Name: Jeannie Marie

Codename: “Blondie”

Mission: Your mission is to infiltrate the crowd gathered at the Fillmore, Detroit on 4/7/2015. You must get as close to the stage as possible. You must not fail.

Mission Results: FAILED

So, last night I got to see one of my favorite bands, Walk The Moon, live in concert. Not gonna lie, it was kind of a dream come true for me – I haven’t been to a concert in a really long time, and I haven’t really been to any while I’ve been in Michigan (Houston native, in case you’ve forgotten). So when I found out that someone from [arts]seen was driving to Detroit for the Walk The Moon concert, I knew I had to go.

Now, since she’s reviewing the concert on [arts]seen, I won’t do that here, but on my way to the concert and even during the concert, I started to think about live concerts and how they’ve shaped music history.

I’m sure everyone who reads these articles knows about the famous ones, Woodstock and the like, and the current resurgence of the music festival has it’s roots way back into the 60s. Concerts have been a staple in music practically as far back as music has been around. I mean how else would you get to listen to Beethoven in the 1800s if you didn’t go see him live? But rock concerts specifically have a really interesting place in music history.

I say this because rock concerts have a specific connotation to them. It was a lot harder back in the 60s and 70s to spread music; it was a slower process using the radio rather than the internet in order to garner popularity. In the same way, concerts were a lot different back then. You couldn’t just go to YouTube and look up your favorite band singing a Queen cover live. Thus, if you went to a show, you had bragging rights. I got to see the Rolling Stones live. Suck on that.

And I’d argue that it’s much the same today, perhaps even more so. Concerts lend an aura of authenticity to someone claiming that they like a band. They show dedication and love for a band; you aren’t a lukewarm fan that just listens to them on the radio, you actually go see them live. This might also come from the fact that concerts typically cost between $50-$100, and that’s for a cheap ticket, gas, parking, and a t-shirt. Your expenses can reach even higher if it’s a high-ticket act like Beyonce.

But even so, when I got to the venue in Detroit, and made my way towards the massive crowd of people, I realized something else. I in no way could make it anywhere near the front of the stage. And I was kind of annoyed.

Why did I even come? I spent (well, my dad spent, thanks daddy) $30 + fees to see the back of some tall dudes head for the duration of the concert? If I was in Houston, I probably would have done some slipping around, gave a couple of “excuse me”s, and pushed my way to at least the middle of the crowd, perhaps even in the front half of the crowd. But I’m unfamiliar with the concert culture in Detroit, and seeing how this was my first concert I really didn’t want to do anything stupid. So I stuck it out in the back.

But then, as time went on, the songs just got louder and louder, the people around me jumped higher and higher, and I jumped with them. I remember looking around me and seeing a guy completely drenched in sweat, grin plastered on his face, never faltering. People around me were dancing and screaming and clapping, and even though I could only see the singers face every other second when I jumped, I could hear him singing, I could hear the guitarist playing, and I would give anything to relive the memories I have.

So was I in the front? No. But did I have an amazing time? Of course. And to me, that’s where the true richness of going to a concert lies. It’s not whether you get the t-shirt or if you put on face paint (though I wish I had some, it was kind of epic looking). It’s about how you feel in the moment. And even if you’re not that big of a fan or you didn’t know every word to all the songs, you’re still welcome. Because a concert welcomes everyone. You don’t know anyone around you besides maybe your friends, and that’s okay. Because that means you’re all equal. For better or worse, you’re all in this hot, sweaty, probably dehydrated crowd together.

Concerts aren’t about authenticity. They’re about togetherness.

Random side note: This piece of writing doesn’t encompass even half of how I feel about concerts, so expect a part 2 sometime not soon. Concerts are crazy man. But I love them so much.

The Mixtape

Cait Leave a comment

First and foremost, Hello! I am a new blogger here at arts, ink and I am thrilled to have an outlet to share my love of music, film, and art through. My name is Cait and I’m ready to get into it and get some feedback from you all.

Music is my safety–a realm I always feel secure and welcome in. It is what one might call “my jam” (pun intended.) As such, I can’t think of a better first post to introduce myself through than a hopefully recurring segment called “The Mixtape” in which I share a few of my favorite songs at the time. These could be new underground EPs or some throwbacks to 70’s rock that your dad can attest to the coolness of. Without further ado, here is this week’s grocery list for your ears:

  1. Electric Love by BØRNS
  2. Let My Baby Stay by Mac Demarco
  3. Midnight by Kodaline
  4. Talking Backwards by Real Estate
  5. Agoraphobia by Deerhunter

This is a decidedly mellow (save #1) playlist. These are the kinds of songs I would let simmer in the background while I make my bed with my window open. It’s that kind of feel-good-Sunday-morning shit. These songs give me that waking-up-naturally feeling when the sun sifts like sand through the blinds in your bedroom at home while the house is quiet and the day is yours.

Light an incense, change your underwear from last night’s escapades, pop an aspirin, you don’t have to brush your hair, but sit back and let these songs melt over you.

 

Cait

Wait, Shouldn’t I Hate This…

Erika Bell Leave a comment

It’s Friday and classes are over for the week. In hopes of unwinding, I turn on Pandora to inhale a little of today’s latest jams. Pandora is put on because I can’t think of what I specifically want to here, there’s no rhyme or reason to my choices, just something to spark my interest and get me dancing and bobbing my head. On comes Usher – I Don’t Mind. Now, if you didn’t know, this song follows the mindset of the R&B singer as he serenades to possible strippers, communicating how he doesn’t mind of their profession. Admirable in a sense, but the delivery with lines that target that the women are bad examples to society, that his only acceptance of them is that they will be his at home, and his only real connection to these women being their physical features, makes the message questionable and alarming. But…for some reason… I couldn’t resist dancing and bobbing my head!

Why is this? I find this happens a lot, whether it be with questionable songs with great beats, or films and television shows littered with misogynistic characters but great story lines. There’s something that makes these works of art that we should hate, in regards to content, popular and likable. The Usher song is a great example of using an awesome beat and sweet, serenading voice, in hopes of disguising such a questionable message. Are all of the popular content that carry these sour lessons on being a human being, disguised really well with other fancy aspects in order to distract viewers and listeners from the reality of what is going on and being said?

I think it is important to note that, with complex creations like films or music, not everything is black and white. There has to be some things we hate, some things we love, and some things we’re kind of unsure of, in the story line so that a complexity is there for audiences to evaluate and critique. It is questionable, however, if these complexities are put into these creations intentionally or naturally? Are these beliefs, words, messages, true to the creator’s reality and the audience they want to capture, or was it intentionally made in hopes of arousing some controversy on possible issues?

Unfortunately, I don’t have the answer to a lot of these questions, and if I could interview Usher right now I would. A lot of toxic messages are out in entertainment media, and it is important to be mindful of whether its consumption is changing our ideals on what is right or wrong. However, I do know the struggle. It’s incredibly confusing when you hear a song and don’t support what’s being said, but continue to dance wildly along because it’s just too damn catchy to avoid enjoying yourself over.

Happy Days During Finals

Jeannie Marie Leave a comment

In the midst of finals taking and paper writing (and staying up till 4 am and crying), there is always been one thing I can count on.

Music.

I’ve talked a LOT about music over my time here as a blogger, and though I’m not proud of the fact that my interests are sometimes less diverse than I’d like them to be, it just goes to show that one thing you can always count on me for is that I love music.

But tonight, for some odd reason, an atypical song popped into my head.

Now, I say atypical because it’s just not the typical song I go to when I’m stressed or I have a 40 page portfolio due tomorrow. Usually I’d be playing some variation of Dustin O’Hallaran’s music, maybe if I’m in the mood for lyrics I’ll turn on Magnolia by Young & Sick (which, Spotify informed me today, was my most played song in 2014. Uh, yay?).

But instead, this song came up. I’m guessing it’s because it sounds kind of like a Christmas song, with its soaring, gentle, but major melodies (major, as in the music key, not as in major, like major grade).

And I’m glad it did. I will have to admit, I hold a fondness for musicals and the type of songs you find in them. I love a good rock opera (The Toxic Avenger anyone?), but nothing can beat me belting out SOMEBODY BEING IN LOOOOOOOOOVE WITH ME in the shower when I’m sure that no one’s around. I love a good show tune.

Which is why I’m embarrassed that I found this lovely duet through Glee. But hey, the journey doesn’t matter, right? Just the ending? Right? Yeah that’s what the Hobbit was about.

So, even though this is shorter than my typical post (and later…oops….shhhhhh it’s not midnight I don’t have a portfolio due tomorrow yeah I’m almost done), here it is – a fantastic duet with two amazing actresses and singers, two of the greatest of the 20th century, singing a song that will hopefully get you through your finals.

Forget your troubles
Happy days
Come on get happy
Are here again
You better chase all your cares away
The skies above are clear again
Shout hallelujah
So lets sing a song
Come on get happy
Of cheer again
Get ready for the judgement day
Happy days are here again

 

Headphones Rant, aka I Can’t Stand Earbuds

Jeannie Marie 1 Comment

When I was little-er (like 10 or so), I got a Walkman Portable CD player, either as a gift for Christmas or just as something my parents got me, and I got these really, super comfortable headphones to go with it (not really). I actually still have that Walkman, in the little nook area under my nightstand drawer at home, along with my embarrassingly small CD collection.

When I first got that thing, I was in heaven. My mom often played me her CDs in the car, and we had a decent if not nice stereo system (for the time), along with a turntable for her to play her records. I guess I was 12 or so when I was allowed to use the stereo, and I still remember how, when I opened the cabinet in our entertainment center that held all her CDs, my mind was blown with how many she had. Now that I’m older and taller, the collection doesn’t look as big, but it still makes me smile how those were the CDs she listened to when she was in high school.

In short, my mom loved music, and thus, so do I. There is a deep tradition of car singing and dancing between the two of us, and even though my mom tries to tell me that she’s my mom and not my friend, I know that when it comes to music, she’s happy we both love it the same way, even if our taste in artists now differ.

But back to the Walkman. As someone who grew up with music, and my mom fostering that love by buying me my own CDs (early additions to the collection? Hilary Duff’s CD and the Jonas Brothers’ second ((and best)) album). One clear memory I have with that Walkman was the time my aunt pulled me and my cousin away from Houston and the impending Hurricane Rita, taking us to “safety” (and A/C) in College Station in the middle of the night with everyone else trying to get the heck out of town. What is normally an hour and half, maybe two hour drive quickly turned into a 4 hour trek, and so all I had to lull me to sleep was my trusty Walkman. What makes this memory so vivid, however, is not the long ride or even the music I was listening to, but the headphones.

I absolutely hated those headphones. They drove me insane, especially since they were the kind with the fake cushy things that slide over the hard plastic, and one had fallen off and I had lost it. After my experience with those headphones, and the introduction of the earbud, all the rage and of course all my friends had a pair, I told myself I’d swear off over the ear headphones for good, and besides, they weren’t cool anymore anyways.

So, headphones. All this now leads me to the most random (and ironic) thing ever, which is that I love over the ear headphones now. Frankly, the topic of headphones has been on my mind recently because mine broke right before thanksgiving, and while I now have replacements, they are the dreaded earbuds. What I loved in my childhood has now become what I hate.

And what’s strangest is the fact that there’s a part of me that really really needs over the ear headphones. Like, my inner soul is yearning for it. Which is how this relates to arts, because, well, headphones and music, but also because I’ve never really recognized how crucial my headphones were to my creative process.

I’ve always liked listening to music while I write (case and point: I’m currently listening to “I Got A Boy” by Girl’s Generation), and I’ve always known that music has been a big inspiration for me. My last short story was named after a Phoenix song, and I have not one, not two, but three playlists on Spotify called “writing” (I, II, and III respectively).

But now, even though I have in ears, I feel like I’m missing something, like I’m open and exposed to the world without my over the ear headphones. It’s the strangest feeling, but yet so telling about me and what I value.

Plus, my ear isn’t properly shaped for in ears and it’s annoying as heck to push them back in when it’s 20 degrees outside and I’m walking to class.

So I guess my point is don’t disrespect headphones. I mean really, they’re invaluable, if you love music as much as I do.

Oh, and if you’re curious, I’m saving up money to buy nice headphones instead of the cheap ones I usually get, like Bose or Beats or something. If you have any suggestions, let me know in the comments.

7/11? More like 911

Erika Bell Leave a comment

Beyonce has done it again. I am sorry to bring another fangirl post to the blogosphere about, in my opinion, one of the most inspiring and unattainable talents of R&B music, but it has to be done.

The singer released two new bonus records to her latest album Beyonce, entitled “7/11” and “Ring Off.” The songs were meant to be released at a later date, but somehow they got out before their planned release. Thank the heavens they did.

“Ring Off” is a song that seems to be about the singer’s mother and the drama experienced between her father. It’s empowering. She sings to her mother in a loving voice telling her to finally put her “love on top” (a reference to a track from her studio album “4”). The theme coincides with her album’s mission of women empowerment. Going through the ups and downs of her marriage, the singer is consoling her mother and letting her know that it is finally time for her to be happy with this “ring off” of her finger. She can finally be herself and learn from the mistakes that happened in her past. Great song, check it out here!

“7/11” is just what the doctor ordered. The beat follows suit to some of the hits from the current album like “Partition” and “Drunk in Love”. There’s a place to dance, a place to sing, and a place to…rap? Yes, the singer seems to have fallen into her own genre with the Beyonce album in general. Mixing her vocal abilities of singing with the crispness of her speaking voice, she stands in her own lane with this upbeat hit.

The possibly biggest fangirl part of this record is the D.I.Y video she did for it. Check it out below, and then we’ll talk.

Yes, she’s in her underwear 98% of the video. Yes, she’s still amazing. The video showcases her dancing around with, what seems to be her real backup dancers, having fun with the some of the moves they’ve been working on for the track. There’s butt-shaking, there’s a pyramid of bodies, and there’s Blue Ivy for .2 seconds on a bed. I mean, can it get any better than that?

The release of these two records and the music video reminded me of how exciting it can be hearing a great song for the first time or seeing a great video for the first time. Music, especially the mainstream kind, can get old really fast, and it’s always great to have that “wow” moment when something first enters your ears and takes you over. Whatever music you enjoy, I encourage you to try and absorb the moment when you first hear a favorite track or view a favorite video. It’s great for memories because we all know how overexposure is the theme of this generation.