Sunday, April 15th, 2007 // Paperhouse
Last week I read online in The Washington Post about world-famous violinist Joshua Bell, who decided to play in the Washington, D.C. metro for change. Bell hit the subway on January 12 of this year, and the experiment was certainly thought-provoking. To provide some background, Bell played for about an hour and made around $40. He was recognized by exactly one person, and a few others stopped to listen out of the hundreds that rushed by during the morning hour.
Immediately, what I thought about was the way I listen to music and how it affects my opinions. If a friend sits me down with their “pick of the week,” I’m in critical mode. If I’m reading the I Love Music forum online and someone raves about the latest Michael Mayer 12”, I get excited and think I’ll probably like it. I’m not sure where these predispositions come from, but — more importantly — I can’t even tell how much they influence my opinions of what I hear.
Should we experience certain music in the seclusion of headphones, or in a club with sweaty people? I think it definitely makes a difference, but shouldn’t be a concern. I recommend having a sense of trust in your own judgment and response. The article in the Post emphasizes the fact that many people failed to recognize the talent in Bell’s performance, but I feel that many of the passers-by may simply not be interested in the music, regardless of when and where it is performed. If the best Tuvan throat singer came and performed for me, I’m not sure I’d find it interesting. Similarly, in this situation I think that the organizers of this experiment took for granted the universality of classical music’s appeal and drew the wrong conclusion.
The people at L’Enfant Plaza, where Bell performed for a little under an hour, should not be put down for having the wrong priorities and for being unable to appreciate “beauty.” They should be studied and questioned to see what they find beautiful instead.
My sister is a violin performance major. I’ve heard her play for countless hours back at home, and have watched her ability grow over the years. I can tell a good violin performance from a bad one, but that’s about as far as my abilities go. I doubt I would have noticed anything world-famous in Bell’s performance, and it doesn’t really bother me because I don’t care to recognize the thousandth performance of the same old music by yet another violinist of the latest generation. I prefer a new music untainted by the staleness of repeated listening and criticism of centuries.
Sunday, April 8th, 2007 // Paperhouse
Monday, March 19, Justin Timberlake performed to a near-capacity crowd at the Mellon Arena in downtown Pittsburgh. His act featured an array of dancers and four runway-type structures along which Justin strutted during his act. The seats that lined these “bars,” which reportedly sold for upwards of $500 a pop, were regarded as the best in the house. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said that Timberlake performed as a superstar, and the production racked up “style points.”
A few days later, on March 22, Field Music and Land of Talk opened for Menomena at Lawrenceville Moose on 52nd street in Lawrenceville. Amidst a crowd of hipsters and undergraduates looking forward to the headliner, Field Music might have felt a smidge underappreciated (this author missed Land of Talk’s performance), but in fact they simply fell victim to the infamous “Pittsburgh audience,” whereby the crowd’s reaction, even to precise, virtuosic performances of solidly intoxicating pop or what have you, is a bit of polite applause along with the continuation of ongoing conversations. It’s not that we don’t appreciate the music — because we do, really — we just don’t feel obligated to show it.
Justin Timberlake’s performance, by my rough and by no means authoritative estimates, could have raked in close to $1 million in ticket sales. Admittedly, this might not have paid off all the dancers and event staff, but simply as a matter of scope it is impressive, compared to a few hundred folks in a dimly lit moose lodge auditorium decorated with strings of “ ’70s” aluminized confetti.
Some time after the Timberlake performance, one of the staff members at WRCT, who was in attendance during an executive meeting, suggested that we add Timberlake’s newest album, FutureSex/LoveSounds, into our regular rotation. This sparked what could be called a spirited debate as to the relative artistic quality (some asserted the term was being loosely applied) of Timberlake and, say, Electric Wizard, which I was not qualified to evaluate critically. I am not too familiar with either artist, though in the interests of disclosure I must admit a measure of considered displeasure at the notion of Timberlake’s sensational stadium-raising. But I do hope to say with some measure of authority that Timberlake’s album shall never be shown the light of our record library, except possibly in the future, in the interests of archival. He doesn’t need our exposure.
Sunday, April 1st, 2007 // Paperhouse
It’s common to hear complaints about Pittsburgh’s “horrible” music scene — remarks about how many venues have been closed down, how many mainstream bands bypass Pittsburgh on national tours, or even how nothing creative comes out of Pittsburgh. These statements are totally untrue, especially the last one. To prove it, here’s a list of local bands that are starting to gain national attention (at least within their genres).
Caustic Christ. Formed in 2000, Caustic Christ is a hardcore punk band akin to Municipal Waste and the Subhumans. Caustic Christ has toured throughout the US and Europe. When in Pittsburgh, the band often plays at the Mr. Roboto Project, which is a cooperatively run show space in Wilkinsburg.
Xanopticon. If you’ve been to an electronic show in Pittsburgh, you’ve probably seen Xanopticon open. Remember the guy in the black hoodie with the long greasy hair? Wait, that’s everyone. Well, he was probably the opener, twitching spastically on the crossfader, thinking melodies are unnecessary. If you’re into breakcore, which redefines the meaning of “relentless,” then Xanopticon’s a decent choice. Check him out at basically any Garfield Artworks show that’s even kind of relevant.
Grand Buffet. Pittsburgh is also home to a burgeoning hip-hop scene, and Grand Buffet is right there at its forefront. A duo made up of two Pittsburgh natives, they’ve been producing satirical hip-hop with a local bent for 10 years, and have long been known for their entertaining (usually with lots of audience participation) shows. Now, they’re starting to get really big, having just toured with Of Montreal and played with Sage Francis, Sole, Magnolia Electric Co., and Wesley Willis. You should probably look into their shows before they get as big as…
Girl Talk. You already know all about him. Or, if you don’t, just go read Pitchfork or Stylus or something — he’s an indie darling. Still a nice guy, though; he was only playing basement shows last year and is already getting international contracts. Still, you can catch him around Pittsburgh for cheap fairly often. No one is able to make stoic indie kids dance like him, and it’s not possible to interact with the crowd more. (Last year, when he opened for Prefuse 73 on campus, he smashed a mic into his head, drawing blood, and told the audience to call University Police on a girl for “having too much fun.” Definitely a fun night.)
