Continuing on the root of a routine, I seem to see the same local bands play over and over again. And I rarely get tired of seeing them. Sure, I see plenty of other bands, but I definitely see my favorites as much as I can. To me, it's more than just seeing some songs performed live. And it's not just some social clique either.
Back in high school, I saw Matt's band play in all kinds of places. Backyard and block parties, the Young Life church, talent shows, Battle of the Bands, and so on. I must have seen them play thirty times and I always enjoyed the experience. No two shows were alike, so maybe that's why I continued this approach in college.
Some of the greatest bands I've seen live were from right here in Dallas/Fort Worth. Chomsky and Red Animal War rocked my mind in different ways. Chomsky had their skittish, melodic rock while Red Animal War made twisted post-hardcore into something of its own. Whenever they played and I was available (which was usually the case), I'd head on out. It didn't matter if they were playing as close as the front of campus or up in Denton, I was there because I wanted to be there.
Probably the best part of seeing local bands over and over is getting to know the band members personally. It still means a lot to me that I can shoot the breeze with somebody and then watch him or her play a great set. I definitely would not have that experience seeing Coldplay at the American Airlines Center. I don't mean to say that in a snooty way; there's a deeper, personal involvement this way.
My point is that I have a routine of seeing the same bands repeatedly. I'm not one to blindly walk into a venue not knowing anybody on the bill. Suggestions are always welcome from people I know and I always try to arrive early/stay late for the other acts on the bill. But why I stick to this routine is because I know that I will enjoy the show and get my money's worth. When I hear about how ticket prices just go through the roof to see someone like Barbra Streisand or the Police, I wonder if I would get any pure enjoyment by paying out of the nose. That's very doubtful to me.
Back in high school, I saw Matt's band play in all kinds of places. Backyard and block parties, the Young Life church, talent shows, Battle of the Bands, and so on. I must have seen them play thirty times and I always enjoyed the experience. No two shows were alike, so maybe that's why I continued this approach in college.
Some of the greatest bands I've seen live were from right here in Dallas/Fort Worth. Chomsky and Red Animal War rocked my mind in different ways. Chomsky had their skittish, melodic rock while Red Animal War made twisted post-hardcore into something of its own. Whenever they played and I was available (which was usually the case), I'd head on out. It didn't matter if they were playing as close as the front of campus or up in Denton, I was there because I wanted to be there.
Probably the best part of seeing local bands over and over is getting to know the band members personally. It still means a lot to me that I can shoot the breeze with somebody and then watch him or her play a great set. I definitely would not have that experience seeing Coldplay at the American Airlines Center. I don't mean to say that in a snooty way; there's a deeper, personal involvement this way.
My point is that I have a routine of seeing the same bands repeatedly. I'm not one to blindly walk into a venue not knowing anybody on the bill. Suggestions are always welcome from people I know and I always try to arrive early/stay late for the other acts on the bill. But why I stick to this routine is because I know that I will enjoy the show and get my money's worth. When I hear about how ticket prices just go through the roof to see someone like Barbra Streisand or the Police, I wonder if I would get any pure enjoyment by paying out of the nose. That's very doubtful to me.
Comments
But I hear ya on getting to know bands and their members.