Like a Bigger Bull in a China Shop
Denver is slowly recovering from the Jerry-Bruckheimer-hangover that was the U2 360 show this past Saturday that could be seen from space, but what can’t be seen from space these days? Well, subtlety is probably the answer, but if I say that publicly I might lose my Whiz Bang Whammo! Membership Card ™. Yeah, yeah, I know one of the ways I get paid is by standing in front of a thousand people and legally making them scream their brains out at me. I totally enjoy it. Who wouldn’t? Especially if it’s 80,000 people like Bono and you’re making the GNP of Guam in a night? Sign me up, but also hear me out.
The inspiration for me writing this post was actually a question I reflexively asked a major band in an interview in the last few days. The question was: “So how many limited edition versions of the new album are you guys releasing?” It wasn’t, “So will there be a limited edition?, what will be in the limited edition?, etc.” How many? was the question. The median answer based on my experience is three with the highest so far being a mid-level national metal band called Chelsea Grin out of Salt Lake with 14 (Fourteen). The days of the Easter Egg hunt on an album are way past gone. These days if you play an album backwards your smart phone will print out a digital coupon for 10% off of the next level of limited edition upgrade, which basically means free nylon gym shorts with the bands logo embroidered in the stretchy part. When facetiousness meets reality.
But wait just a toodle…I’m not one to place you on a cynical ledge and leave you there alone. Oh no, I’m standing there with you. (Unless I need some more ledge space of course.) One of my favorite gestalt media bands is Hail The Villain, whose art is pushed through every media possible (music, web, comics, video and probably sock puppets), and I have heard that when the promised hologram technology arrives their multimedia storylines will be completed live in concert. IE: Their website will introduce the characters, a youtube video will set the stage, a comic book will play out the scene, but it will be their live stage show that catches the cliff hanger. Living comic books that you will need to attend a concert in order to complete a story. Musical media is all about becoming an “Oh shit!” moment. Or a giant mega media claw that can be seen from space. Or even better one from space. I’ve got the Bruckheimer jitters just thinking about it.
Of course, I could be wrong.
Here’s Colorado based 9-year-old musical prodigy Jaden Carlson to put all this music stuff into real life perspective. She wrote this song btw. When I was nine I was wondering why the worms I tied in a knot weren’t staying knotish:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRw5WLF7APo&NR=1