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  • From: Robin Sinhababu <rsinhab AT gmail.com>
  • To: ch-scene AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: Eh, Whatever!
  • Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:52:32 -0500

Glenn wrote:
"Really!?!? I can't necessarily say the last R.E.M. album was one of
their better albums, albeit one of their best in years, and that show
was as good as the R.E.M. shows I saw i the eighties. Sure, I'd like
to have heard more older songs but the live show was BETTER than the
album itself. I'd probably say the same about Morrissey the other
night, although still need to spend more time with that album."

Yes, it's less true for bands with a 16-album discography. Even so,
last I saw R.E.M. at Walnut Creek, I'd rather have heard them play "I
Believe" or "9-9" than "She Just Wants to Be" or some other song
featuring terrible soloing from Peter Buck.

But R.E.M., along with Aerosmith and U2 and whomever else, is an
exception. I'm talking about Pavement's Terror Twilight tour, or slow
instrumental Black Flag, or late-80s Bad Brains. I've enjoyed shows
by Interpol and Mission of Burma (and R.E.M.) that were still weighed
down by mediocre new material. Do you really think it is uncommon for
bands to tour in support of their newly released first or second or
third LP and draw heavily from it? If the tour just follows the
release, I might not have heard the album yet and will be glad to hear
if it is likely to harm the show.

glenn wrote:
Now, as you say, it's their job to keep people from paying covers to
bad shows, then why are the 'bad' show always acts that have some kind
of national profile and maybe not the band that's just learning it
chops or the band playing a venue with shitty sound or, gasp, a local
band!?!? As much of a supporter that I am of the local music scene,
not every local act is better than Bishop Allen (although I'm sure
Grayson and I would both agree that plenty are.)

The bands you claim are unmentioned in "Eh, Whatever" are not bands
likely to draw a bunch of people paying covers, and therefore less
worthy of critical newsprint than a group that could squander much
more of readers' energy and dollars. But I think your criticisms are
valid; the paper should go steps further and note what bands are
rudimentary to the point of not rocking, what venues have bad sound,
and what local bands are a poor use of readers' energy and dollars. I
guess the Independent just isn't negative enough for us, man.

Robin




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