The Case for Freedom ('90)

Includes tour spoilers!

For as long as I’ve been seeing U2 live, they’ve used awesome “walk on” songs – the song that plays loudly over the PA system just before they take the stage.  It’s a song that fits the vibe of that tour, and gets the crowd excited for the amazingness they’re about to witness.  For Popmart, they used M’s “Pop Muzik.”  “All You Need Is Love” and “Sgt. Pepper” opened Elevation.  For Vertigo, it was Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up.”  Bowie’s “Space Oddity” lifted off the 360 Tour, and most recently, Patti Smith’s “People Have The Power” kicked off the I+E Tour.  I know that the U2 tour starts tomorrow, so I might be too late to influence the walk on song, but I am making the case that George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90” is the perfect choice.  I’ve even asked some fan friends and tweeted to the band that there’s strong support for this song.

First, we have to acknowledge that three major artists have passed away since U2’s last tour – David Bowie – friend and idol of the band; Prince – possibly the greatest single musician ever, and musical/vocal inspiration for U2’s “Lemon”; and George Michael – their contemporary, a brilliant songwriter, and my favorite male singer (sorry Bono!).  I am a huge fan of all three of these incredible men – as are many other U2 fans – and I hope that the pre-show music heavily represents all three of them.  Suggested related songs: Bowie’s “Heroes,” and Prince’s “Emancipation,” but I could do an entire setlist!

When George passed away on Christmas Day, Bono wrote a sweet tribute and specifically mentioned George’s cover of “Miss Sarajevo” on his album Songs From The Last Century. 

“The tenderness of George Michael's version of Miss Sarajevo brought this Irish tenor to his knees... no opera, no histrionics

No Irish or Italian melancholy needed

George Michael was a beautiful soul made vulnerable by music

We'll miss what was but what was next we'll miss even more”

I think they’ve been rehearsing Miss Sarajevo, certainly to address the state of the world and Syria in particular, but also partly as a tribute to him.

“All we have to do now is to take these lies and make them true somehow.”

U2 has said in recent interviews that revisiting The Joshua Tree album feels right because the political and social climate of our world seems all too close to the world of 1987 – war, lies, all of the –isms and -phobias, and mistrust of once-respected institutions.  We’re having a particularly difficult time with this in the U.S.  Joshua Tree’s overtly spiritual and political messages were an attempt to find truth in 1987, the same year that George released his Faith album – his first solo album after leaving Wham!  It’s worth noting that both albums won back-to-back Grammys for Album of the Year (because of release dates, JT won in 1988, and Faith won in 1989).  While “Freedom! ‘90” isn’t obviously political, it has become a gay pride anthem, and is the perfect theme song for anyone who wants to be truly themselves.  When I had the good fortune of seeing George live in 2008, he closed the show with the song, and the arena erupted in joy.

“Sometimes the clothes do not make the man.”

The song’s themes also focus on personal issues: what happens to an artist when they achieve global stardom, then feel trapped by image and expectations, and eventually destroy the old image in order to break through to a new space and true creative revolution.  For George, this meant reflecting on his years with Wham! and during his Faith period and declaring a new start.  “Freedom! ‘90” was released in 1990, on George’s landmark Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1 album.  In the iconic video, he literally set on fire his Faith-era jacket.  Post-Joshua Tree, and Rattle & Hum, U2 struggled with their earnest image.  Even Frank Sinatra joked that their ragged folky clothes were pretty cheap-looking.  This identity crisis led to the groundbreaking Achtung Baby in 1991 (a year after Listen Without Prejudice), which they called “the sound of four men chopping down the Joshua Tree.”

“I think there’s something you should know,

I think it’s time I stopped the show,

There’s someone deep inside of me,

There’s someone else I’ve got to be.”

I recognize that this tour is meant to be a celebration of The Joshua Tree, so a song that focuses on moving on from the past might not seem like a good fit.  The Joshua Tree is U2’s most popular and well-known album.  Thirty years on, the songs are still as powerful as ever.  But this tour is not nostalgia – U2 doesn’t do nostalgia.  Setlist spoilers have suggested that they may use the tour as a preview of their next album – Songs of Experience.  I’m as excited to hear new music as I am to hear “In God’s Country”, “Exit,” and “Mothers Of The Disappeared” for the first time (well, ALMOST as excited).  So we should pay tribute, but not be beholden, to the past.

“Gotta have some faith in the sound,

It’s the one good thing that I’ve got.”

I also have to point out that “Gotta have some faith in the sound” reminds me of the lines at the end of “Get On Your Boots”: “Let me in the sound; meet me in the sound.”  And for the record, I also think “Boots” would make a great fit for this tour.  To completely lose oneself in the music, and the joy of a kick ass rock and roll show.  Imagine 50,000 people singing “Freedom!,” dancing to one of George’s funkiest jams, and letting him know – wherever his spirit is – how much he is loved and missed.  How great would that be?

My First Concert

Hi everyone -

I've been on a bit of a hiatus during a busy summer, but I am back and will have new and more consistent content this fall.

This post is about my first ever concert - one of the most important days of my life.

Today is the 25^th anniversary of that day.  It was Thursday, September 14^th, 1989.  I was 12, a couple of months from 13, and in 7^th grade.  The concert was New Kids on the Block at the York Fair, in my hometown of York, PA.

I was the perfect age to be a fan of this boy band that had taken over the world.  In the days before the Internet, I learned about them through the radio, MTV, and teen magazines like Bop.  I fell hard.  They were cute, they could sing and dance, and they sang love songs that my 12-year-old brain and heart couldn’t get enough of.  They were magical. 

When I found out they were playing at the Fair, I asked my mom if I could go.  She would let me go but she had to go with me.  I think she didn’t want me to go with my friends because she thought we might get kidnapped or worse.  And because she was a single mom and didn’t want to get a sitter, we had to bring my younger brother Jake.  He sat the entire time, and I’m certain he is still scarred from the experience.  (Sorry Jake!)

We didn’t get tickets the day they went on sale, but we did go to the Fair box office to buy them.  There was no Ticketmaster or Live Nation.  I think tickets were maybe $15, and we got great seats in the front of what would be the first row off of the floor, stage left.  My mom was the best.

I actually don’t remember a lot from the concert itself, except that it was like fireworks were being set off inside of me.  As far as I know, there isn’t a bootleg copy of the show available, and I’m pretty sure there isn’t a setlist that I can look up.  But I do remember singing along to every song.  I remember that the opening act was an acrobat of some sort, because I don’t think they had an opener and that’s what you get at a county fair. 

I remember that they performed “My Favorite Girl,” because I turned to my mom and sang the chorus to her, and we were both standing and dancing.  She liked them because they were safe and didn’t do drugs and were nice young men.  They still are.

I remember that Donnie introduced the group members, and he said that we’d have to yell Jon’s name extra loud for him to come out on stage because he was shy.  He still is.

I remember buying a t-shirt after the show, which I wore to school the next day, along with half of the people in my class because they were there too.  I no longer have the shirt, or most of the stuff I had back in the day, but I’m sure I could find one on eBay.

I didn’t see them again in concert before they split up in 1994, but I was a fan until the end.  I bought their last album the day it went on sale when I was junior in high school, long after they stopped being cool.  People made fun of me for still liking them.  I didn’t care.

After they broke up, I was okay.  I moved on and became a fan of lots of other music, including my “grown up boy band,” U2.  And then – AND THEN – in 2008, out of nowhere, they got back together and recorded an album and went on tour.  Not to get too heavy, but as a girl whose father died when I was little, this was hugely important for me.  They don’t just leave and create an unfillable void in your heart.  They come back.  The fans came back too.  They were so grateful that we still supported them.  We were so grateful that they were here again.  It has been a true love fest.  I have seen them about 10 times since they reunited and went on their cruise in 2011.

Their live shows are totally incredible and they outdo themselves every time I see them.  In 1989, I’m sure they put on a great show, but they didn’t have to do much to impress us.  Now, I think they work harder to entertain us because they know how hard we work to be able to afford tickets to the shows.  They always thank us for our dedication.  And they are still pretty magical.

Most importantly, this concert sparked my love of experiencing live music – a privilege that I cannot imagine my life without.  There is no better feeling than when the lights go down and the music starts, and you get that rush of I AM ALIVE AND THIS IS HAPPENING.  I have been to over 100 concerts, which pales in comparison to many people I know, but I hope to have many years of shows ahead of me.  I have made dozens of incredible friends through my love of New Kids on the Block and U2, and Springsteen, and other bands.  I am so grateful to NKOTB and for this first concert for inspiring me and filling that void that I didn’t know was there. 

How Not To Dress: Festival Edition

First of all, I have to say that I will never give anyone strict fashion dos and don'ts for concerts.  Individual expression is essential for life, and it would be totally uncool of me to tell you what to do.  There are people who will try to tell you what is in this year, etc., and that you need to look a certain way.  Those people are poseurs and have no idea what they're talking about.

That said, I try to have some basic rules for how I dress, with an emphasis on practicality.  Typically, I wear something comfortable but kind of "hip" (according to my tastes) or "funky" (in a good way) to a concert.  If it's an outdoor show, cotton is my best friend.  Dark colors hide sweat a little bit better than light or medium colors.  If it's an indoor concert in a cooler month, I definitely dress up a little bit more, and wear jewelry.  But during the summer, sometimes you just have to surrender to the sweat and realize that everyone else around you is going to be a little "funky" (in a bad way) too.

This month's Self Magazine has a feature on "Festival Style" and I was pretty appalled at the BS they were peddling in the guise of "this is what cool people wear!"  Below are photos of the spread.  They also have an online link that I'm not going to share because it featured way-too-expensive clothing and I don't want to waste your time.

 



 

 

First of all, these outfits cost at least several hundred dollars; probably more.  You could be spending that money on more concert tickets!

 

Second, these women are all celebrities.  They're probably hanging out in a VIP area that is air-conditioned and includes places to sit, not standing in a crowd in the heat all day.  If you wore leather boots (LEATHER!), or a ton of jewelry, or your big 'ol muumuu or kaftan or whatever, outside in 90 degree heat for 8 hours, you wouldn't look so cute at the end of the day.  You'd look like a hot mess.  Like everyone else.  Also, you do not need to bring a fringe bag, because it will probably be torn up by the end of the day.  A light backpack or cross-body bag is all you really need.

 

Third, these celebrities are only dressed this way because they know they're being photographed.  You are not being photographed.  In fact, and this is my #1 rule when I'm getting ready for a show: When the lights go down, NO ONE IS LOOKING AT YOU.

 

A NOTE ON FOOTWEAR

 

The one thing Self did get right is the footwear - definitely flats, preferably sneakers or comfortable sandals.  Not like this person who my friend Roxy recently saw at an outdoor show who thought heels were a wise decision:

Photo courtesy of Roxy Freefall

 



She knew she'd be standing for at least an hour, maybe longer.  Again, no one is looking at your feet.  The only way people will be looking at you is if you're in a great deal of pain from standing too long and can barely walk, or if you trip on the stairs in a theater or arena - and then they'll be pointing and laughing, too.

 

If you have to dress like this to appear to be cool, you probably aren't.  You probably don't even know who's playing.  You're just there to be seen, and if that's the case, go hang out in your air-conditioned VIP tent and get out of my way.

Rolling Stone article on VIP Packages at festivals

Just want to share this great article from Rolling Stone on VIP packages at festivals.  Indeed, VIP packages are becoming way too common at concerts in general.  I have only participated in the experience once, when a friend bought a VIP pass for me.  And that particular experience was worth it, but it has gotten out of control. 

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/why-vip-packages-are-ruining-rock-festivals-20140522

I don't have a lot to add to the article, except to say that, eventually, if artists and promoters don't insist on making so much money, audiences will be filled with nothing but entitled assholes who are barely paying attention.  If I'm not at least meeting and getting a photo with the artist, then VIP is just a giant rip-off.  And, as the article says, it's SO not rock 'n roll...

Concert Safety - Performers Must Be Involved!

One of the most important concerns about going to concerts - especially for women and girls - is the very real fear of being physically or sexually harassed or assaulted.  A lot of stuff can happen when the lights go down, and even in broad daylight.  Perhaps the worst case of widespread violent behavior happened at Woodstock '99, when several women reported being raped and pretty much nothing was done to protect anyone's safety.  That festival, of course, turned out to be a dangerous mess by the end, with fires and destruction by a bunch of idiots, and not enough security to deal with what was happening.

The Salon article below is from Woodstock '99.  A "counselor" said there wasn't a lot he could do as he witnessed a rape of a young woman because the "big, brawny people" engaged in rape were too much for him to handle.  The article also mentions a report by a woman who said she was raped, but who appeared to have been intoxicated, so police couldn't get a clear story from her.  This is, of course, the lame excuse police give for not doing their jobs:

http://www.salon.com/1999/07/29/rape_4/

Sadly, not a lot has changed since then, except that maybe the violence has become less obvious.  Sleazy jerks know how to get away with this behavior and keep it hidden from security and other concert-goers.

Recently there was a story that Staind lead singer Aaron Lewis called out a bunch of guys for molesting a teenage girl who was crowd-surfing.  He told them he was going to make sure everyone knew who they were and was going to have the people around them beat them up if it continued.  This made me so happy to hear that a band was clearly getting involved.  Below is a link to the story with the video (NSFW due to language, but very important to watch):

http://www.pitch.com/FastPitch/archives/2014/06/02/staind-lead-singer-interrupts-rockfest-set-to-save-teenage-crowd-surfer-from-molesters

Performer involvement in making sure women and girls are protected gained a lot of momentum during the Riot Grrrl movement, which started partly in response to the problems young women were having when they went to shows and couldn't enjoy themselves because of the mosh pits and harassment.  As some of the bands of my generation start having their own children who are old enough to go to shows, they will hopefully be more aware of what is happening, and try to call out bad behavior like Aaron Lewis did.

I'm not going to create a list of things women and girls should do to protect themselves, with the stupid suggestions like not crowd-surfing, not drinking, not wearing "revealing" clothing, etc.  These lists already exist, and more importantly, they perpetuate the notion that the victims were doing something wrong and brought on their attacks or situations themselves.  What are we supposed to do, dress like an Amish person during an all-day summer festival and stand quietly in the back?  Instead, let's focus on the perpetrators NOT ENGAGING IN THE BEHAVIOR, and BETTER SECURITY to help if something bad is happening.

It appears that most venue security just want to get you in and out in an orderly fashion, and are there to protect the performers from you getting too close.  A lot of venues are too cheap to provide adequate security.  Some venues get it right, but way too many don't.

Artists, bands, and promoters have tremendous influence over what happens at their shows.  If they insist, as part of their performance contracts, that they must have a minimum ratio of security personnel-to-X number of concertgoers, it could go a long way towards making sure their fans have a good time.  Additionally, better training for security would allow them to spot people who are intoxicated or becoming violent, and prevent or handle problems immediately. 

There will likely be an argument that increased and better trained security would increase costs to put on a show, and that ticket prices would increase.  Or, that it would cut into the (usually way to high) profits that big artists and promoters make.  I would need to do a more thorough analysis of costs, but hiring 100 extra security personnel for a big festival, at $300 per day, would be $90,000 for a 3-day festival.  This is maybe $2 extra per ticket.  Or, ya know, the headlining artists and promoters could chip in and make less money - crazy, I know.

My other possibly unpopular opinion is that alcohol sales should be strictly limited at shows.  This doesn't prevent assholes from getting wasted before they get to the show, but it would greatly reduce the amount of violent and stupid behavior that goes on.  75% of the problems I see at shows are because people are under the influence.  Of course, alcohol sales are a huge money-maker as well.  Well guess what?  It also leads to a lot of people potentially having a bad experience at your venue.  Ticket sales are already suffering, and not providing a safe environment at your shows will only mean less people attending them in the long run.

I am happy to say that I personally have never been physically harassed at a show, but I know many people who have.  Ultimately, everyone in the concert business has to care enough to make safety a priority, and we, as the people paying money for tickets, have to make them care.  If these situations aren't fixed soon, there will be little left for women and girls to do but to boycott all of these events.  Let's figure out a way to work together to make sure harassment and assaults stop happening.

Comments and ideas are always welcome!

What to bring: Travel light with Velcro

I was a Girl Scout, so I always like to Be Prepared when I go to a show.  I usually have lip balm, gum, tissues, and other items on hand for myself and the people around me.  If you've been to a general admission concert - especially outdoor festivals - and you wanted to bring in more than just your wallet and keys, you may have found yourself in one of the following situations:

• Lack of pocket space to bring everything you want to bring into the venue,
• Stuff that melts in pockets, like lip balm or a tube of sunscreen,
• For women, bringing a purse and holding up the line while security inspects it (and then getting the evil eye from people like me who are like "COME ON - I WANNA GET A GOOD SPOT!!!!")

I have found what I think is a good solution: Velcro makes brightly colored One-Wrap strips that you can use to make bracelets and stick your stuff to them.  They come in 5-packs and you can use them, along with adhesive Velcro squares, to make ridiculous-looking but functional gear holders.

Below is a sample of things you can use, like sunscreen, eye drops, gum, small packs of tissues, hand sanitizer, witch hazel cleaning wipes (for your sweaty self or that front rail that's had thousands of other people's germs all over it), electrolyte tablets for your bottled water (for proper hydration, of course), and anything that could comfortably fit.  The travel section at your local drug store is a great place to find stuff.  Obviously, the Wet Ones wipes and hand sanitizer are too big for a wrist, but they are super handy if you have a pocket.

First, stick the scratchy Sticky-Back squares to your stuff (the soft side doesn't work with the wraps):

Then, wrap the One-Wrap around your wrist, like so:

Then stick the stuff to your bracelet (below left), and you are stylin' and ready for anything!  The wrap and sticky squares are really strong and surprisingly comfortable.  I had no skin irritation when I tried them on.  I didn't test the wrap when I was really sweaty, but it is easily adjustable, or you can attach it to a belt loop (below right) or key ring.

The only problem I had is that they aren't super long, so I wasn't able to wrap one around my upper arm, but I'm sure you could attach a few together if you really wanted to.  A bonus is that security can spend less time searching you because everything is out in the open. 

Of course, you may think that this is totally silly, but you'll be everyone's best friend when they really need something that you just happen to have with you.  And even if you make fun of me, I'll still let you borrow my sunscreen.

Happy concert-going!

People to Avoid at Concerts: Loud Talkers

"The audience reaction will necessarily be a part of your experience.  That's the unsecret secret of the arts: The audience is a part of the whole deal.  If they suck, the show can suck." -- Ken Bloom & Josh Wellman, "Attending and Enjoying Concerts: A Student Guide"

In the past few years, I've noticed an epidemic at concerts, and many friends I've spoken with confirm it: people are talking too loudly and it's interrupting our enjoyment of the show.

Loud Talkers (LTs) are a special brand of annoying because they are completely oblivious to the fact that, uh, there are other people around them who can hear them.  To be clear, I'm not talking about people who are enthusiastic with their cheering, or occasionally shout out a song request.  I'm talking about the people who spend the entire evening shouting at their friends about anything EXCEPT the show - the cute gal/guy nearby, the latest sportsball game they saw, how totally wasted they are, etc. 

Your experience does not need to be ruined by LTs.  You can take action and help yourself and others around you enjoy the show.

Why do LTs behave this way?

I believe that there are a few reasons why people talk loudly at shows, and why it's gotten more prevalent in recent years.  These are not excuses, just explanations.

1) They're intoxicated.  Whether drunk or high, your behavior can become obnoxious, and you probably don't realize it.  This is a pretty obvious reason, and I'll cover the whole alcohol at concerts thing in a future post.

2) They don't know the song being played.  Yes, of course they should be open-minded enough to listen to something unfamiliar, but sadly, their small brains just cannot handle something they don't already know.  I was at a concert recently (David Gray - amazing!) and some idiot yelled "Play something we know!" after David played a bunch of songs from his new album.  Guess what?  Every single song you've ever heard was new at one time.  And guess what else?  Other people MAY have heard the song and are actually enjoying it!  So enjoy this moment or STFU.

3) Social media creates an quasi-anonymous forum for you to say whatever you want, without repercussion.  I don't have proof of this, but I really think that this is why LTs have gotten worse.  There have always been hecklers, but I think that many LTs think they can say whatever they want, and have forgotten that they are, in fact, among other people and that being loud is not cool.

4) They're entitled assholes.  Along with the social media thing, some LTs think that, since they paid a lot of money for their ticket, so they can behave however they want.  Well guess what, so did I.  And I didn't pay that much money to listen to you talk to your friends all night about something completely unrelated to what you're seeing.  Do you really want to spend an entire day's pay or more and not remember the awesomeness that is happening around you?

Dealing with LTs

So, how do you handle LTs?  Your situation will vary, and I encourage you to use your instincts depending on the situation.  The most important thing is to not be afraid.  Other people are likely pretty annoyed but don't want to cause a scene by saying anything.  When you speak up, it will empower others.

1) The first thing you should do assess whether you think the person will respond positively to your politely letting them know that they are too loud.  In most situations, the person has no idea that they're infringing on your good time, so it is best to politely let them know.  Tell them some variation of, "Could you please speak more softly?  I'm having trouble hearing the band."  Or, "Would you mind keeping it down?  Thanks."  In most situations, they will say "I am so sorry" and shut up or move.

2) If they yell at you or are rude, you can decide whether you want to escalate.  Tell them that you're all just trying to enjoy the show, and to be cool.  You can tell them that you didn't spend all this money to listen to them talk.  Enlist the help of others around you if necessary.  As I mentioned, most people just don't want to cause problems with the obnoxious person, but if you can outnumber them, you'll be much more successful in getting them to stop.

3) If the situation worsens and they become hostile, do not mess around with them.  Find an usher or security guard and let them know what's happening.  If someone is so obnoxious that they can't even shut the hell up when asked politely, they could become a bigger issue and security can and should absolutely step in at that point.

4) If YOU are the problem, you're probably not reading this anyway, but please just stop.  For real.  Stay home and listen to that one song you know and leave us alone.

If you have any suggestions for dealing with Loud Talkers, post a comment!  I'd love to hear from you!