of a (music) revolution...

I just got back from a really great concert. OK, ignore the fact that I'm about 15 years too old to listen to O.A.R. I guess working on college campuses for the last 10 years has kept me from becoming an old fuddy-duddy young(er). I have been able to dodge the whole shitty rap thing, even though that's a lot of what the kids are listening to on their iPods. Part rock band, part jam band, I've liked O.A.R. since I first heard them live a few years ago. I've now seen them four times live, with number #5 coming this Saturday in San Francisco. The fans can get a little overzealous at some of the shows, but in general it's all good and nothing that a few hours to sober up wouldn't solve.

It was a highly interactive show. The audience got to vote on the set list live during the show, and through some inventive technology the band got to see the text messages coming from the audience and could respond to them between songs. It really was cool, and could be a hint at the future of live music. Bands interacting with their audiences, and the fans connecting back with the bands in real time. It's already reached the point where a fan can enter the arena for a show, pay $20 up front at the t-shirt stand and get a wristband, then at the end of the night take that wristband back and get a complete mp3 download of that night's show to take home with them. Instant gratification.

Time to fess up... I wasn't completely honest about getting back from the concert. I didn't have to go anywhere, except my patio. The band, supporting their new album, put on a two hour concert live on the internet. So sitting on my patio with raw meat searing on the grill, barley pops chilling in the cooler, and no connection other than a wireless card, I was able to watch the full concert from the comfort of my lawn chair. The music was crystal clear, and the video was almost as sharp as HDTV. I got to pick which camera angle I wanted to watch, and vote on which song I wanted to hear next. Heck, I even downloaded an autographed set-list after the show. (These were the songs the band played, not necessarily in the order listed.)

Now I don't think that live music will ever be replaced... and I certainly hope it isn't. There are too many good things about the live music experience that can't be replaced or duplicated to make concerts obsolete. You can hear the music and see the bands online, but you can't feel the music. Seriously, where else can you pay $9 for a 12 oz. warm beer, stand in line nine minutes to pee during intermission and enjoy every minute of it? Still, it was a pretty cool way to end a Monday (after skipping out of work early to get home in time for the show).