Shakespeare wrote:I just think it's weird how people complain about the quality of popular music these days, but then a talented and respected band blows up and people seem to use it against them.
I've never understood this either. I missed R.E.M. in their club days but I was around to see them go from playing college campuses to places like the Dean Dome in Chapel Hill and Greensboro Coliseum. People love to pin the words "sell out" on them throughout the various stages of their career but I always thought they handled their always growing audience (and all that came with it) very well. In fact, I'd say they helped set the precedent and served as role models for lots of artists in how they handled those transitions. That's just one example, I'm sure there's lots of others. What are the Black Keys to do, continue to play small clubs?
Shakespeare wrote:I have no problem with the arena shows. I thought twice about going, but the only arena show I've been to (Foo Fighters) was an absolutely fantastic evening, so I don't mind the setting. I don't think they're quite ready as a live act, but I don't blame them for cashing in while they can. If they'd booked smaller shows they would have sold out and people would bitch about not getting tickets, so it's lose lose in a way.
I just think it's weird how people complain about the quality of popular music these days, but then a talented and respected band blows up and people seem to use it against them.
I think its more that the Black Keys just aren't necessarily ready for that kind of stage.
I too don't really have a problem with arena shows, but the shows are a lot better when the band knows how to work that kind of a room, and while I haven't seen a Black Keys arena show, I can see them not translating well to that format of concert.
Maybe I'm in the minority, but I'd rather the bands I love play big shows and make a comfortable living than to toil in semi obscurity playing tiny clubs for decades. Of course I love the intimacy of a small show, but these are guys and girls who need to make a living, and it just seems selfish to put my concert preferences over their livelihood. I'd "sell out" in an instant if I were a musician. Music, especially these days doesn't provide much insurance that there'll still be demand years down the road, so I can't blame bands for cashing in on big venues and commercials when they're available. As long as they still release good music (like the Black Keys, in my opinion) none of that other stuff means as much.
@ Iowan, agreed. They're a good live band right now, but I don't expect them to be able to control an arena like a guy like Dave Grohl with years of experience doing it. But they could surprise me, who knows.
I wouldn't be so sure about the Black Keys not translating to an arena, I saw the White Stripes open for the Stones back in 2002 in Columbus, OH, and they sounded great in an arena setting.
rlipps wrote:I wouldn't be so sure about the Black Keys not translating to an arena, I saw the White Stripes open for the Stones back in 2002 in Columbus, OH, and they sounded great in an arena setting.
They might be great in an arena, but I have less desire to see the in that setting (or more to the point, at that price)
And I knew when I woke up Rock N Roll would be here forever
rlipps wrote:I wouldn't be so sure about the Black Keys not translating to an arena, I saw the White Stripes open for the Stones back in 2002 in Columbus, OH, and they sounded great in an arena setting.
They might be great in an arena, but I have less desire to see the in that setting (or more to the point, at that price)
So, it's for entirely selfish reasons that you don't want to see them become more successful. How much do you pay to see the Avetts these days?
rlipps wrote:I wouldn't be so sure about the Black Keys not translating to an arena, I saw the White Stripes open for the Stones back in 2002 in Columbus, OH, and they sounded great in an arena setting.
They might be great in an arena, but I have less desire to see the in that setting (or more to the point, at that price)
So, it's for entirely selfish reasons that you don't want to see them become more successful. How much do you pay to see the Avetts these days?
You misunderstand me. I'm fine with them being successful. I'm just choosing not to go see them at that price anymore
And I knew when I woke up Rock N Roll would be here forever
I still have some catching up to do when it comes to those early Drivin' n' Cryin' albums. I first heard of them via "Honeysuckle Blue" in the late 80s when R.E.M. took them out on the road for the Green World Tour. I also don't have MacDougal Blues. What I do have in the D n' C dept are Fly Me Courageous and (Whatever Happened To) The Great American Bubble Factory. As for solo Kevn, I have Broken Hearts and Auto Parts, Kevn Kinney's Sun Tangled Angel Revival, Comin' 'Round Again (by Sun Tangled Angel Revival), Pre-Approved, Pre-Denied and A Good Country Mile (with the Golden Palominos). Seeing them with R.E.M. solidified my fandom even if I didn't go out and immediately snatch up all of their records. After that, Kevn and Peter Buck toured in support of MacDougal Blues. I remember seeing them on MTV's 120 Minutes and was aware of their show at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro but I didn't go. That was back during the time when I wouldn't go to a concert by myself. Over the years, I always kept Kevn and Drivin' n' Cryin' in my periphery but they didn't really register with me in a big way again until Kevn's "Dirty Angels" appeared on Oxford American magazine's Southern Music sampler in 2000. Not long after that, I picked up Broken Hearts and Auto Parts after a lot of my friends recommended it on their year end best of lists for 2002 on the Guitartown email list. Next came the first Tres Tangled Truckers at the Pour House in Raleigh. I missed that one but made it a point to attend the second one. When Kevn revived Drivin' n' Cryin' I caught them in concert at the Pour House and rarely miss one of their shows (or Kevn's) when they come through this area, which is pretty often. In those years after I saw them open for R.E.M. in Chapel Hill, I probably saw them another 3-4 times. Sometimes as the opening act at Walnut Creek, another time when they played the Attic in Greenville in the early 90s. What I think is really cool about them is how Kevn straddles so many different styles and fanbases from hard rock and alternative music fans to fans of alt.country.
Didn't mean to write a novel but seeing all of those album covers just compelled me to get all of that out there for whatever reason.
From Daniel Hutchens' unbelievably cool One Long Hustle liner notes:
Out Of State Plates was the beginning of our partnership with David Barbe (who was gaining steam as a producer, having apprenticed with John Keane. David had played in Mercyland, one of my favorites when I first got to Athens). We brought him on board to produce, recording at his then-brand-new studio in Athens, Chase Park Transduction, and he quickly became a full-fledged member of the team. He has since produced every serious studio project I've done, Bloodkin and solo. He plays a variety of instruments on most tracks, and, contributes all sorts of miscellaneous creative input-- suggestions, arrangements, reassurances, psychological counseling, etc. After we started working with Barbe, the great majority of tracks we recorded wound up on the "official" record releases--so, unreleased tracks become much more scarce. The few songs that slipped through the cracks make up most of Chase Park Sessions.*
*note - Chase Park Sessions is the fifth and final disc of One Long Hustle
