Mood:
caffeinated2009-01-23
How often do we spend big bucks on tickets to see big stars perform in big cities in big arenas where we are just one lonely little person in a folding chair up in the nose bleed section and we've just stepped in something and we're not sure if we want to know what it is?
Live Music! - What we will do for Live Music. How often have I heard someone recount an experience like the one above and say, "I could have stayed at home and listened to the CD and it would have sounded better" as they grouse about the antics of the person bedside them, or worse, the one in front of them.
That's why I love small coffeehouses and jam sessions and the like. You never know what kind of music you'll be hearing so you don't have the narrow expectations that are almost always not met at the 'big shows'. You see yourself and your community in the performers, they are neighbours, friends, people who live nearby and a sense of pride seasons your enjoyment. You laugh and chat with the person beside you, even if you've only just met. You laugh and chat with the performers afterwards. Often you can help out setting up or breaking down the set. You are an integral part of it. Live Music the way it should be. Live Music played to you.
I guess what I'm getting at is that SMALL Live Music is interactive. Live Local Music can touch us in ways that 'Big Shows' can't. In the final analysis, I guess you really can't compare them at all. Like apples and oranges, they're related, and they're both yummy, but definately not the same! I think the biggest difference is that small live music events are a lot easier to attend and afford!
See you on February 14th at the Chetwynd Coffee House. And if you're in the neighbourhood, stop in at Under the Willow (corner 9 str and 103 ave, Dawson Creek) on January 31st at 6pm for the first ever Monthly Under the Willow Coffeehouse - Musicians AND Artists! Does it get any better?
