An idea, inspired by an event Keith Urban put on for healthcare workers just outside of Nashville recently. Now this is a concept I can get behind.
Just imagine it, we can all enjoy the experience of a live concert, safely inside our vehicles. The stage could be set up just like it would be at a festival, at a drive-in theater location, or even in a random field outside of the city. Put up two screens on either side of the stage, so those who are not close can still see the artist, while the speakers still protrude the voice of the artist, live in the flesh.
It’s not through a screen. It’s not prerecorded. We still get the lights, the instruments, the background vocals, that we would for a live show. Artists could go on tour, safely. They could still make an income. We could get that concert fill.
So…anyone want to start a new concert venue with me?
We’re all suffering from no concert depression, am I right?
I fully regret not taking advantages of concerts when they were so readily available to me. Which could be said for a lot of stuff in our world right now. We’re grieving (in a way) what we lost. Is this the new normal?
I’ve only gotten a chance to watch a few virtual concerts and a few things I’ve noticed:
They were prerecorded (probably for editing sake)
No production (to be expected under the circumstances)
Some of them are “from the archives” (so just old videos…..)
These just don’t give me the excitement like I would have if I were going to see an artist live. I’ve had to get used to watching church online, with not having a building to go to. It appears we are going to have to adjust in that same way to experience a concert in our living room. We have to accept it for what it is at the moment, because if we’re being realistic, it will probably be a while until we all can be squished together in a concert venue, getting the true live experience.
I’m very intrigued to see how creative artists will get when it comes to doing a “show.” Will they still do a production like they would if they were touring? Would there be concerts specials on big television networks? What if they were broadcast like an awards show is?
I’m also wondering what live streaming service could handle a large amount of people watching? Hulu live? Netflix live? YouTube live? Could Spotify create a livestream platform for artists to do virtual concerts?
SO. MANY. QUESTIONS.
So for now, I guess I can suggest: watch old concert videos, music videos, listen to new music being released. There are also some music platforms doing “virtual concerts” (Live Nation is doing a “Live at Home” series & IHeartRadio is doing a “Living Room Concert” series). We have to take what we can get & adjust to take in whatever we are able to get, for now….
Soon enough we will be back to only suffering from the post (actual) concert depression….
Is anyone else really bummed their escape from their day to day life of attending a concert is indefinitely postponed? The live music industry has severely taken a hit due to coronavirus & I’m absolutely devastated that there’s no solid return date for when concerts will be happening again.
I have seen artists hosting virtual concerts but tbh, I haven’t had any interest in that because it’s just not the same. A concert experience for me allows me to be present & in the moment. If close enough to the stage, we have the opportunity for the person up there to look us in the eye, point at us, NOTICE us. We don’t get that capability through a computer screen.
My mind is racing as to how concerts are going to be run or what it will be like to attend a concert in the future. 99.9% of the concerts we attend, you have absolutely no personal space. Are people going to be too scared to be in that close proximity to other people considering we’ve been social distancing for 2 months now? Are people going to be required to wear masks to any show they attend? Are venues going to limit the amount of people that can attend (even under capacity) to allow people to social distance?
I’m trying to rack my brain around what solutions there may even be for this. Anyone else a little perplexed too? What will concerts look like in the future?I regret not taking advantage of a live show when we had the opportunity. I would decide not to attend, even if I wanted to, because I didn’t want to spend the money or because I just didn’t “feel like it.” GUYS, we have to start living in the NOW. Taking advantage of the things we want to do WHEN we want to do them. No one EVER thought the opportunity to go to a concert would be taken away…
If you have feelings, or solutions, or questions, go on, leave a comment below.
Does it bother anyone else if the person they’re next to at a show is recording THE ENTIRE TIME? It’s the worst when you’re at a general admission concert, and all you see are phone screens in front of you – this blocks your view even more, especially if you’re short. Now I know this may be a little hypocritical as I have to record & take photos to get content for my posts on this exact blog, but I honestly believe as a concert-goer, it takes away from the experience if you just record the whole thing. And let’s be honest, do you really go back and rewatch all of your videos? I know I don’t.
Although it could be therapeutic for some (to get over that post concert depression, am I right?) to go back & watch the videos taken at the concert, I don’t believe that should be the experience when going to see an artist or band live. You don’t get to be in the moment. You’re watching the show through your phone screen, rather than watching it live. You can’t fully embrace the concert experience this way.
I remember when I saw Maroon 5 a couple of years ago, Adam Levine asked the ENTIRE crowd to put away their phones for ONE song. Granted, this was an arena venue, so a pretty hard ask, but I really enjoyed that moment because he truly wanted everyone to experience it with their own eyes, not through their screen.
My suggestion: take a short instagram story clip, a few photos & then PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY. You want to dance, don’t you? You want to scream the lyrics at the top of your lungs, don’t you? And…if you’re close enough, you want to be able to lock eyes with whoever is on stage, DON’T YOU? Be in the moment. Engage. Enjoy.
Sometimes I wish concerts were like comedy shows, where you’d get kicked out if you get caught with your phone out. If this were the case, people would actually be surprised by the show & not have already seen it on someone else’s Instagram story.
The first time I connected with God through worship was when I decided to make church a priority in my life. Someone on stage had said: “If you connect through the lyrics, raise your hands.” I cannot remember what song & I cannot remember the exact lyrics, but there was a moment I could feel His presence. So…I raised my hands and I instantly started bawling my eyes out. I could feel Him & He was there with me.
Some people don’t like all the flashy, over the top production when it comes to worship, but it feels like a concert to me. It’s the two things I enjoy most: God & concerts. I enjoy worship the most after a sermon, singing songs carefully chosen to accommodate the message, listening to the lyrics, & feeling His presence there with you.
This is a scary time in the world – coronavirus is really making people reevaluate what they turn to when they are down, struggling, sad, weak. This is the EXACT time that we should realize that the ONLY thing we should turn to is God. He is the only thing that can heal us, make us feel better, & validate us. Alcohol won’t do that. The gym won’t do that. Eating won’t do that. Heck, a concert won’t even do that. These “idols” we place in our life are only there for a moment, but God is forever. He’s not a fleeting moment in our life, He is there with us ALWAYS & worship is one the most powerful times we can spend in His presence.
Recently, we haven’t had the opportunity to experience worship in person, so we are learning to make it our own. The church I attend has been going through a series (before all this craziness started) called “Take Home Faith.” This is exactly what we need to do when it comes to worship. What we see and feel during service, take it home & recreate it….in the best way we know how. Turn on a worship song. Raise your hands right there in your living room. Dance around. GO CRAZY. And I think the biggest thing to take away: listen to the lyrics. Lyrics are powerful. Lyrics can speak to you in a different way, emphasizing what God speaks to us through His word. Allow them to penetrate your soul.
If you need something to look to during these difficult times, God could be that resource. He will give you the best & most absolute peace you’ve ever felt in your entire life. My suggestion: start with worship.
Imagine having to get pulled out of front row at a concert from heat, dehydration & the anxiety felt through all of the above. I’ve always had a love for concerts & music but it really started to escalate when my friend introduced me to Timeflies spring of my sophomore year of college. It was an obsession at first listen, playing their song Stunner (acoustic) more times than I could count when we went on spring break that year. I. Could. Not. Get. Enough. The excitement of them releasing a “Timeflies Tuesday” on YouTube every week. The excitement of getting to see them live for the first time (for free & front row, yuuuus please). The excitement of meeting them for the first time & then eventually building what I call a “fanship” with them as they started to get to know us as fans on a more intimate level than just going to their shows.
The one thing I didn’t expect from the excitement of following a band around was the anxiety I started having. Once I started to get deeper & deeper into the fandom, I became part of a Timeflies fan Facebook group (where I met some of my best friends to this day) & got to meet so many people from all over who also shared that same love. We would all tweet each other our thoughts about the band as well. Meeting strangers through the internet…who would’ve thunk (it’s less sketch than you would think, but be careful yo, you never know who you may come across).
The fangirling became escalated when I would go to show after show with the fans/friends I had met through the internets. We would try to get there as early as possible, trying to compete with each other of who could get to the venue first (how silly). Here I was sitting at the venue, waiting for the doors to open, counting down the minutes until the doors open, worrying about getting my ticket scanned fast enough so that we could “walk” to the front row to secure our spot. Even if we were the first people in line, I still for some reason thought we weren’t going to make it or my ticket wasn’t going to scan or we were going to be held back or SOMETHING. I was always just worrying.
This, in turn, caused me to have anxiety. The build up of waiting all day just caused that weird panic you get when you experience anxiety. Why was I so in my head back then that I just worried about every little thing? There are still times to this day that when I am close to a speaker, at a concert, or at church during worship that I get a tightened chest just from PTSD of being front row at so many concerts. It’s a weird feeling & I try to just be mindful, let myself feel the anxiety, & know that it will pass eventually.
To any other fangirl, fanboy, concert goer, music lover, etc: let the small shit go. It will all work out how it’s supposed to. You will get the spot at the concert you want. You will get into the venue. You will most likely have a good time. & if it doesn’t go how you wanted, set lower expectations next time. Just ENJOY LIFE. Life is too short to worry & be anxious. Whatever happens, happens…
This is not a post about a recent show of Cal’s, although I’ve seen him live my fair share of times. I wanted to change things up a bit & let ya know bout his new ALBUUUUM.
So, I’ve followed and supported Cal’s music since I saw him open at a Timeflies show in 2012. I have always been a fan, but you could say I kept my distance. Didn’t follow as closely as I did other artists, etc. BUT PLEASE, let me tell you. He just released a project called Unsigned & I am OBSESSED. I have never listened to his music on repeat as much as I have with this album [except for his song Ain’t Shit Changed with Chris Brown].
A few highlights are:
Shut Up – this song is a BANGA. & Cal starts the song going OFF on why labels suck & try to control you. I FEEL YOU BRO (even tho I ain’t an artist it seems like some bull to me, tehe). Chorus is catchy, and just an all around good song.
Smash Mouth: “150 bitches that can tell you how my dick taste” okaaaaay lollll.
Blink 182 – “If you blink, I bet she gon’ pull a 180 too,” LIKE YAS PLEASE. I’m always a sucker for a good play on words. Also, the line[z] “When I meet Selena I need me at least a Weeknd. I’m already a legend I need a Chrissy Teigen“
Instincts – “On Survivor I would vote you off, you and Logan Paul yeah“ cause like, Logan Paul just ain’t that likeable am I riiiiiight?
NOOOOOW, if you’re a Taylor Swift fan, I’ve noticed a few references on the album – first would be there’s the song that is ACTUALLY named Taylor Swift (obvi). Famous line: “white girls at my show dancing like they’re Taylor Swift” (that is DEFINITELY me). There’s also a line about making seven layer dip & we from OHIO so… just wanted to point out I’m disappointed the line wasn’t about skyline dip. Okaaaaay moving on – there’s also a line in Blink 182 where he says “look what you made me do.” There’s a third one but I literally can’t remember it (hoping my girl Meg will come thru and help me remember – potential update to come).
In conclusion, (am I writing an essay, jeez Jess what the heck) I could continue on and on and on about this album, but it’s probably just time you go listen to it for yourself. He also doing videos for allll da songs (at least I think that’s the plan) so be sure to check those out too.
