Mood:
lazyNow Playing: Bob Dylan - Idiot Wind
Music. If I may be bold, it is the greatest and possibly the most necesary art for the human race. I don't think I could live without music for long, and I know I can't be the only one. I try to listen to all music because I hate to miss out on something. That being said, I think some country music, particularly toby keith, has to be stopped. At all costs. ALL COSTS. Moving along. As a fan of music, I enjoy going to concerts and seeing the music I love performed live by the artists that create it. I think a live show can be an absolutley amazing experience along the lines of life-changing. I myself refer to specific times in my life based on great concerts. As great as a live show can be, they can be god awful, or simply nonexistant. Sometimes it is the venue, sometimes it is your own taste, and sometimes it is the artist. If it is the artist's fault for a bad show, I think they need to take some responsibility for it. I mean, if your voice sucks, or you forget your own lyrics or chords during a show, you should pay the fans back. Just because you suck at performing live, or possibly just suck at life, doesn't mean you get to be a dick and ruin the night for your fans AND take their money.
While this is bad, the worst possible thing that a musician could do, no it isn't selling out, is storm off stage during a concert like some petulant child, or even worse, cancel the rest of their tour dates so people like me have to wait another two years to see them live. This brings me to two relatively famous musicians: Ryan Adams and Ray LaMontagne.
First, let me make something very clear, I would never pay to see Ryan Adams live. I haven't paid for any of his cd's, which suck, it is horrifying (imagine sliding down a razor blade on your tail bone into a vat of hydrogen peroxide...that is what it is like for your ears when you listen to Ryan Adams) and worst of all, he is probably the world's biggest asshole.
Now that I have that out of the way, I can finally get to the battle. Appearantly, these two idiot singer-songwriters have one great flaw in common: They love to storm offstage during their live shows and cancel the remaining tour dates thus ruining it for everyone. Which one is worse? Lets see!
Ryan Adams:
A prolific "song" writer as apt to record an "album" as he is to show up onstage drunk or high or both. Adams is notorious for thrashing about drunkenly onstage, ruining his own sets, storming of stage due to crowd noise (hello, its a concert asshole), broken guitar strings, faulty wiring, etc., getting pissed off for being called bryan adams, eating babies, cancelling tours, eating babies, and occasionally performing music.
Ray LaMontagne:
Gifted with a pretty sweet voice that reminds me of a non-gay rod stewart/tracy chapman/sufferer of bronchitis. I actually have seen Ray live, and it was good. Sadly, however, he has decided to become a huge douche. While on tour with Guster, Ray decided to walk off stage and cancel the rest of his tour dates because he was tired of crowd noise. Hey dipshit, its a concert, people will make noise, especially when they pay to see you open for Guster. I don't care what you think as a performer, these people pay to see you perform, and that gives them the right to make some noise, be annoying, and even leave the show if you suck. It doesn't mean they can be violent, but that rarely happens. And it doesn't give you the right to leave if you get annoyed, this is your job, this is your privalege, this is your honor. Have some fucking composure and finish your set, not everyone will love you. Especially since you are such an asshole.
The Verdict:
Well, Both of these assholes should be dipped in honey and tossed into a bear orgy, but I think Adams edges it, only on experience. If Ray wants to be a bigger douche, he needs to work at it because Adams has him beat. But don't worry Ray, just keep making records and storming off stage and cancelling tours and I'm sure you will make it there. Everyone has to have dreams, right?
