Do it live.
For much of history people have presented performances for others.
The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, Peloponnese: The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus is regarded as the best preserved ancient theatre in Greece in terms of its perfect acoustics and fine structure. It was constructed in the late 4th century BC and it was finalized in two stages.
"By the fourth century (B.C.), the theater in any city would be used not only for plays and dance competitions, but also for political rallies and the greeting of foreign dignitaries. So it was both an artistic center and religious center as well as a place of cultural celebration of the whole city."
Fast forward a few decades and:
It was once thought that the earliest recording of the human voice was made by Thomas Edison in 1877, when he recorded Mary had a Little Lamb on his new invention – the phonograph. BUT, a new recording has turned up. It was made on April 9, 1860 and it is of a woman singing the French folk song “Claire de la lune”.
So there it is. Music was the first to provide the opportunity of experiencing the entertainment away from the venue and with the ability to replicate it. We moved from records to tapes to CDs to streaming in music, and movies and radio and television and the internet for everything. I was around in the early days of television and remember alarmed pontificators predicting that there would never be live entertainment again, it would all be produced in studios and consumed by the public on TV. Part of the prediction was valid.
According to a Nielsen report, United States adults are watching five hours and four minutes of television per day on average (35.5 h/week, slightly more than 77 days per year).
The truth about live music appreciation is that it’s alive and well. Here’s some quotes from the Nielsen organization:
Nielsen Music released its 2018 Music 360 Report focusing on the live music business this morning (Nov. 15), which shows that 52 percent of the U.S. population attends some sort of live music event each year.
Within the category of those who attend live events, 68 percent attended a concert, 66 percent a free outdoor community event involving music, 51 percent a small live sessions at a bar or café, 44 percent a music festival and 43 percent a club night featuring a live DJ.
In terms of the overall population, 35 percent of people have attended a concert in the past 12 months, up from 33 percent last year, while the percentage of those who attended a festival, 23 percent, saw the greatest year over year growth, up from 18 percent.
From the 70’s on I attended a lot of music performances, Taj Mahal, Garcia, Youngbloods, The Tubes, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, on and on. Of course there were classical performances as well. Early on I saw Sir Thomas Beecham do an entire Fredric Delius concert. I saw a lot of lesser-known groups at The Boarding House nightclub in San Francisco.
Most folks here know I am somewhat fond of Mark Knopfler (like, crazy), and I have been privileged to attend three of his concerts. This Wednesday will be the 4th, and it is at the Hearst Greek Theater. And to complete the cycle:
The design of the theater is based directly on the ancient Greek theater of Epidaurus.
Do you attend concerts or other live entertainment events? Do the statistics cited above comport with your own experiences? What group have you seen the most times. What venue is your favorite? What was your best concert ever? Your worst? Have you ever worked a concert for free admission?
Kitchen Table Kibitzing is a community series for those who wish to share a virtual kitchen table with other readers of Daily Kos who aren’t throwing pies at one another. Drop by to talk about music, your weather, your garden, or what you cooked for supper…. Newcomers may notice that many who post in this series already know one another to some degree, but we welcome guests at our kitchen table and hope to make some new friends as well.
Please do not attack Democratic candidates or drag primary fights into our community. |