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Post by Marshall on Mar 30, 2024 9:14:55 GMT -5
"And words are all I have, to take your heart away."
I went to a bar last night to hear a guy play the after show set at a performance venue. On weekends they have people play in the bar after the main show on the performance stage is done. The bar is a free show. The manager had offered me a set in that slot, and I wanted to see what it was like. (I prefer their Happy Hour sets from 4:00 to 6:00).
Anyway, I digress.
The guy playing was very good.. He played all cover tunes and did a fine job. The crowd was sparce; only 8 people in the bar; nobody, but me, paying attention. But my comment is; he played and sang like so many musical friends I have, with no attempt to communicate the true meaning of the words of the songs he played. That always bothers me. Many (most?) songs written have lyrics with meaning and purpose to communicate an emotion or describe a situation. And to sing them laddy-da matter-of-fact, just strikes me as a cop out.
OK, I'm done.
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Post by dradtke on Mar 30, 2024 14:07:24 GMT -5
I'm with you, Marshall, but then I'm a story-teller. Lyrics are everything. I assume I must be the "Dave" in the quote at the bottom of your post. I don't know if I'm any good at it, but that's the intention.
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Post by Marshall on Mar 30, 2024 14:34:21 GMT -5
It's a quote from a book. I can't remember which one.
The song from last night that got me was his rendition of "Zombie" by the Cranberries. It sounded real nice and sweet. The lyrics are an angry anti-war protest.
Some other friends play in a band together. Their most requested song is "Sky Pilot" by the Animals. They do a nice job on the harmonies. But they do it like a party song. The anti-war verses are delivered in a snarky tone. No hint of protest in any of it.
You don't have to hammer a barroom audience over the head with anti-cultural themes. But, to my mind, you ought to give the lyrics and mood of a song some sincerity.
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Post by aquaduct on Mar 30, 2024 15:02:23 GMT -5
"Lyrics are just wasted time between guitar solos."- old Gibson ad.
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Post by Cosmic Wonder on Mar 30, 2024 15:12:55 GMT -5
I’m a strong believer that the artist should serve the song.
Mike
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Post by james on Mar 30, 2024 15:24:37 GMT -5
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Post by howard lee on Mar 30, 2024 16:04:10 GMT -5
I’m a strong believer that the artist should serve the song. Mike
You mean like this?
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Post by millring on Mar 30, 2024 18:32:58 GMT -5
It may not sound connected, but I'm immediately reminded of the (sort of) interview -- Jerry Seinfeld talking to Steve Martin. And Seinfeld is wondering aloud to Martin why he quit the comedy bit. And Martin says it wouldn't work anymore. And Seinfeld disagrees. And Martin continues the explain that not only has the world moved on beyond his kind of comedy, but (and here's where I see the connection to this thread) also Martin said that he had to be all in or the comedy wouldn't work. I knew just what he meant. If it didn't work, he was a spaz with a fake arrow through his head. But it did work. For a time. For THAT time. And he was the funniest man alive. For that time.
But performance sometimes requires more of us than we're willing to risk.
I remember thinking the same of this performance -- so incredibly gutsy but she HAD to sell it.
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Post by billhammond on Mar 30, 2024 18:43:52 GMT -5
It may not sound connected, but I'm immediately reminded of the (sort of) interview -- Jerry Seinfeld talking to Steve Martin. And Seinfeld is wondering aloud to Martin why he quit the comedy bit. And Martin says it wouldn't work anymore. And Seinfeld disagrees. And Martin continues the explain that not only has the world moved on beyond his kind of comedy, but (and here's where I see the connection to this thread) also Martin said that he had to be all in or the comedy wouldn't work. I knew just what he meant. If it didn't work, he was a spaz with a fake arrow through his head. But it did work. For a time. For THAT time. And he was the funniest man alive. For that time. But performance sometimes requires more of us than we're willing to risk. I remember thinking the same of this performance -- so incredibly gutsy but she HAD to sell it. Excerpt from Strib: 'Steve!' (Martin): A Documentary in 2 Pieces'Those who have read the memoir "Born Standing Up" already know that Steve Martin is a calculating comic. There's a reason he stuck an arrow through his head. Part one of Morgan Neville's splendid documentary covers the same territory as the book, but now you can actually watch clips of the comedian plotting his goofy moves. The second chapter deals more with his later years and his quest to find happiness. It speeds all too quickly through the movies, but it's fun to see that his private interactions with Martin Short are just as entertaining as their interplay onstage. Anyone who considers comedy a craft will gobble up both parts. Apple TV+ |
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Post by PaulKay on Mar 30, 2024 19:48:29 GMT -5
I’m guessing it was more a matter of his skills were not up to the point of putting in the emotion yet.
Performance to that degree is the more advanced stage of learning a piece.
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Post by John B on Mar 30, 2024 19:54:48 GMT -5
"And words are all I have, to take your heart away." I went to a bar last night to hear a guy play the after show set at a performance venue. On weekends they have people play in the bar after the main show on the performance stage is done. The bar is a free show. The manager had offered me a set in that slot, and I wanted to see what it was like. (I prefer their Happy Hour sets from 4:00 to 6:00). Anyway, I digress. The guy playing was very good.. He played all cover tunes and did a fine job. The crowd was sparce; only 8 people in the bar; nobody, but me, paying attention. But my comment is; he played and sang like so many musical friends I have, with no attempt to communicate the true meaning of the words of the songs he played. That always bothers me. Many (most?) songs written have lyrics with meaning and purpose to communicate an emotion or describe a situation. And to sing them laddy-da La Ti Da, matter-of-fact, just strikes me as a cop out. OK, I'm done. Personally, I sometimes have trouble with lyrics. There are some songs where I don't feel like I could sing the lines because either I don't agree with them or I would say it/write it differently. Which seems a little limiting. I mean, on one hand, it's just a song. It's not a personal manifesto, written by me. But I struggle because if it feels inauthentic it feels uncomfortable. But what songs are written from the perspective of me? Not any interesting ones. This is why I can't act anymore. I loved acting during high school. When I acted later, as an adult, I struggled with the inauthenticity. |
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Post by Marshall on Mar 31, 2024 7:26:50 GMT -5
I'm at the stage of life where I can pick and choose my poison. Meaning; I don't do songs that I don't feel I can give them some measure of authenticity or connection. The guy I was talking about at the beginning is younger; 40s. And he gigs a lot. He plays a GS Mini direct into the house. No FX. I figure this is part of his regular income stream. Back in my working days, there were projects I took on that were not anywhere near central to my personal dedication. But they paid the bills nicely. Sure, I always tried to find something in there to devote myself to, even if it was just doing a good job and serving the needs of someone I liked.
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