Question of the Week: What factors create the most memorable concerts for you – a set list of favorites, top-shelf musicianship, unusual performances, fan reaction or something else?
Local Spins’ Question of the Week (Aug. 4, 2022)
What factors create the most memorable concerts for you – a set list of favorites, top-shelf musicianship, unusual performances, fan reaction or something else?
This week’s winner: Email subscriber John Mickley, who responded to the Question of the Week and was entered into a drawing for a Local Spins gift pack. Sign up for email updates and the weekly newsletter here: https://localspins.com/subscribe-local-spins-mailing-list/
THE READER RESPONSES:
Chelsea Whitaker – Ohhh I love this question! I think it’s a combination of things. Personality, humanism (not just going through the set list and “script” but being real and human), playing songs that are fan favorites but also what they want, high quality production (not necessarily the most expensive, just good for the vibe). Shakey Graves will remain a favorite show of all time because he combined all of these things so perfectly. He even made fun of himself with “Tomorrow” and screwed up the lyrics 😂
Vanessa Clark – I find the most memorable concerts are ones where the musicians are having a great time and it shows. Even if something goes wrong, having a good attitude makes a huge difference.
Karen Dunnam – Something that’s not sitting and listening. For the Kanola Band event on “Jeudi Gras” (two days after Fat Tuesday), I brought a Mardi Gras-themed parasol. Everyone took turns dancing with it. I led a second line around the room, and sat in on tuba on one number. (There are photos!)
Mark DeWitt – Concert memories are fortified with: good friends, relatable music, talented musicians, high entertainment value, and the right conditions (weather, travel, etc.).
Rich Emerson – I would have have to say it was when Penny Jean and Radel Rosin got on stage at BIMF a couple years ago. They started playing White Rabbit. I was perplexed as to why someone would try this cover. Man was I blown the **** away. Blew my mind how well they nailed it. Life long fan of Oh Brother Big Sister now, and woke me up. 99% of my playlists are now Michigan music.
John Harvey – Hospitality. Camping within 100 yards of a single stage. Getting up close and personal with the musicians, without needing a VIP pass. And variety of acts and activities.
Michael J Vizard – I know that all the bands I’ve seen hold a special place on my I pods (2 of them, 5,000 songs.. I think seeing a band live always makes for a special place in your memories…
Evan D. Rossio – Smaller venues. We love going to The Ark, Michigan Theater, The State Theater, Listening Room, Meijer Gardens etc. Much more intimate and better sound.
Eric Burmeister – Good sound quality and connection with the audience, beyond what the the bare songs facilitate. Also nice when you sense a connection with your neighbors.
Stephen Aldrich – When Neil Young brought his theatrical, Greendale tour to town, I had no plan to go. But day of show, a magazine landed with a detailed article on the production. It looked amazing, I was able to grab a ticket, and off we go, having not heard the album. There’s a track called “Bandit,” sounds like a highlight on Harvest, our crowd gave it a lengthy standing O. So, story goes, depending on how the audience receives Greendale, dictates the Crazy Horse classics you get for the encore. Reportedly, no tour stop got more rhan 3, but we earned 7, full-on Rust Never Sleeps level attack, maybe even better.
Andrew Ogrodzinski – A lot of factors can make a concert memorable for me. It could be musical or non-musical. As a musician, a great performance and top notch musicianship by real virtuosos will do it for me most of the time. I’m a big fan of progressive music so some of my most memorable shows tend to be in the direction of Zappa, Yes, Mahavishnu Orchestra alumni, Return To Forever alumni and so on. Another factor musically is feel and emotion. My blues, R&B, funk and soul heroes are memorable for this. Countless memories as both a performer and attendee. A third factor is production. A show with massive stage production, like a Pink Floyd show is memorable, on multiple levels. One other factor is mood and environment. I’ve had a couple of experiences at concerts in an elevated state of consciousness that were memorable for that. One instance is seeing The Allman Brothers headline H.O.R.D.E. Fest in 94 at Val-Du Lakes. Blues Traveler opened as did Screaming Cheetah Wheelies and Big Head Todd and the Monsters. Saw Pink Floyd at the Silverdome the night before and it just so happened to be when the Hale-Bopp Comet slammed into Jupiter. All these things converged for one of the most magical and sacred musical experiences of my life. Recordings of tha Val-Du Lake show circulate and can attest that it was an epic day of musical performance by these bands at their utmost peak…..and it wasn’t just the “elevated state of consciousness” in my mind.
John Mickley – The unusual often stands out. Have some great memories of festival sets over the years where there was a power outage or weather situation and the band came out and played acoustic in the crowd. Like Rootstand at Harvest Gathering, The Crane Wives at Hoxeyville; and this year at Blissfest, Nicholas James and the Bandwagon had an amazing acoustic finish in the crowd after some power issues.
Kyle Rasche – Engaged audience and an emotionally diverse performance. I’m partial to listening rooms and songwriter shows, but I’ve also seen Rage Against the Machine have thousands of people eating out of their hands at the Palace. Connection is key.
John Wenger – Setting is important and often neglected aspect of good shows. And of course, great sound. Hearing a band play next to a trout stream in an old growth forest is a much more magical experience than standing in the sun in a field!
Lee Chase – Several factors have made certain performances unusually “memorable” for me. Being familiar with, even having some kinship with an artist and their body of original work, and hearing it performed live are factors. Great sound and sight lines can factor in too. Being part of a passionate and informed audience of kindred spirits is a factor. Presiding social, political and cultural dynamics are also factors that have made certain performances memorable.
Justin Stover – I like when the performer(s) looks like they are actually having fun. As far as the audience goes, I absolutely love a rowdy audience that still takes care of everyone but hate one that is aloof and talkative. I see Anti Flag last year and the crowd was rowdy as hell but totally engaged and safe. I’ve also seen super low key crowds who barely moved, talked during the shows, and seemed to have no respect for the music or their neighbors. Also I hate when all the alpha dudes storm to the front row and stand in everyone’s way. Love listening rooms and rock clubs equally. Honestly, I think what matters most is an engaged audience that respects each other and the music. I do security for shows often and without question it’s always one or two morons who can potentially ruin it for everyone else.
Chad Michael Wedeven – It can’t be predicted or manufactured: heightened emotion is lightning in a bottle. Like the Who at Van Andel, for their first show after the passing of John Entwistle. Like the women of the Accidentals and Crane Wives at Mendel Center, sharing their fears and faiths to their own surprise. And like Cameron Blake playing the violin to an audience for the first time in 15 years, overcoming past trauma. You…have to be there.
Thomas Leonard Saxe – To me, it has always begun with the sincerity of the musicians. Anyone faking it or simply “going through the motions” loses me.
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