Tuesday, 15 June 2004 05:41 pm
Now I can take in the real sound of silence
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deckardcanineI attended my first rock concert yesterday. It centered on a man whose very name sounds like music to me and another man whose name sounds like the epitome of nerdiness. They are Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, respectively.
My hearing is sensitive enough that I have previously made a point not to attend rock concerts. Reports of insanity in the crowds have played an equal part in scaring me away. S&G are relatively mellow, so I gave them a shot.
Despite the many unsold seats (this was a Monday night), my family and I were far enough away that I couldn't describe their faces even with my distance glasses on, save for the big screen over the stage. From a visual standpoint, this was hardly better than a five-inch TV screen at home. Maybe worse, when the lights decided to shine directly at us. At least we took interest in a few montages, including excerpts from "The Graduate."
My dad worried that the overhang in our section of the arena would hinder the acoustics for us, but several numbers got me to fear tinnitus. (I can be such a wimp.) The real problem with the sound was in the mix, since instruments or voices periodically drowned out others and there was a degree of feedback. We were quite unsatisfied with the dragging rendition of "I Am a Rock." And my sister complains about the people in our section, who for whatever reason tended not to stand when everyone else did for encores.
Nevertheless, I was glad to be there. For all my musical gifts, I hardly listen to music voluntarily and am hard-pressed to name a favorite band or genre, but S&G are high on my list. They played every song I hoped to hear, along with a curiously interesting one they wrote at age 15. "Seventy" sounds pretty funny now that they're 61. And you know the recent bottom 50 songs list? The crowd's reception of "The Sound of Silence" does not enhance the list's credibility.
I consider it a treat that the Everly Brothers also showed up to play four of their songs, one accompanied by S&G. My only earlier exposure to them was from an a cappella coverage of "Dream" shortly before my graduation. Their inspiration for S&G is obvious. It's remarkable that my mom enjoyed them in elementary school and they still perform on stage, voices intact and all. I also observe that one of them is rather baby-faced.
Will I attend more concerts, of any kind? I don't expect to initiate the suggestion, but I won't decline an invitation, provided that the band or artist is not into an "angry" image.
My hearing is sensitive enough that I have previously made a point not to attend rock concerts. Reports of insanity in the crowds have played an equal part in scaring me away. S&G are relatively mellow, so I gave them a shot.
Despite the many unsold seats (this was a Monday night), my family and I were far enough away that I couldn't describe their faces even with my distance glasses on, save for the big screen over the stage. From a visual standpoint, this was hardly better than a five-inch TV screen at home. Maybe worse, when the lights decided to shine directly at us. At least we took interest in a few montages, including excerpts from "The Graduate."
My dad worried that the overhang in our section of the arena would hinder the acoustics for us, but several numbers got me to fear tinnitus. (I can be such a wimp.) The real problem with the sound was in the mix, since instruments or voices periodically drowned out others and there was a degree of feedback. We were quite unsatisfied with the dragging rendition of "I Am a Rock." And my sister complains about the people in our section, who for whatever reason tended not to stand when everyone else did for encores.
Nevertheless, I was glad to be there. For all my musical gifts, I hardly listen to music voluntarily and am hard-pressed to name a favorite band or genre, but S&G are high on my list. They played every song I hoped to hear, along with a curiously interesting one they wrote at age 15. "Seventy" sounds pretty funny now that they're 61. And you know the recent bottom 50 songs list? The crowd's reception of "The Sound of Silence" does not enhance the list's credibility.
I consider it a treat that the Everly Brothers also showed up to play four of their songs, one accompanied by S&G. My only earlier exposure to them was from an a cappella coverage of "Dream" shortly before my graduation. Their inspiration for S&G is obvious. It's remarkable that my mom enjoyed them in elementary school and they still perform on stage, voices intact and all. I also observe that one of them is rather baby-faced.
Will I attend more concerts, of any kind? I don't expect to initiate the suggestion, but I won't decline an invitation, provided that the band or artist is not into an "angry" image.
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