What happened to LISTENING to music?

[LiveMusic]

I've wondered about this for quite awhile and wonder if it's the same in other places or not. Back in the 70s, it was common to go LISTEN to live music. No dance floor. Clubs set up with tables and chairs. And you listened to the music. NO DANCE FLOOR. Now, I like to dance as much as anyone but I can take it or leave it. Depends on who's with me. ;) But now, around here, I can't think of a single bar where the emphasis is LISTENING rather than dancing. And that presents a problem... a setlist devoid of GREAT songs that are NOT dance songs. There are a gazillion songs that are OUTSTANDING songs that aren't good dance songs. So, they get left out of the mix. It's either fast songs or slow songs. Nothing in between. Because people can't dance to them. Bugs me that everything is dance oriented these days. I wonder if it would work here to get a bar to try it out again. I guess there are clubs somewhere that are still geared to listening only. Clue me in.

[halljams]

[quote]Originally posted by LiveMusic: [b] I guess there are clubs somewhere that are still geared to listening only. Clue me in.[/b][/quote] Jazz clubs and some blues joints. Songwriter nights at some places are about listening, sometimes. I really believe that the latest generations of music consumers are greatly unaware of the concept of sitting and listening. Music is apart of media and media just gets faster and faster and it's all about quantity and speed and instant gratification and quick stimulation. Granted, younger minds are moving faster and are more curious to get the bottom of things, but they don't have enough examples being set as to how to enjoy music. It is simply filler and or a chance to connect with an entity or image. I'm of coarse mainly discussing pop/rock music. Although i think rock music gets a better shake for listening than pop. I have been thinking about this topic for a long time. I had a roommate a couple years ago who only listened to that thud thud thud type of instrumental dance stuff. I put on something one day and he came in my room and said; "you listen to music with lyrics?" Then i started to pay attention to how he listened to his thud thud stuff and i realized he didn't listen, it was more of a stabilizer for his enviorment. Made him feel modern i guess. Every one is different.

[-]

[quote]Originally posted by halljams: [b]Then i started to pay attention to how he listened to his thud thud stuff and i realized he didn't listen, it was more of a stabilizer for his enviorment. Made him feel modern i guess. Every one is different.[/b][/quote] I'm kinda embarassed to admit this, but I have an instrumental electronica album that I put on occasionally as more of an environment kind of thing. Here's the funny thing: I don't even *like* the album a whole lot. (I'm not going to name the album, but I doubt anybody's heard of it anyway. It was one of those times where I bought a used CD based on the album cover...) I've "listened" to the album, and frankly there's nothing there... There's not much you can pick up from repeated listenings, there's no songs to speak of, and the music never ventures much further than where it goes in the first 20 seconds of each track. You're likely to hear more sonic variety listening to a blender for five minutes rather than any track on this album. (I should note that I like a good bit of minimalist/repetitive music... But I like the stuff that tends to [i]go[/i] somewhere -- something this album doesn't do at all.) As much as I don't like this album, there's some nice sonics throughout, and you can hold a conversation over top of it. If I'm listening to it in the car, it makes my car sound more expensive than it really is. :) I can zone out to the album while exercising, even though I prefer hearing music that's not as generic when working out. It's very *functional* music, y'know? Sonic wallpaper. Nothing wrong with that -- there's some music that I really like that can function both as something to "listen" to and something that can be in the background. For some reason I have a hard time trading this particular CD in, when there's every reason why I should. But maybe I have a need to have "functional" music as well as stimulating music. I don't know, I've given up analyzing why... I *do* feel bad for anyone who has this album and considers it as an album with "substance", though...

[Tom Capasso]

Since I started playing music in school, I could always sit and listen. I loved sitting at home (alone or with friends) and listening to records. I expected that people listened to my bands when we played - even at dances. And my kids play, and I go and listen. So do my kids, so it isn't a lost art. Here, there are some intermdiate clubs (bigger than bars, smaller than stadiums) that have alternative bands, and my daughter goes. She loves the music. But... She loves the scene, meeting people, and dancing (well, I think it's dancing, but it's probably more like moshing - maybe I don't want to know). The thing is, it was always like that. Dancing was as important as the music in the "old days" (think American Bandstand - "I give it an 80, you could dance to it"). In my day (wait - let me get my cane), the music was great but you didn't dance much (70's pre disco). The music that was played was diverse. Now the music is thump thump, and much of it has little value outside the dance. I didn't get anything out of disco, so I didn't go to those clubs. But plenty of people did. Same today, I guess. It takes more work to find music without the thump. I agree it's sad. But being honest, there were nights I secretly wished I could dance so I could meet girls. I can understand why it happens. [end of soapy story] Tom

[m2]

[ 01-15-2002: Message edited by: macle96@yahoo.com ]

[BP3]

Annapolis, MD has a good music scene with a good number of small venues for listening to music. If you are in the area, check it out.

[Doctor Frankensteinway]

John Lennon's worst fears have come to be. Music [i]has[/i] become Wallpaper. Worst offender of Wallpaper Music is Rave. Songs that last for two hours at [b]165db.[/b] If you have ever been to Burning Man and tried to fall asleep to that . . . . . you know what I mean . . [b]thud thud thud thud kerna~kerna~kerna~kerna kerna~kerna~kerna~kerna thud thud thud ~ shhhhhza thud thud thud thud weeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiooooooooouuuuuuuueeeeeee kerna-nana-nana-nana-ooooooooweeeeeeeeee[b]eeeeeee[/b] thud thud thud thud shhhhhza thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud shhhhhza thud thud thud thud [i]< sigh >[/i] This music? I have a friend who's first task is to always turn on the radio . . . at home, in the car . . he simply adhores silence. He doesn't selectively listen to anything . . . as long as there is music on he doesn't have to think. Yah . .I'm headed for a coffee house tonight to listen. There's a band I know . . young guys in their late teens, early twenties. They have a mellotron and some keyboards and a vocalist on medication . . .. should be worth a listen. Signed, Old And Grumpy ~ Doc.F.

[LiveMusic]

[quote]Originally posted by Tom Capasso: [b]...But being honest, there were nights I secretly wished I could dance so I could meet girls.[/b][/quote] There is not one bit of doubt that if a guy wants to meet girls and be tremendously popular, if he can learn to dance jitterbug or whatever you call it and also country dancing, it's the sure fire ticket to plenty of women. You gotta have some natural rhythm but learning it is another matter. Some naturally pick it up and others can be taught. If I had a son, I'd try to make darn sure he could dance if he had a lick of rhythm.

[Roto]

[quote]Originally posted by LiveMusic: [b] There is not one bit of doubt that if a guy wants to meet girls and be tremendously popular, if he can learn to dance jitterbug or whatever you call it and also country dancing, it's the sure fire ticket to plenty of women. You gotta have some natural rhythm but learning it is another matter. Some naturally pick it up and others can be taught. If I had a son, I'd try to make darn sure he could dance if he had a lick of rhythm.[/b][/quote] Yeah, what IS up with that? Current country music is very popular with women. You would think with all those supermodel/singers they have it would be more popular with men, but not where I live.

[halljams]

[quote]Originally posted by Doctor Frankensteinway: [b] I have a friend who's first task is to always turn on the radio . . . at home, in the car . . he simply adhores silence. He doesn't selectively listen to anything . . . as long as there is music on he doesn't have to think. .[/b][/quote] I've also noticed this with some people. I find it very very disturbing to be around people like this.