Hello City…

Remember when the Barenaked Ladies were booed off the stage in Halifax?

I wasn’t there and can honestly say I’d be surprised if I’d been part of it as they turned out to be one of my favorite bands…but they wrote about it. And everyone knew what happened…how they were treated. What we were made of.

Years later, they came back despite their promise to never return. They opened their show at the Cohn with the song that was meant to wake us up…and the crowd embraced them…asked for forgiveness.

It was a powerful concert.

But I wonder what they’d write about us now?

Have we changed?

I’m a fan of live music and head out quite often to enjoy a few shows. I’ve become friends with a number of talented and amazing musicians who are saying the same thing…

We don’t seem to care!

In fact, I might honestly go so far as to say…we’re rude.

But it’s not just to them…it’s at the movies, restaurants, fundraisers and social events. It’s in the grocery lineup and just about everywhere we go.

It’s our phones…and I fully admit…I’m a big part of the problem! I’m so addicted to my iPhone, social media and the people on the other end that quite often…I’m not fully present with the people I’m with.

Bands are playing their guts out to a crowd who are so engrossed in social media that they’re hardly paying attention…not fully engaged.

Well…not that they can tell from the stage at least.

Instead…they hear it later on Twitter and Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. “Awesome time and wicked music tonight” or “amazing musician check out this video” but really? Because the band hardly heard us clap!

We’re so busy telling others what we’re doing and what they’re missing that we totally forgot to tell the person on stage that we appreciated the song!

Maybe we need a clap-app?

This weekend, I went to three different places and listened to live music and I saw it with my own eyes and it’s true. We don’t seem to care! I mean…I think we do. I think we want the live music. I think we want to hear awesome guitar riffs and amazing voices. I think we like when a drum solo breaks out or a harmonica appears from a back pocket…but we don’t show it! We’re so engrossed in telling our friends what an awesome time we’re having that it’s lost on the folks who are performing in front of us!

There are amazing, talented, wonderful and hard-working musicians in Halifax performing weekend after weekend…putting it all out there.

Maybe we should show them some love.

Before we’re cut up and spit out in another song.

Hello, City? I’m hanging up now.

2 Replies to “Hello City…”

  1. I remember last time seeing Dallas Green at the Cohn. He asked everyone to get their phones out, hold them up, then kindly put them in their pockets. Stop watching the show through a 3″ screen, or texting through it. It’s right there in front of you, and it’s disrespectful to the performer, and the person next to you. Your phone takes crappy photos anyway.
    We are all guilty of it. Just do it less or leave the room. My opinion of course.

  2. I’m not into the social media in the same way some younger folks are. So I can still go and enjoy the live music without being encumbered by the techy toys.