Apparently we're all supposed to be mortified, or have an opinion, over what's-her-face's lip-synching at the inaugural ceremony. I find it difficult to either know or care the answer to this one. Since she yanked her earpiece out mid-song, it seems more likely that she was singing along with a backing "pad" of pre-recorded music, and somehow fell off the rhythm just a hair.
Live music, in any large venue, has become more about the event than the music anyway. Many bands and musicians are not 100% live nowadays. This is sad, but it should also gove pause, provide a small opportunity for people to think about what their expectations are with live performances. If you want satisfactory, predictable wallpaper, then this choreographed, Autotuned, lip-synching guff is right up your alley. If you want spontaneity, unpredictability, interaction with the audience, the give and take of volatile energy, go to a club.
As far as a presidential inauguration ceremony, I have no clue why you would bother in the first place, if the musicians are not actually going to do it live. What's the point? It's a question one could ask of a great many things in American life these days. That's sad; maybe I'm having a bit of an Andy Rooney moment here, but it seems like more things used to have an actual point to them, or at least a reason for being.
The thing is, she'll be doing it all over again next week at the Super Bowl next weekend, and the usual bozos will ponder the exact same imponderables, as if they had not seen the Black Guy Pees' noble effort at last year's big game. When presented with the choice between actual live music and mere choreographed spectacle, most will select the latter. As the saying goes, this is what you wanted, this is what you got.
Live music, in any large venue, has become more about the event than the music anyway. Many bands and musicians are not 100% live nowadays. This is sad, but it should also gove pause, provide a small opportunity for people to think about what their expectations are with live performances. If you want satisfactory, predictable wallpaper, then this choreographed, Autotuned, lip-synching guff is right up your alley. If you want spontaneity, unpredictability, interaction with the audience, the give and take of volatile energy, go to a club.
As far as a presidential inauguration ceremony, I have no clue why you would bother in the first place, if the musicians are not actually going to do it live. What's the point? It's a question one could ask of a great many things in American life these days. That's sad; maybe I'm having a bit of an Andy Rooney moment here, but it seems like more things used to have an actual point to them, or at least a reason for being.
The thing is, she'll be doing it all over again next week at the Super Bowl next weekend, and the usual bozos will ponder the exact same imponderables, as if they had not seen the Black Guy Pees' noble effort at last year's big game. When presented with the choice between actual live music and mere choreographed spectacle, most will select the latter. As the saying goes, this is what you wanted, this is what you got.
No comments:
Post a Comment