Comment Archives: Stories: Music
Re: “Has the Triangle's venue surge finally found its carrying capacity?”
The number of venues certainly helps create the problem but I think a larger issue is the complete control of much of the good touring bands by Cat's Cradle booking. Clearly, they've run a fantastic venue for many years and deserve all the success they have. But their domination in booking really affects any other venue's success (in Chapel Hill & Durham especially). Taking the shows that they don't have the date or space for is one of the only ways to get big shows.
How can new venues ever get their footing if they can't book shows people want to come see? I don't know what the solution is to this..but clearly King's and Pinhook are having some success where the other newer venues are not.
Re: “On the Dave Matthews Band and when old bands should break up”
"If any member of the Dave Matthews Band needed to die..."
What a tacky thing to say.
Re: “On the Dave Matthews Band and when old bands should break up”
I see his point, but his framing of it is horrible. The Stones, like them or hate them, have a substantial stage show and DO perform. Having met the DMB in person and chatted with them in 1999, I think they were as vibrant as artists then as they are now. But artists change, don't like it? don't feel like their music is the same as thy recorded on that 'hit album' that is sentimental to YOU? Don't buy the records or go to the show. If I would suggest anything that was sorely missed in the article is the sorry amount of cover bands that play in Raleigh and how it affects the scene locally- talk about lack of originality and the need to disappear!
Re: “Will The Avett Brothers' popularity overshadow N.C.'s roots music past and sterling present?”
Really well-written and eloquently stated; I think this article straddled that delicate line between crediting the band for the ways in which it's augmented folk music in the South while simultaneously overshadowing its origins. I'm not an Avetts fan, but know plenty who are. I guess you can't fault people for liking the easiest point of access to a style of music, even if that point of access lacks much nuance, traditionalism or innovation.
Re: “Theft in a longtime Raleigh practice space highlights the lack of affordable room for bands”
"At what point," he told the television station, "do you draw the line on what security you add?"
I would say the point where the property stops getting broken into on a regular basis
Re: “The Walkmen's "In the New Year"”
years later, still a great insight into this awesome track!
Re: “On the Dave Matthews Band and when old bands should break up”
I take issue with your editor for the poorly structured article--that DMB intro belongs in a different piece--but with regards to the essence of your article I must say I used to be on the same page as you up until a few years ago. Now I believe artists become irrelevant and should quite when they have no audience. As long as people are willing to pay money to listen your music--live or recorded--I say keep truckin' whether I'm listening or not.
Re: “"Continuum"”
I have always wanted to meet Tracy. I always felt that when Jaco left her he signed his own death warrant, leaving behind stability and sanity for the bullshit world of fuck-head music industry types. I think he understood that himself. In fact I know he did. Jaco was a genius and understood all that surrounded him. But he saw where we were headed and couldn't take the pain so self destructed rather than cynically take the easy way out and side step the evil as it descended. He, being the true hero he was, embraced the beast in a death grip and immolated himself. Jesus himself would have great admiration for this man.
Re: “The Rosebuds take on an entire R&B classic, Sade's Love Deluxe”
Can't wait to hear one if my favorite locals cover an album that was omnipresent in high school!!!
Re: “Listening with Ben Davis & the Jetts”
"Pageant Square" is one of my all-time favorite local songs. Sepia-core!
Re: “On the Dave Matthews Band and when old bands should break up”
You know...I got so involved in my response to this particular band that I didn't even have a chance to respond to your other examples. Your other arguments make absolutely zero sense. You say the Stones made the right decision carrying on after Brian Jones passing, (rightfully) praise the two subsequent albums they release...and then fault them for carrying on...too long. Were they supposed to consult Jones' ghost on when exactly to hang it up? Otherwise, I fail to see the correlation. The same goes for Metallica. You cant have it both ways and say "Well, some bands lost members and made the right decision to stick around...but they should have stopped after X amount of years...". If you're trying to write an article about bands outliving their relevance, then write that article. Many bands stick around past their relevance, not just bands that have lost a member. And you are trying to imply (with your whopping sample size of The Band, The Stones, Mettalica, and DMB) that one size fits all when its clearly not the case.
Re: “On the Dave Matthews Band and when old bands should break up”
I feel like just about everyone in this comments section missed the point. Grayson is neither exploiting or trivializing the death of Moore. Rather, he's using DMB as an example of the existential crisis that comes with art; the crisis of meaning and value and memory and longevity (I could go on) that plagues both artists and their audiences.
Also, it should be noted that Indy Week has shamefully changed the title of Grayson's essay, from the reasonable, concise "Live After Death" to the unnecessarily lengthy and scandalous "On the Dave Matthews Band and when old bands should break up" , one would have to assume to garner more page views.
Re: “On the Dave Matthews Band and when old bands should break up”
While I empathize with some of your points, I wholeheartedly disagree with the crux of your (poorly written) article. To try to tell anyone, let alone a group of people you don't even know, how to respond to the loss of someone close to them is not only extremely insensitive but ill advised and exercising poor judgement. If one of your co-workers passed away, would you stop going to work? If a member of a close group of friends passed, would you stop associating with them? My guess is no. Many people's way of coping with loss is surrounding themselves with friends/family that are going through the experience with you, and in my experience, it often brings them closer. If a member of your favorite sports team died, would you suggest that they forfeit the season? Or go out and play like hell in that persons memory and try to bring home a championship. I am in a similair place as a fan of this band...i have been to 37 shows since 1999, but only 4 since 2005. I grew up, the band's output wasnt very appealing to me, and they seemed to have lost that "spark". 3 of the 4 shows I've seen since 05 were after he passed and i have not seen the band this "hungry" for lack of a better term, since I've been a fan. There are numerous reports that 2005-2007 was a particularly troubled period for the band and it showed. After Leroi passed these people came together, lifted each other up and pushed forward with 2 very good records(Away From the World, in my opinion is their best record in over a decade), renewed energy, and by all accounts: a stronger relationship with each other. Leroi was an amazing musician and inspired countless people with his work...I'm sure his band mates included. Let him continue to be an inspiration to them and us and let his friends carry on his memory by keeping the band that he helped found and thrive, going..making kick ass music he would have been proud of, for our consumption. Leroi Moore passing away saved this band.
Re: “On the Dave Matthews Band and when old bands should break up”
Wow you really don't know anything about THE Dave Matthews band, do you Grayson?
Re: “On the Dave Matthews Band and when old bands should break up”
you may be the single most uniformed, talent-less, hack of a writer on the internet, the whole fucking internet...
Re: “Duke New Music Ensemble consumes pop stardom”
Bartok would probably enjoy visiting Ninth Street and Brightleaf Square for some--er, bar talk. He'd probably find time to write a seventh quartet for the Ciompi Quartet, whose players sure know how to make Bartok talk.
And "Dukie Bela" would need some excused absences to visit Asheville, where the real Bela Bartok spent the last months of his life receiving medical treatment in the 1940s.
But clearly, no matter who your favorite "modern composer" happens to be, the Duke New Music Ensemble is blazing a trail toward harmonic happiness in the 21st Century, and both its creative accomplishments and technical musicality are impressive. Beethoven is bound to roll over and tell Tchaikovsky this news!
David P. McKnight
Re: “On the Dave Matthews Band and when old bands should break up”
Such a long time until the first of April, and yet this is written.
Re: “On the Dave Matthews Band and when old bands should break up”
Roi's passing was tragic and effected so many people beyond the band and for you too use it the way you did here is wrong I feel. Also I feel you never understood the true meaning of the music and lyrics. Is BWGK and Away from the world as good at the Big 3 no but there both better then anything done from Everyday on. They are still a relevant band the music is growing with the fan base as many fans are starting to have kids be married and the like the songs are maturing .
Re: “On the Dave Matthews Band and when old bands should break up”
I understand what your saying, however, isn't what you are saying true for everyone in one way or another. I would think one day you will wake up and think, why do I do what I do, why do I write this stuff, do people read it, take me seriously, or do I just post shit and get a paycheck?
Re: “The Triangle's Top 10 Albums of 2012”
I can't believe that American Aquarium's Burn, Flicker, Die is not on this list!