Tuesday, October 26, 2010

The Scene Is Dead. Long Live The Scene.

So this is something I've been thinking about since heading to a The Academy is Show in August. That show was dead. I mean, stick a fork in the crowd, we're catatonic. There were maybe 70 or 80 people there, most of them for one of the 5 local opening bands that sold their own tickets. This is The Academy Is people. For those of you who don't know who they are, go look them up. They've "Headlined" Warped tour, (Well, as much as a band *can* Headline Warped Tour). They've had multiple headlining tours, national and world wide.
They have a fan base. But I remember standing there in the crowd feeling a deep sense of disappointment. It wasn't one of the shows I loved attending, and it wasn't the band I fell in love with.
Nothings changed, they hadn't rearranged the dynamics, they hadn't replaced a drummer or don't something morally wrong to lose my respect. They just weren't themselves. The words of appreciation to their fans were hollow, the songs sung hundreds of times were just that, rehearsed, polished, overdone.
I've been listening to Alex over at Fake Pink Glasses talk about a feeling very similar. I met her at a show a year or so back and we hit it off (or maybe I just creeped her out). She's a biologist slash music blogger who I hold a great deal of respect for. I voiced my concerns about this show in question and at the time she very much disagreed.

FastForward a few months later to a dark club with Pete Wentz and a cute new frontgirl named BeBe and I think she's thinking the same thing.

The Scene Is Dead.
This has been proven by the decreasing numbers of concerts goers, the decreasing record sales, the decreasing amount of people who care.

I'm disappointed and in all honesty quite sad. I wanted the scene to continue, to morph to...somehow come back from life support.
I'm sick of going to shows and having 12 and 13 year olds running around caring more about how attractive a musician is then what his music is about. What his or her lyrics are saying. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not being hypocritical here. I get celebrity crushes and appreciate an attractive man just as much as the next person. Hell, I'll even talk about it with you.
I'm sick of the celebrity of the whole thing.
I miss the band dudes and the crew dudes who'd hang out outside a venue for hours and talk to you. Honestly talk to you. Not about the next record or how many awards they've won, but honestly talk to you. About life, about how they got there, about you.
I miss the little opening bands from a town no ones ever heard of who would completely light up and get all giggly you when you asked them to sign their 3 dollar CD you just bought. Because they're little and everyones ignoring them for the headliner and no one wants their autograph.
I miss those band boys (and roadies!) that remember your name.
I miss the people you could stand in line with and talk to about something other then male hotness or celebrity gossip.
I miss the scene.
So what was missing at that The Academy Is...show? Not the music, not the band, not even the fans, but the caring. No one seems to care anymore. Not the fans, not the management, and in some cases - not even the bands.

So, as Gabe Saporta and Alex say -
The Scene Is Dead, Long Live The Scene.

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