Holli Garrido Julie D.

Hicks 17 March 2012 Response 5 A Show When I asked the members in charge of UNC Charlottes student run organization Concerts and Causes what the name of the event was that night, the only answer I could get was a show. That is certainly what it turned out to be, a display of music, emotion, and feeling put to such extreme levels that people were left a little shocked and an instrument left in pieces. Hosted in the After Hours venue of the Cone center, the area already had a casual, almost homey feel to it, since the stage sits across from cafeteria like tables and chairs. No glamour or mystery here, just students coming out to hear the music and generate just as much energy as money for the charity of choice that night, Relay for Life. Four bands were assigned to play, yet when I arrived after eight o clock to a show that still had not begun but that was scheduled to start at seven, people were getting anxious. Of course who could they blame? Another interesting aspect of the show was that you could not tell the difference between band and audience members, everyone was mingled so that no distinction was possible. This causal, almost equal playing feel type of energy was very beneficial because it did not make the band members seem above us due to talent or musical abilities, it made them one of us, just the more musically ambitious ones. While the punk and hardcore type of music that was being played tonight is not

my forte, two bands stood out to me not so much for their songs as a whole, but how they performed them. Another question I could not get answered was the band names, so I was left to make my own complete opinion of the groups with no name as an outline. The first band had no lights on stage, aside from a singular white light taped to the microphone stand and pointing upwards right into the vocalists face. This contraption cast unflattering, almost scary shadows on his features and sent shadows of his flailing motions onto the back wall and ceiling. What began as beautiful spoken poetry with no instrumental accompaniment, turned into screaming with such intensity that I was a little uncomfortable. To start, tt took considerable effort to make out the words, and even though I could, I was so much more distracted by the way he looked. Arms locked straight out behind him, neck straining, eyes closed, voiced pressed so loud it filled the stage and the room. So many, what I can only assume, feelings of anger and frustration, maybe even sadness, were radiating from this performance that its a wonder how the energy stayed so fast and upbeat. For everything they were doing it seemed as if they wanted to create an unpleasant experience, between the harsh light and the even harsher sounds. Was this type of performance coming from a place of personal pain or a vengeance to cause these negative feelings for the audience members? Considering the groups of people present, myself included, music plays a very important role in our lives. The music we listen to can govern our moods and effect how we view certain situations. To constantly surround yourself with such negative sounds does not seem to be healthy or productive. Yes, sad songs exist because there is so much sadness in the world, and music is a very effective way of coping with that. However the band on stage, with the screaming and a finale that included the guitar player literally smashing his instrument to pieces right before our eyes, that was nothing but negative. The spoken poetry was beautiful,

and for myself that was my favorite moment, hearing these harsh words spoken calmly, so that I could connect with their meaning and let those feelings carry me through the louder, less desirable parts of the show. Being a bit of a music fanatic, I can understand why this type of music is appealing, and can even guess as its purpose in a larger society. For many punk and hardcore bands, music is not for the masses, quite the opposite actually. Despite all their efforts, anything with a catchy beat or new sound will get scooped up and blasted into every radio station and television set in America, perhaps even the world. This generates a fan base that isnt actually involved for the music, but more for the trend, because thats what everyone is listening to these days, until the next big hit comes out. The most logical way to counter act this would be to make music so unappealing to the general population, which only the true fans will continue to come out and listen to it. The hardcore band that opened to show did exactly that, so even in a room of barely forty people, no one was ready to spread the word or put that on the radio, all of us were living in the moment, soaking up the sound for ourselves and no one else. In an industry just like any other where fame and money mean success, to strive for and achieve the opposite is a protest unlike any other. The second band I focused on I actually enjoyed very much, since they were still in the anti-mainstream society realm but not nearly as guttural and angry as the previous band. What made their performance particularly personal was that I knew the bass player, he lives in my building and seeing him in this very different role on stage was fascinating to me. Perhaps I was not the only one who felt a sense of relief and joy to hear a lighter, friendlier band on stage, since people were inching closer to the stage and pulling out their camera phones left and right. What seemed to be happening was that while people claim to like to strange, the unusual, and the

angry, sometimes people just want to sing along. To feel good and happy, and to bob their heads with words they can relate to or at least a beat they can tap in time with their foot. They even did a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover, which was a song from a time long before us, but appreciated none the less. While the counter culture is alive and well in this room tonight, positive messages or at least a lighter melody seemed more favorable. From a psychological standpoint I had classified this audience as reveling in the dark and dreary, and the first band only confirmed that notion. Yet here was this lighter, more pop sounding band, and we all ate it up like candy. Grateful for the positive message and the pleasant sounds, in a world with enough sadness as it is. I was no different in this situation, I was thrilled to be ending my night with some good sounds, because after a dose of so much anger you just want something to pick you up again, and get your thoughts going in a positive direction, it is a Saturday night on a weekend in the prime of our lives, lets enjoy it. A band that can accomplish this type of reaction is a true success in my opinion, because they are successful in more than one realm. This punk band is a part of the proud counterculture, making sound to stay far away from MTV and the radio, and yet it does not scare away those who are fortunate enough to be a part of it. Its almost as if they pull in the audience with promises of something against the ordinary, and then reward them with a dose of positivity and a song we can all dance along to. As the final song played and the bass player from my building jumped off the stage right in front of my good friend, they danced. One a performer, one an audience member, together, inches apart and laughing along, dancing like they did not have a care in the world. If that isnt a way to end a Saturday night, I dont know what is.