Coldplay the last of the great live bands? Do kids know the difference between musicians and entertainers?

Posted on April 27th, 2008 by Mark.
Categories: Music.

If I ask my kids what’s good in the world of music today… I’ll get answers like “Disturbed” from the girl, and the boy will likely spout off some rap group that I’ve never heard of.  Now I know that every generation has its own musical taste and tone, but even the worst of the bands in the 80s sang their own tunes (even if badly) and played their own instruments.  We frowned on the whole, lip sync thing.  Now, it’s like … who cares?  Well, I care.  Either you can play and sing or you can’t… I don’t want to watch some idiot DANCE to their music!  Recently, we went to see a band play at a local watering hole.  The kids were AMAZED by it all.  They’d seen them play before, but I don’t think they appreciated how cool it is to watch people actually PERFORM.  Now that they’re older they seem to have some concept of how special it all is.  They could have watched Sierra play for hours and it wasn’t even like they were playing contemporary stuff, they were playing the classic rock greats.  There is something very cool and magical about a good live performance.  You just have to envy people that can play an instrument with any kind of proficiency… I can’t and so I really appreciate when someone can.  This is why you’re more likely to find me at a Yes concert than you will some modern day band.  If I have the CD I don’t need to go to a concert for a “listening party”.

One of the last bands that seems to have any real ability to deliver live these days is Coldplay.  Now I know these guys have become the darlings of music, but I listened to them when they were just some band.  The wife and I used “Yellow” in our wedding video… they’re just a great band.  They carry the torch when it comes to GOOD live performances.  Here’s a live performance of “A Rush of Blood to the Head”… one of their better songs that got no play!  “I’m gonna buy a gun and start a war, if you can tell me something worth fighting for.”  What a great line!

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