Monday, September 20, 2010
Pavement.
Saturday September 18, 2010.
I have listened to the band Pavement since tenth grade and seeing as they were broken up for years, never thought that I would get the chance to see them live. Seeing Pavement in person and Stephen Malkmus on stage was a radically different experience than watching documentaries made about them. One aspect addressed in previous classes about seeing a performance live expressed that the entire event becomes an experience. It was great singing along with the overly joyous big teddy bear mike who was standing in front of us. It was amazing to stand next to a man most likely in his fifties thinking about the different age related experiences we hold toward the same band, and that the same thing brought us together. I also liked bringing my friend Emily who I had just found out had this common interest and now we share the same memory of this experience. It was funny running into ten people from Keene, never knowing they were into the same band I have been into for years. The light show during the performance was incredible, and the overall aesthetic of the arena surrounding me amplified the excitement and dedication throughout the crowd. I am so glad I finally got to see Pavement live.
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Revisiting this post three months later just gets me depressed. I want to go back!
ReplyDeleteNo, but in all seriousness, this was one of my most memorable concerts. When I reevaluate why this experience was so fulfilling and intimate in comparison to the also fulfilling experience of watching documentaries on this band in my own intimate space, I answer with this: as discussed in many film courses I have taken, there can never be 100% truth represented in film. As hard as one tries, every aspect of an experience can never be fully captured on film. Seeing a performer in person is a radically different experience than viewing an replicated image. Aspects of a live experience cannot be replayed or replicated, they can only be surmised to certain details that grow most important. Those exact experiences feel special because they belong to nobody else but an individual's mind and attempts at retelling.
Maybe it is not always entirely that one experience is more intimate than the other experience, but that they are different forms of intimacy. For years, I have had a connection with Pavement's lyrics, but seeing them perform in person felt an entirely different connection to the band. I feel as if I can somewhat explain this with even a simple caparison. It is always a different experience to converse with a friend in person than to converse through technology.
Also, there were so many aspects to take in at the concert that could not have all been captured on camera. Lights coming from different sections created an atmosphere to share with the full stadium audience. The way in which the venue was set up as a stadium built chaos and excitement with busy and common moments. A documentary couldn't allow me to see multiple lighting techniques around the arena, sing along live in person with Pavement, keep hugging the overly friendly drunk hilarious kid who sat in front of us, and create that event memory. I won't lie, it's a great feeling.
I thirst to see them again.