I Believe in a Thing Called Live Music

While considering topics for this month’s newsletter, I found myself floundering a bit as I tried to write about guitars and the guitar business.  When writer’s block rears its ugly head, I try to stick to the advice of an old English teacher, who once reminded me to simply “write what you know.” So, for this month’s installment, I decided to go a bit tangential on y’all and follow my instinct to write about a recent concert-going experience and a lesson re-learned, rather than offer product insights and the like.

One of the benefits (and occasional hazards) of this business is that you never know exactly who or what is going to walk through the door on a given day.  We are often the recipients of all sorts of generous gestures from our customers and friends.  This past Saturday was a good example.  One long-time customer bought us a Coconut Crème pie from Buttermilk Sky—for the uninitiated, this local bakery produces life-changing pies!!   And, just when I didn’t think the day could get much better, two customers (Kirk and Tim) visiting from South Carolina offered me a spare ticket to see one of my guilty pleasure bands, the Darkness, at Terminal West later that night.  I realize some of you are probably reeling from the shock that I, a folkie-singer-songwriter, would be a fan of the Darkness, but all I can say is that they are a very talented band and they put on one hell of a show (though you would do well to bring good earplugs, like my go-to Etymotics!).  

Now, even though I was very grateful for the free ticket, I must admit that I was a bit reluctant to take advantage of the offer.  My reluctance had little to do with the fact that I didn’t really know the guys who offered me the ticket (after hanging for an hour or so at the store, they seemed like upstanding guys), rather it had more to do with the fact that I was pretty tired after working all day and I just wasn’t’ sure if I felt up to it.  I mulled this over as I drove home.   By the time I walked in the front door, I had determined that if I elected to stay home alone with Netflix on a Saturday night over going out to a killer rock show, then I was just simply lame and had no remaining sense of adventure or any legitimate claim to being a cool musician.  So, I inhaled the previous night’s Thai leftovers, brushed my teeth, washed my face, grabbed beer money, and hit the streets.   

After fighting the ever-present Atlanta traffic, I met up with my customers-turned-concert-buddies at the venue and we proceeded to have a great time.  First off, we were a bit surprised by the first band who went by the name—I can’t believe I’m even writing this—Diarrhea Planet, which was a full out, four-guitar rock ensemble.  Their lewd Spinal Tap worthy name aside, these guys put on an impressive show, and I was actually kind of glad to have been there.  Then came the Darkness, and they delivered every bit of the performance they are known for, including: ultra-falsetto rock anthems, ripping solos delivered while riding on the back of a roadie through the audience, a barrage of lights and fog, and, my favorite, the incredible stunt of flinging a pick from the stage into the cleavage of a woman standing in the balcony (now that’s rock n’ roll irreverence at its best!).   Needless to say, it was a memorable concert!

When I dropped Kirk and Tim off at the Georgian Terrace hotel later that night, I realized that in the course of the day I had unexpectedly seen a great show while making two new friends, and none of that would have happened if I had indulged my laziness and stayed at home.  And this, dear readers, is the point of this month’s article, a lesson I occasionally seem to forget: If you are interested in music, it is so important to make the effort to experience it live!  It is even more important to branch out by going to see someone new in a different venue, as there is a very real chance that you will expand your musical palette and you might just experience the thrill of being rocked by something truly unexpected.   Obviously, there are a lot of great local venues and artists that need your support (here in Atlanta and elsewhere); so, for your own good and that of the musical community, I urge you to take a risk and take in some live music, especially when you don’t feel up to it.  I’ll wager that you’ll be glad you did by the end of the night!   - L. Petsch,  May 2018