White Album, Live

Last July I missed seeing the performance of Beatles "White Album" but we didn't miss the show at the Mello Center last night.

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Wallace Baine wrote yet another story in the Sentinal this time including testimonials from people who saw the show the first time, like this one:

I went (by myself) thinking "This might be interesting," and because I was familiar with a few of the performers. From the opening take-off with the jet-engine blast of "Back in the USSR" to the soothing landing of "Good Night," the concert was a complete revelation and delight.

Because there was no attempt to recreate the "look" of the Beatles, I could concentrate on the music and appreciate the songs as performance pieces actually played by live musicians, not as disembodied melodies coming from my stereo.

Why would someone pay to listen to the performance of a musical work when the recording is available for $5 on eBay? Because performance is experience, and a recording is information. Because John Perry Barlow is correct in the Economy of Ideas that if musicians gave their recorded music away, they could make their living playing music for people live.

The concert was wonderful as promised; I heard familiar songs with fresh delight; Santa Cruz is home to amazing musicians; I wish more people could have this experience.