The Non-Tech Music Money Maker

[By Geoffrey Ellis]

Last night I saw the band Built to Spill at Slim's in SF. It was one of the first live shows I've gone to or been excited about in a while. I had seen BTS before and had grown a little weary of seeing them play a mix of songs I wanted to hear along side songs I liked but didn't want to hear as badly as others. So the reason I went to the show? Because they did what a number of bands have done to get fans back out to shows, they played their best album (which happens to be "Perfect From Now On") in order, from front to back. And it was phenomenal. I am not claiming to know anything about whether people are or aren't going to shows, or if sales for concerts are up or down, but I am seeing a lot of bands do this and it is really exciting.

Think about it, when a band has hundreds of songs to choose from and you go to a show, it's a crap shoot as to what you'll hear, but when they play a specific album? You are guaranteed those songs. And if the album is your favorite? Jackpot. I recently took Sarah to see Liz Phair play her album "Exile in Guyville" at the Fillmore. When she found out I got tickets for the show she was like, "yeah, Liz Phair, that's cool" (we'd seen her before and her new stuff is not Sarah's favorite) but when I told her she was playing Exile exclusively, Sarah nearly lost her mind. It was THE album for her at a pivotal time in her life, much like "Perfect From Now On" was for me. Everyone has an album that resonates with them. Imagine seeing that band do your favorite album all the way through. And imagine seeing them play all of your favorite songs before that band becomes washed up, sold out or just lost their creativity? Well, now's your chance.

The first time I heard of a band doing this was when Sonic Youth performed their epic album "Daydream Nation" in 2007. The idea was so cool to me. I'm sure bands have done it before, but it was a new concept for me. And, for a band of Sonic Youth's caliber, it would be easy for them to do even more records, like "Goo" or "Dirty" or even a greatest hits tour. In fact, Thurston Moore (of SY) is performing his album Psychic Hearts at the upcoming All Tomorrow's Parties festival in New York. A number of other bands are doing the same by performing their seminal works, Tortoise, Meat Puppets, Mission of Burma. It's a guaranteed moneymaker and will not only make fans happy, but it may even reinvigorate an appreciation that has been long suppressed.

I can imagine it going too far, but for now I am in love with the concept. As people stop buying full albums and concentrate on buying/downloading singles, are we the last generation that will have the opportunity to see concerts of our favorite full-length albums? I hope not. I do hope it keeps going on and on and more bands take the initiative to play their best works live. I am just hoping I will eventually get to see Pavement reunite and play Slanted and Enchanted or Stereolab play Emperor Tomato Ketchup or Smashing Pumpkins play Gish (again-I saw them in 1991), and the list goes on. It's the only thing that will get me to shows anymore. And it's made me love Built to Spill all over again, just like I did when Perfect From Now On was brand new.

What is your dream band/album show?