The large concert experience has become a nightmare in the US- extortionate 'dynamic' , fee-laden ticket prices, expensive parking/rideshare options, onerous bag-checks and phone rules; all for an increasingly remote, prefabricated experience one might as well watch at home on a screen where the beers aren't $15 each.
Yet thousands of people still go; and not 1% of them can be bothered to cross a street to a possibly life-changing $10 small venue show, where the action is a shirts-throw away and the night is alive with possibility.
Who can tell these people, so they'd listen, that they'd get so much more value for their money at the small place than being one atom among thousands in the big shed?
Oh yeah, wasn't trying to be pedantic, sorry. The question is serious, tho'; who has the standing to tell the mass of regular folks this, and have them at least consider it? Is it even a marketing issue? It ain't like we're not doing everything we can to promote smaller venues/shows/scenes as a better alternative. But the needle won't seem to budge.
All very true. Even though it's not the main point of your post – what continues to baffle me is music fans, even ones that are not into pop music, leaning toward arena/stadium gigs these days. I have always enjoyed small club gigs so much more. I'm actually leaning towards microvenues now!
Well I think one irony is that artists generally prefer smaller venues too! You're closer to the crowd, there's that vibe and intimacy... it is often far more moving as a result.
The large concert experience has become a nightmare in the US- extortionate 'dynamic' , fee-laden ticket prices, expensive parking/rideshare options, onerous bag-checks and phone rules; all for an increasingly remote, prefabricated experience one might as well watch at home on a screen where the beers aren't $15 each.
Yet thousands of people still go; and not 1% of them can be bothered to cross a street to a possibly life-changing $10 small venue show, where the action is a shirts-throw away and the night is alive with possibility.
Who can tell these people, so they'd listen, that they'd get so much more value for their money at the small place than being one atom among thousands in the big shed?
I know, I know.... it just makes me sad to contemplate it.
Oh yeah, wasn't trying to be pedantic, sorry. The question is serious, tho'; who has the standing to tell the mass of regular folks this, and have them at least consider it? Is it even a marketing issue? It ain't like we're not doing everything we can to promote smaller venues/shows/scenes as a better alternative. But the needle won't seem to budge.
All very true. Even though it's not the main point of your post – what continues to baffle me is music fans, even ones that are not into pop music, leaning toward arena/stadium gigs these days. I have always enjoyed small club gigs so much more. I'm actually leaning towards microvenues now!
Well I think one irony is that artists generally prefer smaller venues too! You're closer to the crowd, there's that vibe and intimacy... it is often far more moving as a result.