Let The Music Play

I recently came to the awareness that how I experience music has changed over the years. We went to see The National play the Malkin Bowl in Vancouver this weekend. It was the first show I'd been to in at least 4 years; since the birth of my son. I realized that, prior to the show, I couldn't have picked a single band member out of a line-up. The last rock posters I had on my walls were of David Bowie, John Taylor and the Thompson Twins. My 'Tiger Beat' days are three decades behind me, and my days of endless MTV or MuchMusic viewing died the following decade.

If I like the music, I like a band. Plain and simple. However, until I see a band play live, it's more of a 'like' with an asterisk - playing well live is a litmus test for my respect. The National is one of those bands who are, incredibly, actually better live. And, thanks to the young ladies standing in front of me, I learned that their music could be much bouncier and perkier than I originally thought. In these girls' defense, they appeared to there for a stagette. It was easy to figure out which one was getting married: the young lady was literally glowing - or perhaps just reflecting light from the cell phone that she didn't stop texting on throughout the entire show. But when you're young, you go to a show for one of two reasons (both valid): for the music, or for the scene. If you're going for the scene, your interest will slowly wane as your scene changes. If you're going for the music, you'll always go for the music. And there's a plethora of great music out there. CBC Radio3 and Sirius XMU are great resources for finding independent bands, if you're not finding stuff you like on mainstream radio.

So I'd like to put out a big thank you to The Walkmen and The National for a great show. Thank you to my hubby & friends for a great night. Thank you to my in-laws for hangin' with the kiddo. And finally, thank you to my friend Gillian's unborn child for helping us score a premium parking spot. Getting old and having a family does have it's benefits.