I have been given pause
Sep. 15th, 2009 02:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
johncomicRecently a friend posted about her experience at a nearby Metric concert. Sounds like she's really into them, and I say “good for her” cuz I am too.
Or so I'd like to say, but... okay, here's the thing. I always tell people that Metric is one of my fave bands. I had heard and liked a few of their songs, then had the opportunity to see them live and was utterly blown away by their performance. Bought the CD immediately, told everyone afterward that it was one of the best rock concerts I'd ever seen, bought all their other CDs and intend to keep doing so... I am Into™ Metric. Okay?
But then I notice that this aforementioned post rhymes off the name of each song they played, and it suddenly hit me: I can't tell you the name of every Metric song. Not even most of their songs. If you played me a random clip of them, chances are that I couldn't identify it for you. I can't even name all the band members.
Back in the 70s and 80s, when I was Into™ a band, I could name every band member (in some cases tell you their birthdays), I could name every album in order, tell you when it was released, name every song on it in order, tell you who wrote every song, and sing you at least a bit of every song - definitely identify any song by being played a random few seconds of it.
And, pointedly, this time when I heard that Metric would be playing nearby, it never occurred to me to think of going myself. I told myself things like, “I've already seen them”, “Rock shows are such a pain with the noise and crowds and all”, yadda yadda... turns out I was too sick to go anywhere that night so in retrospect it's just as well, but still -- when I was younger and I was Into™ a band, if they played anywhere that I could go, I went.
And what goes for Metric now, goes the same for a number of other current bands I claim to be Into™ (for one example, Billy Talent). This forces me to realize that I am just not really into music the same way I was when I was younger.
And this makes me feel really Old®.
Or so I'd like to say, but... okay, here's the thing. I always tell people that Metric is one of my fave bands. I had heard and liked a few of their songs, then had the opportunity to see them live and was utterly blown away by their performance. Bought the CD immediately, told everyone afterward that it was one of the best rock concerts I'd ever seen, bought all their other CDs and intend to keep doing so... I am Into™ Metric. Okay?
But then I notice that this aforementioned post rhymes off the name of each song they played, and it suddenly hit me: I can't tell you the name of every Metric song. Not even most of their songs. If you played me a random clip of them, chances are that I couldn't identify it for you. I can't even name all the band members.
Back in the 70s and 80s, when I was Into™ a band, I could name every band member (in some cases tell you their birthdays), I could name every album in order, tell you when it was released, name every song on it in order, tell you who wrote every song, and sing you at least a bit of every song - definitely identify any song by being played a random few seconds of it.
And, pointedly, this time when I heard that Metric would be playing nearby, it never occurred to me to think of going myself. I told myself things like, “I've already seen them”, “Rock shows are such a pain with the noise and crowds and all”, yadda yadda... turns out I was too sick to go anywhere that night so in retrospect it's just as well, but still -- when I was younger and I was Into™ a band, if they played anywhere that I could go, I went.
And what goes for Metric now, goes the same for a number of other current bands I claim to be Into™ (for one example, Billy Talent). This forces me to realize that I am just not really into music the same way I was when I was younger.
And this makes me feel really Old®.
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no subject
Date: 2009-09-15 06:41 pm (UTC)Well, your life is much more complex than when you were a kid, and your new priorities require a different response.
Similarly, people who find it harder to remember details as they age often don't seem to give themselves the appropriate credit. When the library is fuller, it's harder to find a given book.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-16 02:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-05 08:22 pm (UTC)I don't always feel like going out to see them perform, though, because the concert scene isn't really my thing anymore. I guess I'm really old too?
Anyway, I don't blame you for not wanting to go to shows anymore - a lot of them suck, even when the band is really good. It's the other people that are the issue.