I really love the country—rural towns, fields full of cows, forests that stretch as far as you look—sounds great to me. Every day, after what is almost always an aggravating commute on the subway—‘Attention passengers, we apologize for the inconvenience, there is traffic directly in front of us. We should be moving momentarily. Again, we apologize for the inconvenience’—Northern New England seems to call for me most strongly, beckoning me to its peace and open air. And maybe I will end up out there somewhere, someday.
But it is a weekend like this one that forces me to recognize the pleasures of urban life—namely, the oodles of concerts that one can attend each weekend. This weekend, I’ve got tickets to two concerts: tUnE-YarDs w/Xiu Xiu at the Middle East, and the Handel & Haydn Society’s performance of two Beethoven symphonies under the baton of Roger Norrington (who is truly a baller in the world of historically-informed performance). Two very different concerts featuring artists that are both very different and very exciting. And the best part? I’ll attend both for a combined $30.
Not a bad deal.
It’s easy to find music to satisfy any taste without causing your wallet too much pain—you just have to keep your eyes and ears open (and be willing to forgo the Jay-Z concert to see artists that are a tiny bit less mainstream). This weekend, beyond tUne-YarDs and the H&H society, you could also shell out $16.50 to see Ted Leo at the Paradise on Saturday, or drop $20 (provided you’re under 40) to see the BSO play a Harbison world premiere as well as Mahler’s 7th Symphony. I’m sure that in NYC the opportunities would be even more plentiful (if a bit pricier).
There is so much great live music to be had in the city. So go forth, good people, and grab an earful.
tUnE-YarDs - Hatari (YSI) (dropbox)
Beethoven (Norrington) - Symphony No. 7, Mvmt. 2 (YSI) (dropbox)
Stevie Wonder - Livin' for the City (YSI) (dropbox)
I don't mean to sound crotchety, but I fondly remember a time before the blogosphere when one was bombarded by a lot less music on a daily basis. My horizons were without question less expansive, but there really was some great music to be found by a middle school kid with nothing but the radio and record store. At first there was the Smashing Pumpkins and the Stone Temple Pilots, but I must say that the Dandy Warhols were my favorite band for a very long time. I still have a very soft spot in my heart for Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia and Welcome to the Monkey House. They are the perfect off-beat rock albums that manage to be interesting, never repetitive and always catchy.
