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RIP SUMMER . IT ’ S BEEN REAL ! ( Con ’ t )
Belle And Sebastian – The Boy With The Arab Strap ( Live in Prospect …
Probably my favorite summer concert of the season was Belle and Sebastian at Prospect Park . Belle and Sebastian are a retro-dream-pop band from Glasgow , Scotland that have been around since the mid-90 ′ s . I like a few of their records , but I wouldn ’ t consider myself a huge fan of theirs . They are one of the best indie bands that exist in their sub-genre . A lot of things contributed to my enjoyment of this show . The weather was perfect , the scenery was picturesque , there was food and drink to be had , and I had good company . That ’ s my experience with what makes a fun summer concert for me . The show itself wasn ’ t the centerpiece for my satisfaction with the experience . It
contributed to my enjoyment of the day along with other factors .
The Walkmen – 138th Street ( Live at McCarren Park )
I went to a Walkmen concert at Williamsburg Park as part of the Northside Festival in Brooklyn back in June . The Walkmen are one of my favorite bands . I ’ ve seen them multiple times in every venue you could possibly think of in NYC . Indoor venues like Webster Hall , Bowery Ballroom , and Terminal 5 with great to moderately good sound . These shows have all been sold out and thus packed with diehard fans of the band . When you get a great concert under these conditions …. great sound , perfect lighting , insane crowd participation … that becomes what you expect out of that band whenever
they play a show fairly or unfairly . T
he Walkmen at their Williamsburg Park concert put on a great show but it wasn ’ t the same event / spectacle as their club shows . I found myself wondering why the audience wasn ’ t singing the words to We ’ ve Been Had and asked myself why my ears weren ’ t ringing with applause after The Rat when the band absolutely nailed their rendition of the song . I ’ m sure someone who attended the same show , who saw the band for the first time walked away with a different experience , which is great for the band and those people in the crowd . Guess what ? That ’ s what a summer show is supposed to be like . I ’ d rather have a Walkmen show in June every year than no Walkmen show at all but I ’ d really really really prefer a Walkmen show in the middle of December at a dark , intimate concert hall
with others that share my slightly unhealthy obsession of the band ’ s music .
I liken the switch from summer to fall concert season to the switch from summer blockbuster movie season to the start of fall sitcom season . Everyone talks about and watches the big budget movies everyone else is watching because that ’ s what people do in the summer . You watch the latest Will Smith movie , the latest Batman movie , the latest movie in the Bourne series like everyone else does . Some you enjoy , some you don ’ t , but when fall comes around there ’ s something more satisfying about starting to watch the new season of that sitcom you ’ re obsessive about . Order is restored to the universe . A sense of routine and ritual returns to your daily and weekly regimens . You feel more centered now that you can hunker down and sink your teeth into what you want too because that ’ s
your zone , your niche . You ’ re doing you !
Summer is over . The weather was nice . Some of the concerts were great but I welcome Fall back . I welcome coming home to myself , which for me is music club season .
RIP Summer . It ’ s been real .