So much of this is akin with my thinking about not giving away cheap clicks, and about the value of physical community, But there's also multiple layers to this that I learned 35 years ago as a Deadhead, which is why I completely relate to Adrienne's notions of "magic." Many musicians have spoken about what happens when mass attention is paid to a performance, how a kind of transcendence can be reached on both sides of the stage. (I know it's not strictly a Dead thing, as I've experienced it elsewhere, but it's where I first learned about it/participated in it on multiple occasions. I remember it was intermittently in the room at Terrastock, which I saw you post a photo of recently...) The question is how do you a teach people that this magic is within their grasp when it requires such a 180 degree turn from the common values they are surrounded by - maybe even at times practiced by folks who preach otherwise too. I mean, I like Instagram too...
And, for the record, this also seems related to a conversation that took place yesterday at a full faculty meeting of a university music program where I adjunct: the disconnection between students/teachers, and engagement with something that they supposedly love and want to get better at, music. There's a lot of recent trauma/exhaustion at play there too,. But it's not only that...
"If we apply that to our post-industrial, online economy where attention is the creator of value… then isn’t our attention, in fact, our labor? (...) That is to say: attention has value, and not just online."
this portion is really resonating with me today in all the anxiety over elon musk/twitter and thinking further back to the past decade of trump. it also seems to explain why letting them steal our attention is so draining emotionally and i know i have very little energy for 'me' at the end of the day. just another way capitalism siphons the everyperson's value.
Excellent take. It's a clumsy analogy, but I see a similar issue at my son's sporting events. My eldest is a junior. There is a parent that takes pictures throughout each game. She's been doing this since the boys were little. Put another way; she's watched her son grow up through a viewfinder. I'm not sure that's the best way to live. Same with going to a show. if you spend the concert taking selfies or filming clips to post on IG, are you actually there?
great! I think every experience that brings out the audience from being merely a consumer is super important. I played in a festival in Germany were audience were asked to partecipate: cook together, taking care of others etc. Lifting the barrier between performer and audience is this!
I feel really badly for these artists who have been conned into believing they wouldn't get sick if more people just wore masks. Do they expect that nobody will drink at these shows? If not, then they realize that just about everyone is going to remove their masks at some point to drink, right?
I do enjoy the part of your post about the community theory of value, though. I just think magical face talismans are not the best avenue through which to explore it.
Their guidance is politically-motivated wishful thinking - based on a perfect scenario where 100% of people wear perfectly-fitting N95 masks and never take them off.
Mask use in schools or at large concerts is so far away from this perfect ideal that people might as well not even bother.
Have a look at the recent Catalonia mask study if you're interested in seeing some real-world data.
are you familiar with any of the new tech in "web3" that's trying to use analogous solutions to remove middlemen between artists and their fans? I'd love your take if you have the time
a little late to the party here... I think it is an interesting parallel between not paying attention and not following the performer's wishes - but there's still some extra level of sociopathy between the two I can't quite comprehend.
it's also interesting to consider people who go to the show and contribute negatively in other ways, blocking others' view by holding their phone above their head, talking incessantly, or more extreme examples like harassment, violent moshing, starting fights, etc.
Excellent piece Damon!
So much of this is akin with my thinking about not giving away cheap clicks, and about the value of physical community, But there's also multiple layers to this that I learned 35 years ago as a Deadhead, which is why I completely relate to Adrienne's notions of "magic." Many musicians have spoken about what happens when mass attention is paid to a performance, how a kind of transcendence can be reached on both sides of the stage. (I know it's not strictly a Dead thing, as I've experienced it elsewhere, but it's where I first learned about it/participated in it on multiple occasions. I remember it was intermittently in the room at Terrastock, which I saw you post a photo of recently...) The question is how do you a teach people that this magic is within their grasp when it requires such a 180 degree turn from the common values they are surrounded by - maybe even at times practiced by folks who preach otherwise too. I mean, I like Instagram too...
And, for the record, this also seems related to a conversation that took place yesterday at a full faculty meeting of a university music program where I adjunct: the disconnection between students/teachers, and engagement with something that they supposedly love and want to get better at, music. There's a lot of recent trauma/exhaustion at play there too,. But it's not only that...
"If we apply that to our post-industrial, online economy where attention is the creator of value… then isn’t our attention, in fact, our labor? (...) That is to say: attention has value, and not just online."
this portion is really resonating with me today in all the anxiety over elon musk/twitter and thinking further back to the past decade of trump. it also seems to explain why letting them steal our attention is so draining emotionally and i know i have very little energy for 'me' at the end of the day. just another way capitalism siphons the everyperson's value.
Excellent commentary.
It would be really interesting for you and LM Sacasas to talk about this! Two of my favorite essayistic newsletterers: https://theconvivialsociety.substack.com/p/your-attention-is-not-a-resource?s=r
Excellent take. It's a clumsy analogy, but I see a similar issue at my son's sporting events. My eldest is a junior. There is a parent that takes pictures throughout each game. She's been doing this since the boys were little. Put another way; she's watched her son grow up through a viewfinder. I'm not sure that's the best way to live. Same with going to a show. if you spend the concert taking selfies or filming clips to post on IG, are you actually there?
great! I think every experience that brings out the audience from being merely a consumer is super important. I played in a festival in Germany were audience were asked to partecipate: cook together, taking care of others etc. Lifting the barrier between performer and audience is this!
I feel really badly for these artists who have been conned into believing they wouldn't get sick if more people just wore masks. Do they expect that nobody will drink at these shows? If not, then they realize that just about everyone is going to remove their masks at some point to drink, right?
I do enjoy the part of your post about the community theory of value, though. I just think magical face talismans are not the best avenue through which to explore it.
Glad you liked part of the post - please give a look to medical sites like the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, the CDC and what they have to say about N-95 masks - for example: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-mask/art-20485449
Their guidance is politically-motivated wishful thinking - based on a perfect scenario where 100% of people wear perfectly-fitting N95 masks and never take them off.
Mask use in schools or at large concerts is so far away from this perfect ideal that people might as well not even bother.
Have a look at the recent Catalonia mask study if you're interested in seeing some real-world data.
came across your SubStack today; glad I did!
are you familiar with any of the new tech in "web3" that's trying to use analogous solutions to remove middlemen between artists and their fans? I'd love your take if you have the time
Thanks - I have no interest in crypto or blockchain, sorry! Check out Holly Herndon for an interesting musician with work in that field
a little late to the party here... I think it is an interesting parallel between not paying attention and not following the performer's wishes - but there's still some extra level of sociopathy between the two I can't quite comprehend.
it's also interesting to consider people who go to the show and contribute negatively in other ways, blocking others' view by holding their phone above their head, talking incessantly, or more extreme examples like harassment, violent moshing, starting fights, etc.