The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 10, 2003, Page 6, Image 6
6 THE GAMECOCK ♦ Monday, November 10, 2003
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PHOTO BY MEG MOORE/THE GAMECOCK
Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas gets into the music at Greenville’s Bl-Lo Center.
BY JENNIFER SITKOWSKI
THE GAMECOCK
A great concert requires more
than just a big-name band on
stage; it takes an exciting atmo
sphere, passionate musicians and
an overflow of energy to make a
performance unforgettable.
“You can tell when a band is
feeling it,” said Nick
McDonald, a third-year media
| arts student.
When a band is up on stage
' having a good time and not
just going through the mo
tions, the audience can not
help but let loose and have fun as
well.
When it comes to catching his
favorite artists in concert,
McDonald explained that he
prefers smaller shows because
they are more personal and eas
ier to enjoy. McDonald said the
dynamics of a 2,000 person show
versus those of a 50,000 person
show make a big difference in
the level of intimacy.
He also prefers the cheaper
ticket prices and the feeling of
being more connected with the
band.
“I like to support the local in
dustry,” said McDonald. “It’s
good to see your friends or peo
ple from similar backgrounds as
you.”
At local shows, fans are able to
support the bands that they hope
to see get big one day. There is al
ways that possibility that some
where in the future, audience
members will be able to say, “I
saw them, back when...”
Naturally, bigger bands tend
to perform at larger arenas. For
some, small venue shows that
pack in the audience create an
snergetic atmosphere that can’t
be recreated at arena-size
locations.
“When you get like 400 people
packed into 30 square feet, it gets
pretty crazy, and it’s a lot more
fun,” said Adam Turner, a third
year computer science student.
Although small venues are de
signed for more intimate shows,
some students prefer to see big
name acts on an equally grandiose
stage.
“I like the really big venues as
opposed to the closer, more per
sonal ones, “said Noah Adams, a
third-year criminal justice stu
dent.
He said he prefers going to large
amphitheaters where popular
bands play and tons of people go
to see them. Adams explained that
he prefers the acoustics at such
larger-scale venues.
He has seen several big-name
bands, including Pearl Jam,
Weezer and Counting Crows. The
best show he has ever been to,
however, was an Elton John and
Billy Joel concert.
“They’re, like, from the ’70s and
they know how to rock,” said
Adams, “They know how to put on
a good show, and they’re definitely
professional about it.”
When an artist lacks enthusi
asm during his or her perfor
mance, the absence of onstage en
ergy often results in an audience
of disappointed concert-goers.
“It’s almost like he (the per
former) has to,” said Adams, ex
pressing that when a musician
does not put effort into his or her
playing, it shows.
He was let down when he went
to see the Wallflowers and they
only played for 45 minutes.
“I think if you pay the money
to see the Wallflowers and
Counting Crows, then they
should at least play for an hour,”
said Adams.
The second time Jennifer Ruff,
an education graduate student,
saw the Counting Crows, she said
it was not as good as the first time.
“I think he was drunk,” said
Ruff of the Crows’ lead singer,
Adam Duritz.
Ruff explained that a show can
come across as lackluster for a va
riety of reasons — if the band is /
not up-to-par musically, the artist
makes rude comments, and if the
audience just is not into the show,
the overall effect can be less than
energizing.
Bands that lose control or act
crazy during their performances
also tend to distance themselves
from their audiences.
“When bands come and they
get out of control or they think
they’re better than the actual
event, then it’s a really bad expe
rience for the person watching it,”
said Turner.
He defines a good concert as one
where the crowd seems excited to
be there, the artist really gets into
the performance and the sound
equipment sufficiently supports
the musicians’ playing.
The bottom line is that whethe. 5*
a group plays at a small club or
storms the stage at a big arena, a
good concert requires more than
just well-amped guitars.
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MUMP - >.-1A -1
The Greatest Shows on Emh
USC students sound off on the best of the best
“Ben Folds. He’sawesome. He wasiieetNy interactive with the adult
audience.” Suzanna Burguet, second-year French student
, J&f,: iriv T.7S- CAROLINA CENTER
“Rascal Flatts and Chris Cagle in Greenville. Rascal FiettswasAs
terrible, but Cagle was awesome. Anyone who hasn’t experienced -p
‘Chicks Dig it’ liye need to -Ifs life changing.’‘ ^ephertfesteh'dif,
first-y^engfie^fngstutfept^ A * 9 2882C?C38Pti|
“A Seether, Our Lady Peace and 3 Doors Down concert in Atlanta. It J -
was awes6rMe;plus^owa^Tr0e,”Braficidn Hewton, second-year
business student. h/* %fe ... c$e9a
r JV?
“Matchbox Twenty. I thought thejr songs were OK on the radio, butyou
have no idea - they are amazingliyej" Sarah Winford; third-year iA
journalism student w ■
' ** Jf fV a?
- --■ —-8—— -ia-si -fg.: a A
SHOW PREVIEW
Day comes full circle on latest tour
BY MEG MOORE
THE GAMECOCK
Just when the music world had
all but declared the singer-song
writer an extinct breed, guitar
wielding songsmiths made a
comeback in the mainstream.
John Mayer, Josh Kelly, Jason
Mraz — they have all enjoyed suc
cess on popular radio and music
television.
For emerging songwriters such
Howie Day, who is performing at
the Russell House Ballroom
tonight, now is an opportune time
to be making music.
In fact, it is the perfect time for
Day’s new single, “Perfect Time
of Day,” to be hitting the air
waves. The romance-tinged tune
receives regular play on MTV
and VH1.
Having spent time touring col
lege campuses, Day feels like his
decision to forgo further school
ing after graduating from high
school four years ago has proved
not only profitable but ironic.
“In a weird way, I’ve come full
circle,” said Day in a press re
lease. “After high school, I decid
ed to skip college... four years lat
er, I’m releasinga new record in
stead of getting my degree.”
rrru ~ nn ----
X 11V MU J V/Ml
old singer-song
writer recently
released his
first album on
Epic Records,
“Stop the World
Now.” While re
maining true to
the musical
roots he estab
iished on ms 2000 independent re
lease, “Australia,” Day has added
dimension to the songs on his lat
est CD. He wrote “End of Our
Days” and “Trouble in Here” on
piano and infused some tunes with
the sounds of a 25-piece orchestra.
During the past four years,
Day honed his writing skills on
the road opening for such artists
as Sting and Tori Amos. The
touring process proved to be a
learning experience.
Specifically, he cites Tori
Amos as teaching him the ways
of remaining true to one’s music:
“Watching how hard Tori works
UliU JVVIUg
how she car
ries herself as
an artist was
an education
for me,” Day
explained.
“She said it is
crucial to stay
true to your
artistic vision
when you record, or you il regret
it the rest of your life. She reaf
firmed that the biggest mistake I
could make would be to ignore
my instincts.”
This fall, Day has taken a full
band out on tour for the first
time, adding depth to his live
sound. He is known for employ
ing live sampling and looping
within his sets and says that
while he still plans on using such
techniques, he hopes to expand
his musical options.
“I love playing solo, but I can
only take the songs to a certain
point,” Day said.
He currently has shows sched
uled through December, appear
ing at colleges, clubs and festivals
across the country.
Day clearly hopes that the
resurgence in popularity of the
singer-songwriter will persist —
and looks to be one of those artists
still cranking out hits several al
bums from now.
“I wanted to create a timeless
record that will hold up 10 years
down the road,” Day said of his
new release.
Tonight, USC students have the
chance to see Day in action. And
if he has any say in it, he is just
getting started.
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PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK
Singer-songwriter Howie Day has made a musical name for
himself through extensive touring and continual Innovation.
Howie Day is cashing in
on the current popularity
of the singer-songwriter,
capturing the thoughtful
solo artist aesthetic with
his intelligent pop tunes.
CD Releases for Tuesday
I “RESUR
RECTION":
Tupac
I“SOULO":
Nick Lachey
“TRAIN OF
THOUGHT”:
Dream
Theater
“TRY THIS”:
Pink
“CLOSER": Josh Groban
“LOST DOGS: RARITIES AND
B-SIDES”: Pearl Jam
“KID ROCK”: Kid Rock
“THANK YOU”: Stone Temple
Pilots
“EP (EP)”: Matchbox Twenty
“ANOTHER 700 MILES
(EP)”: 3 Doors Down
“LOVE ACTUALLY
(SOUNDTRACK)": Various
Artists
“REALTALK": Dave Hollister
“LIVE FROM THE ROAD”:
Chevelle
‘Matrix Revolutions’ dominates, but falls
short of ‘Reloaded’ debut at box office
BY ANTHONY BREZNICAN
TH^ ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES — Which way do
you spin “The Matrix
Revolutions”?
The third movie in the cyber
punk trilogy earned $24.3 million
at the domestic box office in its
first day of release, Warner Bros,
said Thursday.
That’s a great one-day total for
any other movie, but it comes in
far below what “The Matrix
Reloaded” collected in its nation
wide debut last spring.
In May, “Reloaded” opened
with a few late-night screenings
on Wednesday evening and
earned about $5 million. Then it
expanded to 3,600 theaters on
Thursday and earned about $37.5
million, according to Brandon
Gray, proprietor of
BoxOfficeMojo.com.
At the time, Warner Bros,
lumped the Wednesday totals in
with the Thursday figures and an
nounced a total debut of $42.5 mil
lion for “Reloaded.”
Gray said there may have been
less anticipation for
“Revolutions” simply because of
the rapid-fire release timing.
“With the last one
(‘Reloaded’) there was four years
of pent-up demand and
‘Revolutions’ comes out after
only six months,” he said. “It’s
not quite the same event as the
one that came out after a long
drought.”
Dan Fellman, Warner Bros,
head of U.S. distribution, dis
m’ssed the notion that some
viewers may be less enthusiastic
about the franchise after
“Reloaded,” which scored poorly
with critics and many fans.
“These are staggering num
bers,” Fellman said. “If you talk
to any large theater operator
they’re totally out of their minds
with joy.”
“Revolutions” also collected
$18.8 million internationally af
ter staging the widest simultane
ous release for a single film by
opening in an unprecedented
18,000 screens around the world
at the same hour (9 a.m. ET), ac
cording to Variety.
“Revolutions” also ranked as
the third best Wednesday debut
for a movie, behind $28,5 million
for 1999’s “Star Wars: Episode I
— The Phantom Menace” and
$26.1 million for last year’s “The
Lord of the Rings: The Two
Towers.”
Although hampered by critics
who lambasted “Revolutions” ar
a glorified video game, the Rear |
Reeves sci-fi adventure could still
come close to topping $100 million
domestically by the end of the
weekend.
Paul Dergarabedian, president
of box office tracker Exhibitor
Relations Co., said he would wait
until the weekend to judge how
“Revolutions” compares to
“Reloaded.”
The critically acclaimed first
film, “The Matrix,” earned $33.7
million in its first weekend in
April 19^9 and went on to rak» in
$171.5 million.