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Editors Note
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Global Rhythm, Editors Note >>
EDITOR'S NOTE
The Great Outdoors
- By Tad Hendrickson
As I write this, I'm enjoying tine joys of spring. It's great to walk outside and not need a jaoi<et. Indeed, everyone seems to be In a good mood right now, particulariy after the early spring we had in the Northeast, when it was so wet that I wondered if there might be a blueprint for Noah's ari< posted on the Web somewhere. But the clouds went away, and the yellow orb in the sl<y has actually shown itself again.
You may ask. Why is a music editor giving me an outdated weather report? "Glad you asked," is my reply.
Concert halls, clubs and bars are fine, often great venues to see music, and I spend countless hours in these places. But looking over this summer's concert schedules, i find myseif personally most excited to see some of the artists we cover in the magazine playing outdoor shows. Rain or shine, there is something wonderful and wholly communal about making time to enjoy the day (or night) outside, taking in some good tunes while enjoying Mother Nature in fuii bloom.
Concerts and gigs indoors seem to have an air of exclusivity and purpose to them just by the very nature of an
entrance fee, walls and a ceiling, and the smaller numbers of people in the audience. Conversely, outdoor events, paid or free, generally have a freer vibe where people are picnicking or hanging out with friends and/or family—it's particularly cool to see someone's four-year-old dancing around, and think about what an important formative experience it must be for this potential future lifelong music fan. Whiie gigs often have a way of making life stand still for a few precious hours, life goes on at these outdoor events. Yeah, it can be a drag to navigate the line of a sorely overburdened Port-AJohn, but that is really a small price to pay.
There is a beautiful new live CD/DVD set. Concerto Em Usboa, documenting our cover star Mariza's performance in the gardens of the Tower of Belem, one of the most treasured historical and architectural sites in Portugal. In his cover story, J, Poet tells us that the vibe was a magical one for both the performer and the audience, "It was a rainy summer evening, a beautiful emotional night," Mariza recalled of that night. 'The tower was on the side of the stage, bathed in light. It's one of the most romantic places in Lisbon, a special place for us," This recollection and description is a poignant example of how setting can be a wonderful thing for us in the audience, but it also reminds us of how a setting can inspire a performer.
Not everyone gets the chance to see a fadista in such a picturesque Portuguese setting, but a weekend in Montreal taking in the festival programming of Andre Menard (this month's Icon) is a pretty close second. Menard knows how crucial it is to bring the music to the people, and offers a ton of outdoor shows at each year's festival on stages both large and small throughout the city's downtown area. In the process, he brings the entire city (and thousands of guests) together for this annual rite of summer.
Though much of his tour was inside, featured artist Cornelius could be found at this year's Coachella festival, an outdoor extravaganza near Palm Springs. Spanish Hariem Orchestra has some outdoor dates booked as well, and having seen them perform I heartily encourage folks to go out and check them out, whether it's at the Lilac Festival In Rochester, New York, or the Piazza del Municipio in Chiasso, Switzeriand. Just about everyone else featured this month also has live dates that are al fresco too.
It would seem to be that this note is another in a now ongoing series about how important it is to get out there and
support working musicians, whether local or touring. But really, this is also about community. Go take in these afternoons on the green and enjoy time with friends and fellow fans as you do it. It doesn't get any better than that.
That's it for now.
07/01/07
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