Clancy and I have spent the week in Shoshone Valley. With most of our vacation time being spent seeing family and friends, we wanted a vacation with just the two of us.
We chose the Shoshone Valley primarily because Max Dalton, a favored musician of ours, was doing a show there. We came up to SV a couple other times back when we were living in Deseret for the same reason (once I came up with her, once by myself).
Dalton is a folk-country sort of singer. I introduced him to Clancy years ago and she took to him more than I ever did. He’s a great storyteller, though his music is generally dark in theme. I’ve only been to one of his shows before, but left about half way through because it was a long Friday at the end of a long week and I just wasn’t in the mood.
The show was mostly enjoyable, though Clancy and I both agreed that we probably won’t be making a special trip like this in the future. Part of it was the atmosphere (a lot of people there were not big fans, and many as interested in conversation as the music they paid for). Part of it, though, was that Dalton has almost no positive stage energy. It’s hard to escape the conclusion that his sourpuss music is the product of the fact that he is just not a very happy or pleasant individual. Dalton’s demeanor was accentuated by an opening act that was energetic and positive and thrilled to be opening for Max-friggin’-Dalton.
Musicians can run the spectrum. Sometimes you meet the guy who is bouncing around all over the place on the stage and discover that once they are off the stage they are cold and distant. Then there are others who seem uncomfortable on stage, but is all smiles after the show and as friendly as can be.
Back in my single days in Colosse, I went to 2-3 music shows a week. There was a thriving local music scene. I was young and single. It was fun. It turns out that it’s the sort of thing one grows out of when one can no longer drink seven beers and recognizes the ridiculousness of spending $20 on the privilege to do so. And as you get older, the average age of the audience stays the same, leaving you older and older…
Musicians can run the spectrum.
The Spectrum closed in 2009.
Back in my single days in Colosse, I went to 2-3 music shows a week.
This is amazing to me. Was there nothing else to do, or did you use it as a pickup opportunity?
Comment by Mike Hunt — October 3, 2011 @ 8:34 pm
This is amazing to me. Was there nothing else to do, or did you use it as a pickup opportunity?
That should have said “up to.” I went to at least one almost every week. Often two. Sometimes three. There were lots of good shows. As a pick-up opportunity, it was generally a bust. Not my kind of people or vice-versa.
Comment by trumwill — October 4, 2011 @ 8:34 pm