You Had To Be There: Some Thoughts on Performance Practice and the Shows That Change Our Lives

My wife and I were fortunate enough to attend a number of concerts last year, including several arena shows.  Inevitably, we compared the shows, both to each other and to past concerts that we have seen.  This process led me to reflect on the elements that make a performance memorable and/or meaningful for an audience.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

One of our favorite shows from last year, and indeed any year, was a concert we saw by the English band Duran Duran.  At this point in our lives (we are both in our 50s), it is rare for us to feel compelled to attend a show in a large sports arena.  Typically, these venues are built for just that: sporting events.  Acoustics are usually an afterthought, as are sight lines.  Seating is often crowded and uncomfortable.  Parking is often problematic and expensive.  And, inevitably, the ticket prices themselves can be prohibitively expensive. 

Groups who are at the level where they are playing in, and filling, large sports arenas tend to be either the most popular acts on the radio today, or, (as in the case of Duran Duran), a group whose heyday was several decades ago, but who have managed to forge a staying power through a string of hits and appearances in the subsequent decades.

For us to venture out to such a venue and be willing to pay exorbitant sums for tickets, we weigh several factors.  Have we seen the group before?  If so, do they usually put on a great show?  Will we have other chances to see them again in the future?  Is the group comprised of the original members and/or most famous lineup?  How much are the tickets?  Is there a good warm up act?  Where will our seats be?  And, will the setlist include songs with which we are familiar?

In the case of Duran Duran, neither of us had seen them before.  We have both been fans of their work since their 1980s prime.  Prior to this concert, it had been several years since they had last played in our city.  This show included 2 opening bands- Bastille (whom we did not know) and Nile Rodgers & CHIC (whose work we know quite well).

We got tickets as soon as they went on sale, but somehow managed to get seats all the way up in the highest level, a few rows from the ceiling (!), a few sections away and to the side of the stage.  By all accounts, not great seats in terms of sight and sound, but not the worst either. 

The opening band, Bastille, suffered from a lackluster performance and a very poor sound mix.  We feared the worst when we could barely understand what they were singing because of the awful acoustics.

By contrast, Nile Rodgers & CHIC played a wonderful set, packed with hits from Rodgers’ long and illustrious career.  The songs, all very familiar, were performed exactly as on the records, with high energy and a tight band and arrangements.  Plus, the mix sounded noticeably better.

Then, Duran Duran took the stage…

https://youtu.be/V-qYYZrky1Y?si=RIRE2BR8YOmLa1FW

Variety Is The Spice of Life

Over the course of close to 2 hours, they regaled fans with a wide-ranging set of songs spanning their entire career.  For the most part, they stuck to their most popular hits, packing the first part of the set with several of their classic tunes back-to-back.  When they strayed from the familiar, it was to inject the occasional new song from their forthcoming album.  They even managed to squeeze in a few surprise cover songs (Rick James’ “Super Freak” and Grandmaster Melle Mel’s White Lines (Don’t Do It) were unexpected and performed with the just right blend of idiosyncrasy and deference to the original versions).

Several factors contributed to making this show enjoyable and memorable for us.  The set list was largely made up of their most famous songs.  The arrangements of the tunes was exactly as on the record.  The significance of this point cannot be understated. 

Stewart Copeland, drummer for another 1980s English pop group-The Police-has observed that the expectations are very different for fans of popular music verses enthusiasts of other styles of music such as jazz.  According to Copeland, pop fans expect live performances of the hits to sound exactly as they did on the records that made them famous.

Also, the band, including the backing singers and instrumentalists, was very well-rehearsed and musically sound.  They played very well together. 

Additionally, the light show and video presentation was interesting, intriguing, and awe-inspiring, enhancing the overall concert experience.  These elements would not be things one could readily duplicate at home.

In addition to covering all their biggest hits, the setlist managed to span songs from their entire career.  I am particularly fond of shows where groups do this as it has a way of drawing in fans from different eras while exhibiting the breadth and depth of their material through the decades.

Pace Yourself

Perhaps most crucially, Duran Duran did an exceptional job of keeping the energy and the momentum of the show high.  Even when they did slower songs or tunes that were less-well-known, they were quick to follow it up with a more up-tempo hit.  Also, they were wise to keep the down-time between songs to a minimum, so that the enthusiasm of the audience for one song would carry over into the next tune.

Form versus Function

Stewart Copeland’s observation mentioned earlier highlights an important point about audience expectations.  Specifically, that the form of a show (all of the elements that go into a performance, from stage design to costumes, lighting, setlist, acoustics, sightlines, etc.) varies depending on the type of music being performed. 

For example, an audience attending a classical music concert can reasonably expect a very high level of musical proficiency, coupled with a program that will likely include at least one piece by a European composer from either the 18^th and/or 19 century, by musicians who are dressed in formal attire performing in a concert hall designed for superior acoustics.  The pieces will often be performed in a very specific way dictated by the conductor whose job is predicated on a thorough understanding of the musical score, music history, the composer’s other works, and the historical performance practice for the piece(s) being played.

By contrast, the form of a jazz concert may be very different.  Jazz may be performed in a concert hall such as that mentioned above for classical performances.  Or, it may be performed in a small, intimate club with a darkened interior and small tables crowded close together.  In such a setting, the performers may be competing for attention with servers bringing patrons food or drinks during the set, not to mention ambient conversations from inattentive patrons. 

Also, the jazz canon, which includes songs from Broadway shows, Tin Pan Alley, the Great American Songbook (think: Gershwin, Berlin, Rodgers & Hart, Rodgers & Hammerstein, et al.) includes an assortment of most-commonly-performed pieces that are collectively known as “Standards.”  These pieces make up a portion of jazz artists’ repertoire, initially serving as learning vehicles for them to develop their skills.

Audiences familiar with jazz and with jazz standards may have favorite performances of particular tunes.  However, it is generally understood that no performance of a jazz standard can be said to be “definitive” given the subjective nature of jazz performance and interpretation.  Certainly, there are particular recordings that are very well-known of particular tunes.  These set a standard for others to follow in terms of performance practice. 

But, part of the very fabric of jazz as a distinctive musical style is predicated upon the notion of personal expression.   This, coupled with a focus on improvisation that uses the chord structure of the melody as a springboard for development, constitutes the essence of jazz.  That is why we can say that Coleman Hawkins’ classic 1939 recording of the tune “Body & Soul” and John Coltrane’s version of the same piece from his 1964 recording “Coltrane Sound” are both great.

Other Lessons

While jazz groups and artists do not have to contend with quite the same audience expectations, they can still take a few pointers from the pop-rock playbook.  Keeping the energy level high during a set, minimizing downtime between tunes, can go a long way to keeping the audience actively engaged in the performance.

Likewise, programming a setlist that includes a good mix of familiar (standard) tunes and newer/original material will make for an interesting and compelling show.  Alternating and blending styles, from Latin to swing to bebop to modal to ballads to blues to up-tempo, gives a performance variety and shows the depth and artistry of the musicians.

Maybe consider programming a surprise cover-perhaps something from outside of the jazz realm.  Artists such as Brad Mehldau and The Bad Plus have found ways to effectively reinterpret songs by such popular artists as Radiohead and The Beatles, reframing them into a jazz context while using a familiar melody as a springboard for creativity.

Other Questions-Food For Thought

When compiling a good setlist for a jazz gig, there are a number of things to consider.  What do you want the audience to take away from the performance?  What do you want them to feel?  Where do you want to take them?  Do you want to challenge them?  Challenge their expectations?  What kind of energy level do you want to put forth?  Do you want to vary it throughout the set, or keep it consistently one level?  Will you allow guests musicians to sit in?

Ultimately, music patrons will decide for themselves whether or not a show was particularly memorable and/or effective.  One fan’s dud might be anther fan’s life-changing-experience.  But, with careful planning and consideration of multiple elements, we musicians we have the means to create a performance that will convey a lasting impression amongst attendees, thus generating continued interest in future performances and other musical projects.