Posted by Mike Rivers on 12/06/06 13:23

jakdedert wrote:

> I think it's because there are those people who can get it right, nearly
> every time.

But that means that sometimes they get it wrong. And sometimes it just
comes out wrong through no fault of the artist. Those of us in the know
can recognize and understand this, sometimes forgive the artist, and
often blame the technology. But for those not in the now, it represents
a disappointment. You might want a refund because the artist wasn't
actually singing. Someone else might demand a refund because she was
singing badly, or that her mic was cutting out.

If you're going to attend a performance, you need to accept that there
are no retakes.

> Sometimes, they get it even more than just 'right'. Some
> performances are a transcendent, shining, once in a lifetime event.

. . . which will probably be released on DVD next year. But the
chances of that happening with some performers is pretty slim. And with
others, it always occurs (if you like that sort of thing).

> It's dishonest pretending to be one of those people.

Well, I don't expect Christina Aguilera to do a show like U. Utah
Phillips (and vice versa, even though he does carefully hone his jokes
and mid-song patter). Yet, when I was serving as the archivist for the
Folklore Society of Greater Washington (we used to record all of our
concerts) I'd get a flood of requests for copies of Utah's concerts,
not for the songs (which were always better on the recordings) but for
what he said in between the songs. But it was always better if you were
there.

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