2008 Woodie Awards
Music Saves Lives
Concerts create happiness
Scott Beck
Issue date: 11/7/08 Section: Entertainment
Throughout my life, I have loved music. One of my favorite things about music is being able to go to concerts. I have seen many great shows and some pretty horrible ones - some of which were local bands while others were major headlining artists. Through working for KBVU 97.5 The Edge, I have also had the opportunity to create four other concert events. Attending all these concerts I have been able to meet bands, get autographs and get many pictures with the bands I love.
One of my favorite things is to see how a band sounds live. Nothing is more disappointing than finding out the band you like is purely a studio band. Thankfully, this has rarely happened to me. The only examples I can think of are Alien Ant Farm and Mars Volta.
I saw Alien Ant Farm when they were touring with 311 and promoting their album ANThology. One of their major singles on this album being a remake of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal," which was a song I enjoyed. Being that "Smooth Criminal" happened to be a great song, I was thoroughly disappointed when they didn't even play it during the concert. At that point, it didn't even matter that the lead singer's voice was off key the entire night.
This past summer I attended the Warped Tour in Shakopee, Minn. This was probably the best concert event I have ever been to. This concert was the best based on the fact there were five stages that had five different bands playing. It was great because it gave you the opportunity to change stages if you didn't like the certain band that was playing.
During the summer of 2007, I attended Ozzfest '07 in East Troy, Wisconsin. This was another major concert event that was a lot of fun for me. It was great to be able to see some new heavy metal bands that were just starting their careers as well as seeing those bands that I already knew and loved.
When I am home around the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City area, I always like to go to those smaller shows where I know I won't know the bands. Not knowing what to expect is sometimes more fun than knowing exactly what I am going to see. There have been many times I have been disappointed, but there have also been a few times where I have been really blown away by some of the scene music. Over Thanksgiving break, I am going to a show in Iowa City where I know two of the four bands and can't wait to possibly become a fan of the other two.
Three of my four years spent at Buena Vista Universtiy have been spent working for the campus radio station, KBVU 97.5 The Edge. Each year we put on two concerts, one in the fall and the other in the spring. These events are something I look forward to and work every hard for each year. While our budget can't afford major name bands, KBVU is able to find great local bands that are just as good. Some of the bands we hire I already know about. However, there are a few that I haven't heard of but end up really enjoying. KBVU's annual battle of the bands is coming up on Nov. 22 and I am looking forward to it.
No matter what genre of music you prefer, I would always recommend you go see that person in concert. You may even get to meet the artists with many meet and greets. I have met many bands, gotten many autographs and my picture with the bands I love. So if you have $15-$30 just lying around and bored, go to a concert.
One of my favorite things is to see how a band sounds live. Nothing is more disappointing than finding out the band you like is purely a studio band. Thankfully, this has rarely happened to me. The only examples I can think of are Alien Ant Farm and Mars Volta.
I saw Alien Ant Farm when they were touring with 311 and promoting their album ANThology. One of their major singles on this album being a remake of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal," which was a song I enjoyed. Being that "Smooth Criminal" happened to be a great song, I was thoroughly disappointed when they didn't even play it during the concert. At that point, it didn't even matter that the lead singer's voice was off key the entire night.
This past summer I attended the Warped Tour in Shakopee, Minn. This was probably the best concert event I have ever been to. This concert was the best based on the fact there were five stages that had five different bands playing. It was great because it gave you the opportunity to change stages if you didn't like the certain band that was playing.
During the summer of 2007, I attended Ozzfest '07 in East Troy, Wisconsin. This was another major concert event that was a lot of fun for me. It was great to be able to see some new heavy metal bands that were just starting their careers as well as seeing those bands that I already knew and loved.
When I am home around the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City area, I always like to go to those smaller shows where I know I won't know the bands. Not knowing what to expect is sometimes more fun than knowing exactly what I am going to see. There have been many times I have been disappointed, but there have also been a few times where I have been really blown away by some of the scene music. Over Thanksgiving break, I am going to a show in Iowa City where I know two of the four bands and can't wait to possibly become a fan of the other two.
Three of my four years spent at Buena Vista Universtiy have been spent working for the campus radio station, KBVU 97.5 The Edge. Each year we put on two concerts, one in the fall and the other in the spring. These events are something I look forward to and work every hard for each year. While our budget can't afford major name bands, KBVU is able to find great local bands that are just as good. Some of the bands we hire I already know about. However, there are a few that I haven't heard of but end up really enjoying. KBVU's annual battle of the bands is coming up on Nov. 22 and I am looking forward to it.
No matter what genre of music you prefer, I would always recommend you go see that person in concert. You may even get to meet the artists with many meet and greets. I have met many bands, gotten many autographs and my picture with the bands I love. So if you have $15-$30 just lying around and bored, go to a concert.
Be the first to comment on this story