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Subject: Re: ANYONE TAPE SOUL COUGHING AT THE CRADLE LAST NITE?

Todd,

you were there? I woulda said Hey, but I didn't see you. Prob'ly because 
Viv insisted on sitting in the back where she could study by the light 
from the bar. I'm not kidding.

RE: Jeremy Enigk- what struck me about him was that his histrionic 
schtick is in such marked contrast to the detachment or vague ennui we're 
used to seeing in Chapel Hill-brand music (a dangerous 
generalization, I know). Not that histrionics is better or worse than 
ennui, just different.

Between his Transparent-Man-with-lifelike-pulsing-blood act and Soul 
Coughing's are-we-beat-poets-or-a-musical-Archie-Mcphee-catalog, 
lets-lift-lines-from-Tribe-Called-Quest-and-Tommy-Tutone-in-the-same-song
, the audience was entertained in a very different way than they were at, 
say, a Spatula/Guv'ner/Catpower show.

Not sure what I'm getting at here. Differences in audience, differences 
in presentation, differences in artist's priorites, the old 
indie-vs-major argument, tour bus envy.

How does an artist communicate an emotion (other than boredom or 
world-weariness) night after night? 
Three ways, seems to me:

1) making yourself feel that emotion at the time of performance (usually 
limited to people with psychological dysfunctions)

2) sticking with emotions that are easy to put on (a lot of bands fall 
into this category)

3) plain ol' acting (some days, I bet Sting doesn't give a fuck about the 
rainforests).

Each with its inherent advantages and risks.


Wandering way off topic here. Oh well.
JD


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