A subject has been coming up a bit lately, and I think it warrants a weblog post. It is the issue of balancing a visually engaging, energetic presentation with playing the songs well. Both are important.

(Note: the following is fairly genre-dependent, subjective and ill-informed.)

When you go see a band live, you expect to be entertained. There are two major parts to this. The first is the quality of the musical performance. The second is the quality of the, for lack of a better term (as I’m too lazy to think of one), act. Let’s examine these.

A band exists to make music (unless it’s a band of, say, transient clowns). It seems to follow that the musical performance is the most important and critical part of the show, with the act coming in a moderately distant second. But is this true?

Suppose you go to see a band you’ve never heard. We’ll call them Slime Folly. They come up on stage and make music seemingly flawlessly. While they are making such music, they are standing, looking devastated, staring at some piece of masking tape on the floor left over from some show three nights ago.

They are followed with another band called Flying Monotony. They proceed to rock the crap out of the stage as they play. Their energy washes over the crowd and everyone is, at a minimum, bouncing to the beat and grinning stupidly. While they are giving this performance, they screw some stuff up. Their harmonies are occasionally cringe-worthy, the guitar player poops a few chords, the drummer spills his beer and so forth.

Which is more enjoyable? Which would you rather see live?

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(I realize that this is a false dichotomy, but be quiet).

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See us!  Hear us!  Believe us!

If you couldn’t decipher the title of this post, or the silly words above, there is going to be a thunderous rock-and-roll concert in less than a month. It’s going to be at Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA.  It’s going to be with The Yellow Dress.  It’s going to be with Passenger and Pilot.  It’s going to be with the JJ Schultz Band.

Fan A: “FOUR bands?”  Fan B: “Our dreams have come true.”  Fan A: “Yep.”

Read on for some more information…

MORE INFORMATION:

Cover? $8.  Doors? 8:30pm.  Ages? 21+.  The order, chronologically? The JJ Schultz Band; Passenger and Pilot; Lime Colony; The Yellow Dress.

This show was conceived and assembled based on pure, hard, concrete scientific facts.  Equations were sketched and numbers were scattered.  Facial hair was grown and then furiously shaved.  Nothing could make you happier.

We’re getting our rears in gear, and you should too. Come see the world’s finest collection of musicians ever assembled (Earl, Tim, Colin, and our new bassist, Will) at the Beale Street Bar in SF. Tomorrow night. It will be extreme.

Everyone,

We are pleased to announce that we’ll be playing this Saturday, August 1st at the Beale Street Bar and Grill in San Francisco. The show starts at 8:30, $5 cover, 21+ etc.  So put on your weathered, wrinkly old home-made Lime Colony t-shirt – the one you drew on in puff paint (remember puff paint?) – and make a trip to the conveniently and centrally located Beale Street Bar.  Summary and map follow:

Saturday, August 1st (8/1)

Beale Street Bar and Grill, San Francisco, CA

Lime Colony

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Through the wine-spills and cheese-stains, we’ll be playing a fortified, amplified, award-winning set.  We apologize from the bottom of our crooked hearts for the impromptu notice.  See our Upcoming Shows section for more info.

Lime Colony, CA 95688

Hey ya’ll, we just got word that we’re playing Monday (7/21) at the On The Corner open-mic in SF, hosted by our friend Jesse Rhodes.  It’ll be a thirty minute acoustic set and you’ll be in good company.  Anyway, short notice, I know, but we hope to see you there.  Sorry this post wasn’t funnier.  I’m feeling a bit off tonight.

Earl

Oh, the new My Brightest Diamond album, A Thousand Shark’s Teeth, is phenominal.  Buy it.  Now.  Seriously.

Lime Colony is going to be playing at the Hotel Utah in San Francisco on June 18th for the Beer Drinkin’ Acoustic show. Cover is $5, ages 21+ (i.e. my children will not be in attendance).

Come listen to some sweet, sweet folk-rock from the LC and three other acts. Bring friends, bring family. Really. It’s a great venue, too. Very intimate, so you’ll really feel like you’re involved, on the stage, wearing our clothes. You’ll be playing air guitars and drums before you know it, singin’ along, rolling around on the floor. It can be very exciting.

See you there.