Passion… or lack of Passion

Learned a lot the other day, and some lessons are harder to learn then others. I saw two acts as different as night and day, didn’t enjoy either but found value in one. That value was PASSION.

The first act was TonyK Tone. Please don’t think I’m bashing on him because I’m not. I had caught two songs from his act before and honestly went to see his show to find out if they were all that… unpleasant. For the record, they are all unpleasant, but that really does not matter.

Watching Tony, I noted he seemed to have the skill set needed to play something not so horribly unpleasant. This is important because some people suck simple because they have no talent or lack the discipline to develop a skill set. Tony didn’t seem to suffer from either of those problems. He could have been pleasant, mainstream and even possibly popular. But this is not the path on which his passions lay.

As an artistic choice he’s dissonant, manic, unsettling and weird. And while that might not be my cup of tea, he seems quite committed to his vision. While I would be happy never to hear his music again, I must say, this guy ROCKS. Fuck em all, this is my thing, dig it or don’t.

PASSION validates art.

The second act attended was one of the “Popular Kids ™”. I went to hang out with a friend, and noticed right away the fellow playing had a skill set that could provide a pleasant listening experience. However, it was one of the most depressing displays I’ve ever seen in Second Life.

The word, melodies, and chord were all spot on, but it’s amazing how wrong music is with all of the passion sucked out of it. If you needed an illustration of the phrase “Phoning in the gig” this guy’s performance would be perfect. He was doing his time, collecting his fee and moving on. Kind of like a music Hooker. Remember dear readers, Hookers don’t care.

Of course the place was PACKED with all the kids that follow the “Popular Kids ™”, and they were having a grand time. They didn’t care a bit about the lack of passion or the empty slot where some kind of musical vision should be. They don’t really give a shit about music anyway. They enjoy “Mc Music”.

Of course bitching about the mass of drooling jackanapes that enjoy meaningless music is the pointless endeavor old men indulge in from time to time, that is not my point. Music should be an act of PASSION, not an act of commerce.

Once again PASSION validates art.