Something free can be a wondrous thing. I love getting something I want without having to spend a single red cent. But for some, there is a problem with [tag]free[/tag]. That problem: the [tag]lack of appreciation[/tag] for that which costs you nothing.
Last weekend, the wife and I dropped our son off at my parents, tossed a few things in a duffel bag, jumped in the car, and drove a few hours in search of a couple days worth of [tag]live music[/tag]. It’s been a bit since we’ve spent some quality time with each other away from the kiddo for more than a few hours, much less a couple days. And it’d been even longer since we caught some really good live music, definately one of our favorite things. So, needless to say we were looking forward to it. Let me just say up front, the festival didn’t let us down. Astoundingly good musicians, great location, tasty (and cheap) food & drink. (Oh, sure, maybe it was a little warm, but we are in the Midwest and it is July, after all – and it didn’t feel that hot to either of us.) To top it off, a wonderful admission price: free!
It was interesting observing my fellow festival goers. Early in the day, the turnout was pretty light, maybe 3-4,000. I did mention that it was fairly warm; South Dakotans obviously are wimps chose to avoid the hottest part of the day and stayed home until later. Those that did venture out were definitely there for the [tag]music[/tag] and musicians, and treated them with the reverence that a good music freak should.
As the day progressed (and cooled), the bigger acts came up and, of course, the festival grounds got a bit more crowded. By the time the final few acts took to the stage (the inimitable zydeco of [tag]Buckwheat Zydeco[/tag] and the, well, transcendental jazz of [tag]Medeski, Martin, & Woods[/tag]), I’d guess a good 40-50,000 people were milling about.
And this is when the problem with free makes its appearance. I’ve never been to a show with anywhere near the number of people just chatting away on their cellphones. Or holding loud conversations with their five friends (and getting louder to be heard over the music that we were presumably there to hear). Or just aimlessly wandering around (and always seeming to need to make a stop and ponder life in our line of view to the stage). Oh, sure, just about any show I’ve ever been to has a few examples of any of these. But we were absolutely surrounded by one after another after another after another… of these people.
Had there been a reasonable price for admission, most of these people would have either not shown up at all (most likely), or at least would have not been as oblivious to the music before them. But since the music was offered up for free, it was apparently just a big background-noise-for-my-night-out to many in attendance. I’m generally about the most laissez-faire guy you’d ever know, but more than once I fought the impulse of grabbing some inconsiderate moron’s cell phone and tossing it into the river.
(Notwithstanding the last few paragraphs: Medeski, Martin, & Woods. Absolutely incredible! If you ever get the chance to partake, do so… Buckwheat certainly puts on a hellacious show, but MMW, all I can say is Wow!)
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