This cat deserves every dollar he has ever made. Talk about giving people a performance and leaving them with a show to remember…good God. This is marvelous.
I wish all artists would make their live show their main and primary focus. I think that’s what really captivates people and draws them in. Nothing beats an incredible live show, nothing. And I mean “THAT” show that you just couldn’t get past. I think its important for artists financially too. Some people develop their entire career off of a live show…look at Jimmy Buffet and Dave Matthews. I’ve seen interviews with Matthews where he openly admits that he isn’t really a “radio artist” and typically doesn’t receive a lot of rotation, however his fans constantly pester the stations wanting to hear the songs.
Maybe a new model will come about where people will pay for music again (I’m thinking streaming services will become the new thing?), but regardless “live” has always been the best way for artists to make money. Now we all love mediafire.com and just grab the record without paying for it, so the Guns N Roses times of selling 10 million albums are over. If you suck live, then you suck. Yeah the fancy record and catchy songs will get people out to a show and thats great, but you gotta leave them with an incentive to come back. You better not be fakin’ it on that stage either, us humans see through fake quicker than we even realize. Back to album sales, do you know what the #1 album on the Billboard Charts sold this week? 40,000 RECORDS. Unlike music, people will always pay for a live show. They always have. Look at the super old days before people were even able to record music…they enjoyed it in a live setting. That connection with the audience can’t be replicated either. I think that’s why some of us like live raw records too. Like old Led Zeppelin stuff or something along that nature, you feel the realness in it.
I’m rambling now, but all I’m saying is that if you want to be a true “success”…you gotta throw down live. I think this will become more and more important in the future. And Mr Keith sure does that. We all could probably take some notes from him!
