Last night, I went to an Ingrid Michaelson concert at the Paradise Rock Club. I really enjoyed it because of the intimate setting. It was nice to be able to see her up close and to interact with her in a way that you can’t when you’re at a huge stadium or other large venue with several thousands of other fans. We were a little nervous because the show started at 9 pm with David Ford (I had never heard of him!) and Ingrid Michaelson was not supposed to come on until 10 pm. I’m an old fart, so it felt so late! The only drawback at Paradise is that you have to pretty much stand the entire time you are there. We got there at 9 pm and I was dreading standing for 3 hours and wondered if I would make it or not, but I did!!! She really puts on a good show and really interacts with audience. I walked out of there really liking her music even more and feeling like I just made a new friend. Her band was pretty incredible too – I was throughly impressed. They also dressed up as people with moles on their faces and threw out candy… There was something magical in the air at the concert because we got some special stuff from her – including a hilarious version of The Way I Am (several of them, actually!)!
Being at the concert, though, got me thinking about the next big thing… I love being able to go to concerts of artists right before they get really big. There is something so beautiful, humble, and initmate about hearing an artist when they are still relatively small scale and on that verge of becoming the next big thing. The question that arises for me is, “How do you know they will be the next big thing?” There are so many great artists out there…For example, last night, we received a free cd for a band coming out of the concert. When we got to the car, I popped in the CD and said to my husband, “I would listen to these guys.” However, I don’t know if we would’ve made a trip on Saturday night to Davis Square to listen to this band play at 11 pm. How come this guy and his band isn’t the next big thing? Ingrid Michaelson is definitely getting big… I bet the next time she comes to Boston, her concert will be at TD Banknorth Garden…
It reminds me of when I first saw Josh Groban in Boston (well, he was supposed to be at Tanglewood, but wasn’t…) – at the Wang Theater. The second time he came to Boston, he performed at TD Banknorth Garden. Although the concert was enjoyable, I was a little sad. Before, I was Josh’s biggest fan, now there were a million other people and suddenly, the intimacy was gone – I have to share him with a zillion others. A little sad, right?
Nevertheless, I cherish these moments that verge on the next big thing.