http://worldmusiccentral.org/article.php/yonder_mountain_barack_obama_2008
And sorry to indulge (for a sec) but, when I saw Barack’s “Top Ten” song list, it did cross my mind that the next President of the United States might actually dig my music…http://www.nationaljournal.com/conventions/co_20080828_4414.php
I saw BLP, Cheryl Crow, Kanye West, Stevie, Michael McDonald. Blue Grass opened the day at Invesco and reentered immediately following the candidate’s speech. But after a couple minutes, mandolins became lush orchestral strings. After a few more minutes, the effect was cinematic. Then climatic. For a couple families waiving vacantly for 6 minutes, the sense of drama was impressive.
As a single shot series of cannon sized roman candles boomed rhythmically around the top, outer-edge of the “colosseum,” the powerful house sound system began to assert more gravitas. And experience that started as “The Beverly Hillbllies,” became West Wing-like. Then darker, almost eery, with sporadic military drumrolls that recalled Jack Bauer on 24. To 86 thousand people, the men waived.
The Dem’s Acropolis backdrop in Mile High City finally made sense to me. The world has become a little scarier over the last eight years. We want serious Titans at the helm. This is not the time to take a chance.
Music can be a very effective element in your communications strategy.
On another note, the house band was slammin except for 2 small things: 1) ‘addicted to love’ after Bill Clinton’s speech. 2) Marroon 5 riff from ‘this love’ on wed. and thurs. – both times the guitar player was off, keys were too i think…if i’m wrong, sorry. but sum’n was definitely off.
One perspective:
Dem Convention Music, Day 3: Hits and Misses
More on Democrat Convention House band, Ray Chew and the Crew on NPR:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94014540&ft=1&f=1039,&cs=bz
Gustav thought of the week: What’s gonna happen to all the musical instruments? I say, protect people first. Then pets. Then musical instruments.—–