My idea of karaoke was drunken Japanese businessmen, or anyone else, taking turns trying to be Elvis and it didn’t sound appealing as a spectator. I confess I didn’t know much about it because I don’t drink nothin’, and this quirk has limited my cultural awareness in numerous ways, underexposure to popular entertainment being one. I have, however, been caught with a plate of ribs just as the sound track started, and to my surprise the waitress put down her order pad, picked up the microphone and sounded really good, just like on the radio. When the song was over she picked up her pad and went back to waitressing. The next singer was pretty good too and even the brave eight year old added a little to Johnny Cash. I decided to rethink.
It’s easy to believe national talent tournaments are showcasing the near-future super stars of entertainment, but some pretty amazing music can be heard in dorm rooms and there are shipping clerk guitar players with something to say. Local bands with a few years together are better than the high fashion show bands on late night TV. Not as good as but better, more creative, more diverse.
Media up until just a few years ago had a way of narrowing the attention of the public to just three major networks each ruthlessly competing to be just like the other two. Perhaps because of the internet and cable we’ve entered a period of readjustment as a sort of transpersonal honesty begins to penetrate the realm of false advertising, the myths we’ve been living by. Even the business of big art has grown wobbly.
The cheek-by-jowl gallery districts in the heart of major cities are off-white high-roller tourist traps and their brand name monopoly on genius has been overrated. There are artists somewhere in your vicinity actually better than people who got famous, and that’s largely because fame is about fame and not art. We’ve been there. If you’re looking for the sly investment might be better to lose your money in a casino, so much quicker, but if some artist’s very best effort up around the house would make your day a little lighter it’s money well spent.
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