Social Media’s Instant Access – I don’t think we really have to explain this one, but the music world has certainly taken to social media like white on rice, with its ability to instantly connect artists with their fans, and on the flip side giving people almost immediate access to pictures, video and running commentary of a show as it’s happening. Both Facebook and Twitter have revolutionized the way we interact as music fans, while they’re will still be the diehards that take the message boards to dissect things, the real time social conversation happening through the search of hash tags and wall posts make it possible to people to feel like they are a show without actually being there.
Reunions – We never thought we’d see the day that Police reunited, that Pavement reunited, that God Street Wine reunited (which we like to believe we had a little tiny part of making happen), or that Van Halen, and those were all great days. But hot damn, if anybody reading this post doesn’t know what happened on March 6th, 2009, then shame on you. That day, my friends, changed the life of this blog forever. The whole progression leading up to that event was surreal. From the Jammy’s that year when we all speculated if Phish might play a tune together as they presented a lifetime Jammy award together, to Trey’s now famous “left nut” comment, to the rumors galore, to the actualization were unlike anything excitement we’ve seen at Hidden Track. In retrospect, it’s crazy to think about, but until that day, there was actually a possibility of never seeing our favorite band play together ever again.
– Ryan Dembinsky and Jeff Greenblatt
5 Responses
Great article… except the day that probably changed the blog forever was in 2008 not 2009.
Kraftwerk, people! Does anyone remember Kraftwerk??!! Trans. Euro. Express… Before Beard Rock we had these lunatics and guess what: they were experimental. Sound familiar? Great article as usual – how about a follow-up on what’s next? Feels like a turning point… FYI – Happy 5th – keep up the great work.
excellent article as usual. HT is my go-to site these days and essential daily reading. I’ll just add that I think the dreaded “jampop” genre, actually may exist. I think I heard the term bandied about once in reference to The Heavy Pets (incredible jamband from FL, poppy or not). And I think you missed one, for me, disturbing trend which is the rise of “pay to play” access to top-tier musicians through high priced VIP packages with meet & greets,e tc. which I can see leading to a class structured jamband experience, which cannot be a good thing.
Man I loved Ekoostik Hookah. Killer version of Southern Cross. Although I asked them to play it once when I was in college and they said they stopped playing it because the guy who brought it to the band, left the band. I was heartbroken.
http://phish.net/setlists/?d=2009-03-06