RSSPersonal space: Jonsi’s first (and last) in-store
Nov 04
Show reviews joel plaskett, jonsi, sigur ros, taz records No Comments
When in-stores go bad: Jonsi at Origami Vinyl, Los Angeles, California
I’ve always been a big fan of intimate and small performances, especially when it involves artists who normally would be in a much bigger space, but the recent cancellation of Jonsi’s string of in-stores across America has brought up something to think about.
Music can be a very intimate thing for both the fan and the musician, but that intimacy often has limits. With the recent release of footage from the one in-store that Jonsi did, I can understand why his limit was reached that day. Even just from the point of view of safety, him and his band seem to be trapped in a small tunnel with nothing but people surrounding them and the exit. If everyone needed to get out quick, it seems that might have been difficult.
Add to that the fact that there is a camera about two feet from his face (no, that’s not the zoom function in use), and I feel uncomfortable just watching the video thousands of miles away from Origami Vinyl.
Again, the idea of seeing the lead singer of Sigur Ros in a small, independent record store seems like the sort of thing that would have me renting a car and driving through the night if I knew I could be there, but sometimes things are better in theory than real life.
So, be sure to keep that in mind when planning your shows and other interactions with your fans. Hopefully, they will be understanding when you hold something back, and kind when you put something out there. Of course, testing your boundaries is not always a bad thing. Sometimes doing something out of the ordinary can lead to great results for everyone involved.
When in-stores go good: Joel Plaskett at Taz Records, Halifax, Nova Scotia
