Negativland @ the Highline Ballroom
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Artist:
First, let me say that I've been a Negativland fan for just over 11 years now, saw them on the True/False tour in 2000 and loved it. so, just as a forewarning, this rant doesn't reflect my feelings toward the band ['s work] as a whole, but....
this show sucked. :(
It's All In Your Head FM
Basically, it was the Over the Edge radio show on stage. In fact, it WAS Over the Edge.. on stage... in front of a dinner audience. so... it was $19.95 for the ticket, plus a $5.50 fee (no explanation, just "fee"). then, $10 min per table/booth... of course, that means you can't sit by yourself... and if you're not sitting (or not having ten more dollars, or anyone to sit with), you're standing in the back... watching a radio show on stage O_o the people seated got sleeping masks to play up this irony. the real irony, though, is that the people standing were the ones who could have used them, as most everyone else was chatting over beer and french fries.
ok... fine. that's kinda lame. but it's negativland!
well... ya...
i'm sure it's just me, but... i'm sick of atheists! well, to be fair... from what i saw (i walked out..more on that later) it seemed to be more agnostic in approach - attacking organized religion and acceptance without proof, rather than the idea that a higher power cannot exist - which, i personally believe, is just as illogical as knowing one does. not to mention hypocritical, as atheists pride themselves on the misconception that their beliefs are based only on facts, while religion is merely faith. what they fail to realize is A) you cannot not prove there is no god, only that religious texts are inaccurate... making them a victim of their own favorite weapon, the "god of the gaps"/doesn't follow the scientific method B) if they are not one of the scientists involved in the study of the information they quote, their belief is just as faith-based as the xians they mock.
again, nothing against negativland... and really, nothing against the idea of atheism. if this was 1990, 95 or even 2000 it may have been worthy of the title "Over The Edge", but in 2007 "christianity is stupid" is the equivalent of boys in tiny pants and girls in big glasses. btw, it seemed most of the audience didn't even catch the jazzed-up version of "the loudspeakers spoke up and said...", but all gave a pseudo-rebellious chuckle at the line "christianity is stupid". anyway... it kinda felt like a real-life version of an atheist circle jerk on reddit or digg. actually, with half the audience not really paying attention, and the other half-heartedly cheering or clapping on occasion, it really just felt like..... church. go figure.
the one thing that didn't remind me of church was that i was actually hungry, instead of sick to my stomach. i forgot to get cash, and only had $5 on me - not to mention i couldn't sit at a table by myself even if i did have enough to eat. i needed a cigarette.
i walk out, get stamped, light up and stand in the little area by the door. "if you're gonna smoke, you have to go on the other side of the street" wtf? so, i walk over to an empty parking spot, but was told i have to be ON the other side, away from the club. now, this is in the meat packing district, ok? the club is built into a western beef building. it's dead out. the only people around are from the projects right next to western beef. in order to get to the sidewalk on the other side i had to walk around shipping trucks parked, literally, bumper to bumper for more than half the block. so there i am, half a block away, hidden behind a line of shipping trucks, smoking my cigarette and wondering wtf i was doing there. then i realized they were right - it IS all in my head, and there wasn't anything this show could provide that wasn't there before.
this show sucked. :(
It's All In Your Head FM
Basically, it was the Over the Edge radio show on stage. In fact, it WAS Over the Edge.. on stage... in front of a dinner audience. so... it was $19.95 for the ticket, plus a $5.50 fee (no explanation, just "fee"). then, $10 min per table/booth... of course, that means you can't sit by yourself... and if you're not sitting (or not having ten more dollars, or anyone to sit with), you're standing in the back... watching a radio show on stage O_o the people seated got sleeping masks to play up this irony. the real irony, though, is that the people standing were the ones who could have used them, as most everyone else was chatting over beer and french fries.
ok... fine. that's kinda lame. but it's negativland!
well... ya...
i'm sure it's just me, but... i'm sick of atheists! well, to be fair... from what i saw (i walked out..more on that later) it seemed to be more agnostic in approach - attacking organized religion and acceptance without proof, rather than the idea that a higher power cannot exist - which, i personally believe, is just as illogical as knowing one does. not to mention hypocritical, as atheists pride themselves on the misconception that their beliefs are based only on facts, while religion is merely faith. what they fail to realize is A) you cannot not prove there is no god, only that religious texts are inaccurate... making them a victim of their own favorite weapon, the "god of the gaps"/doesn't follow the scientific method B) if they are not one of the scientists involved in the study of the information they quote, their belief is just as faith-based as the xians they mock.
again, nothing against negativland... and really, nothing against the idea of atheism. if this was 1990, 95 or even 2000 it may have been worthy of the title "Over The Edge", but in 2007 "christianity is stupid" is the equivalent of boys in tiny pants and girls in big glasses. btw, it seemed most of the audience didn't even catch the jazzed-up version of "the loudspeakers spoke up and said...", but all gave a pseudo-rebellious chuckle at the line "christianity is stupid". anyway... it kinda felt like a real-life version of an atheist circle jerk on reddit or digg. actually, with half the audience not really paying attention, and the other half-heartedly cheering or clapping on occasion, it really just felt like..... church. go figure.
the one thing that didn't remind me of church was that i was actually hungry, instead of sick to my stomach. i forgot to get cash, and only had $5 on me - not to mention i couldn't sit at a table by myself even if i did have enough to eat. i needed a cigarette.
i walk out, get stamped, light up and stand in the little area by the door. "if you're gonna smoke, you have to go on the other side of the street" wtf? so, i walk over to an empty parking spot, but was told i have to be ON the other side, away from the club. now, this is in the meat packing district, ok? the club is built into a western beef building. it's dead out. the only people around are from the projects right next to western beef. in order to get to the sidewalk on the other side i had to walk around shipping trucks parked, literally, bumper to bumper for more than half the block. so there i am, half a block away, hidden behind a line of shipping trucks, smoking my cigarette and wondering wtf i was doing there. then i realized they were right - it IS all in my head, and there wasn't anything this show could provide that wasn't there before.
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