Thursday, February 5, 2009
Creamtastic Impatiently Waiting: 8means8 and the Nashville Rock Show
Posted by Emily Bartlett Hines on Thu, Feb 5, 2009 at 8:54 AM
In "Down at the Rock and Roll Club," when Richard Hell sings, "Hey, where's the group, when's the set gonna start," he articulates a question that looms large in the minds of many concertgoers: When is the set gonna start? This problem has plagued us, probably, since the very dawn of rock 'n' roll. One can imagine, in 1925, a group of friends hanging out at the ol' sharecropping shack, debating whether they have time for one more cherryball before heading off to the barrellhouse to see Charley Patton. And it remains with us today. If you roll up to the club at 11, you might miss the whole thing; showing up at 10 could mean you'll have to sit through two awful opening bands and talk to 10 people you wanted to avoid.
We've all been burned at times by this lack of clarity. Maybe the confusion is worse here in Nashville, maybe it just seems that way. But technology has alleviated so many problems that once seemed inevitable: cholera, having to get your teeth yanked out with pliers when you get a toothache, and now this.
The solution is 8means8, a website and Twitter group that aims to disseminate information in real time about band start times. Glenn Peoples of Coolfer is the brains behind the initiative; their new website explains that if you're at a venue and know when one of the bands is starting, you just send a "tweet" that says "@ 8means8 the first band at the mercy will go on at 9:30," or whatever. Followers of the group will get the info. If you're phone's not Internet-enabled, you can still enjoy others' consideration by checking your computer before you leave the house.
As of press time, I do not use this particular social networking application (and yes, I think it's ridiculous that Twitter online communiqués are known as "tweets"). Furthermore, part of me feels torn about this practical and results-oriented approach to concertgoing. Aren't the venues' lax regard for schedules, and the unpredictable experiences that result, part of what makes rock shows so rock 'n' roll-y? Mightn't increased punctuality take some of the fun out of it--like driving sober, or having sex with a condom? Wait, no, that can't be right. I feel like there's something wrong with that analogy. OK, forget the stupid simile: Are you going to join 8means8?
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