One of the more popular half-baked notions in hifi is the idea that a recording can rival a live performance. The unbaked portion being there’s nothing to look at when we listen to a recording. There’s no person there.
I had the great pleasure of seeing and hearing Sharon Van Etten at the Beacon Theatre last Saturday and the experience was nothing like listening to her records. First off, Sharon Van Etten & Band were there, right in front of us. Secondly Sharon Van Etten is a gracious host so she speaks to us in between songs as if we’re all friends. In a way, we are.
Experiencing her new album, Remind Me Tomorrow, live brought me closer to it and to her. When performers perform, they give you visual clues about things like emphasis, mood, and more that a recording simply cannot.
I’ll share one of many takeaways—that woman can sing! I walked away with a wonderful memory and a signed LP of Remind Me Tomorrow because I’ll want to re-visit the music again and again.
