Music

I recently got to see Coldplay in concert. They’ve been on my list for a while. The wasn’t U2 (and at times, I cringe at this comparison), but it was damn good. The venue was decent (outdoor), and the showmanship was top notch (well again... a notch or two beneath U2... but who's comparing?).

One of the “lowlights” of the show was the crowd. At the risk of sounding like a music snob, there were a lot of late teen/early twenties girls who had driven their Jettas there to hear the “in” band. (Coldplay is so mainstream fringe right now). The guys following these girls were often worse. That’s not to say many of the crowd thoroughly enjoyed the show, some moreso than me, and I’m sure there were “bigger fans” out there than myself. But we had a large group of people around us, that Bob and I were just kind of making fun of in a light-hearted way… until they played “Yellow” (a move I was a little surprised with). Oh to hear the uproar. “Yellow” and “Clocks”, everyone singing every word. But then you hit the very singable “Swallowed by the Sea”, with lines like:

Oh what good is it to live

With nothing left to give

Forget but not forgive

Not loving all you see?

…and not a peep from the group of 20 on our right (who were screaming “oohhhh!!! My favorite song!!!” when yellow came on). They were literally talking amongst themselves.

Anyway, without trying to disparage or defame any particular “group” of people, it just got me thinking. The more I hear God in music (as I do in the words above), the more I wonder how much society as a whole is really listening. I’m sure it’s a different answer for different individuals. And undoubtedly, some are listening. And quite arguably, more than before “the napster age”. But, there seems to be such a large demographic that just likes whatever is popular. Whatever billboard/TRL says is good… that’s what’s good. If music can be spiritual food, how much are we, as a culture, feeding ourselves and how much is being shoved down our throats?