Concerts: Acoustic or Fully Amped?

Our sold out WGNA Secret Star Acoustic Jam is only a day and a half away and we're pumped! 4 artists will take the stage on Wednesday evening for a night country music fans won't forget.  When you think of your favorite concert memories, do they tend to be a little more subdued and stripped down or was it a fully amplified show with a large raucous crowd?

The lights, the sound, the huge screens, and high energy crowd can be quite appealing when it comes to seeing a concert. However, based upon my live show experience, bigger isn't always better.  A few Summer's ago I saw one of my all time favorites, Eminem at Met Life Stadium with 60,000 other people. While his set was impressive and the sound was booming and incredible, he literally was the size of an  'M&M'.  Turns out it was pretty forgettable.

9 days ago I was able to witness Brad Paisley and John Fogerty in a teeny tiny little honky tonk bar in Nashville. It was quite impressive in all the ways you wouldn't expect. There was no light show, Brad was tuning his guitar on stage, it was cramped, tight and hot and my shoes literally stuck to the floor of this age old bar.  As he fiddled to find the right chords, Brad laughed and joked with the few hundred in attendance.  My guess is the Paisley show at SPAC later on this month surely will be impressive, but it'll be  a different experience than the stripped down, care free version I saw of him the dive bar. Sans, of course, the sticky floor.

But for my money, bigger isn't always better.