Soundchecks often serve as safe zones for musicians, a place where they can feel free to goof off and take chances that might not be suitable for an audience of people who've paid big money to hear straight versions of their favorite songs. R.E.M., however, is a bit less precious about the moment's sanctity; the band's 1996 album
New Adventures In Hi-Fi is partially comprised of music recorded at soundchecks, and more recently, the band opted to share
a peculiar version of their song "Living Well Is The Best Revenge" recorded before a concert in Dresden. The tune starts off about the same as the version that appears on
Accelerate, but by the final minute, the drums have gone a bit haywire, and MIchael Stipe has started singing in a strange, quasi-Germanic accent. It's a funny moment, and it's nice that the band has enough confidence to let fans hear it mess around. [
R.E.M. HQ]
Idolator
Good NYT piece today by Samuel G. Freedman, who reports on the spike in enrollment for Florida A&M University's summer band camp, in which some 450 students compete for a spot in the school's famed drumline corps the Marching 100. It's an illuminating look at how stylized marching bands are continuing their work into the digital age, and often enhanced by it. (Students like the Seattle teenager Freedman centers his story around often get into the camp after seeing the Marching 100 online.) It's also got some intriguing numbers:
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