Used to be that the music played over the PA before the headliner came out was handpicked by the artist and even if it was incongruous with the act, it somehow connected with the overall statement. The Beach Boys’ collection of instrumentals “Stack-O-Tracks” was played before every show on Neil Young’s”Rust Never Sleeps” tour; once music by the Beatles or John Lennon was heard at a U2 show, the audience would get restless as it was a sign Bono and the guys would be onstage soon; Tom Waits has long played music that sounds like it was recorded decades before he was born.
The other night, though, was absolutely magical. Three songs played in the lead-up to Inara George’s show with Van Dyke Parks at Largo were astounding revelations: Mixed together, they were essentially the sound, atmosphere and attitude of the entire George-Parks show. Elaine Stritch singing “Ladies Who Lunch” from “Company,” an Edith Piaf tune and Caetano Veloso’s Tropicalia tune “Maria Bethania” — toss ‘em in a blender and you have a complete idea of what the night was like – minus the French, of course. I wish every show was like this.
Nothing is worse than pre-concert music that has absolutely nothing in common with the artist about to take the stage – rap before a country act, for example – and it stuns me that an artist’s management would tolerate it. Off the mark, too, is playing music by the artist that will soon take the stage. I am finding that to be a regular occurrence in the hallways and box office area at Staples Center in L.A. It does no favors to the act or their fans. Maybe the recording being played is no longer in the set or radically altered - why remind the patron of a recording's sound co close to curtain?
You need something like the vintage blues and country that played before John Mellencamp’s recent show at the Greek Theatre. The music itself probably does not appeal to his fan base but it shares tone and texture with Mellencamp’s latest CD. I’m guessing John’s guys handled the music; if left up to the promoter or venue operator, they’d probably opt for some sort of “classic rock ‘80s mix” featuring Rod Stewart and Bob Seger.
Sure it’s speculation, but I figure the more performers think about the environment their fans are in – from the time the doors open until the house lights go on after the encores – the more the act will be appreciated.
In my quest to get to 100 concerts and see 300 acts this year, I am now have  44 shows and 142 performers to go.