I Saw Them When...

Why Small Music Venues Are Just Better

When I was 17, the news of Jerry Garcia’s passing in August of 1995 had a profound effect on me. I remember being very sad about this despite not being a Grateful Dead fan. At least not a real one. I was one of those fans that was into them because it was the cool thing to do at the time and, admittedly, the rainbow bears were cute. The reason I was sad was because I realized that I would never see him perform live in concert and I had missed that opportunity… not that I had a lot of opportunities to go to live shows at that point to be honest. If I remember correctly I went to 2 by then - New Kids on the Block and then Paula Abdul. (Stop Laughing.) But still, the idea that I would never see him perform live affected me in such a way that, at that moment in my young life, I vowed to see as many artists live as I could.

31 years later I think I have kept that promise to my teenage self.

I don’t know how many shows and concerts I have been to in my lifetime, but my list of artists that I have never seen is quite small. BB King, Buddy Guy, David Bowie, Prince, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, U2, The Eagles, ACDC - those are just a very small handful of, what most consider, big name acts whose shows I have experienced in my short time on this earth and what amazing performers they all were and still are. Their large scale concerts were spectacles that engage all your senses.

As much as it is a privilege, though, to be able to see these performers on the larger stage, the best show experiences I have had in my 30+ years of going to shows and concerts are in the small venues; Those little hole in the wall clubs where bands and artists get started. In a world where most people hear new music by praying that their streaming platform algorithm gets it right, small music venues still allow people to discover new music at a pure and unfiltered level. It’s through these experiences that much of my current music tastes have developed - by watching artists share their art with a small room of people who actually appreciate what they are doing and are connected to them in such a way that they feel part of the experience. It’s the type of space where you will very rarely see people’s phones out because they are part of the show in a way, The energy that the crowd gives off directly affects the band on stage. The artist can feel it and use that energy to make that show even better. Unfortunately, conversely, it’s rare to get that same energy in a large stadium setting. Most people who attend stadium shows are folks who rarely go see live music so they are trying to retain as much of it as they can, not with their own eyes, but with the devices in their hands. They are more worried about video recording the song rather than feeling the music and ingesting the energy that it creates,

I’ve been able to witness this first hand with Stephen Wilson, Jr. (SWJ). I discovered SWJ on instagram of all places, The algorithm gods bestowed an acoustic performance of his song “Cuckoo” on me and I was hooked ever since. He’s one of those once in a lifetime artists who surprise you in the best way possible. His talent is so raw and his songwriting is stuff of legends. I saw him for the first time at Sixth & I, a synagogue in Washington DC. The acoustics were so perfect that I was left breathless through most of his performance. There were only a couple hundred of us in the room and all of us (including the drunk guy in the balcony who wouldn’t shut up) knew we were witnessing something special. Phones only came out for a brief moment here and there to capture the random moment but, for the most part, everyone was engaged and the energy in the room was one of community and gratitude. A little less than a year later, I would see him at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ (an old stomping ground of mine). Starland is what I would call “mid-size.” Not a small venue but not a large theater, It was a former dance club (shout out to Hunka Bunka Ballroom!) with a capacity of around 2000. The crowd was different as he was gaining more popularity from his performance on the CMAs but I would say they were still engaged and had a great energy that filled the room and added to the experience. Six (or so) months later I would see him again at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD. While the capacity was roughly the same as the Starland, the vibe was very different. It was the kind of vibe that I feel at larger shows where the crowd is more disconnected - it felt like a lot of people around us had not been to a show in a long time and didn’t realize there are unspoken rules when it comes to shows (the biggest one being “don’t be a dick” which a lot of people seem to forget with every $18 beer they chugged). They were more concerned about their phone than they were what was happening on stage and there was a very different energy in the room. At one point, I turned to my concert cohort and noted that this was probably the last time we would see him - at least like this. The crowd didn’t ruin the experience, but they didn’t enhance it either. While I am thrilled that SWJ has found this amazing success, that community that Sixth & I provided is just kind of lost the larger the venues get. It was so special and amazing and one that I a still grateful to have experienced.

Stephen Wilson, Jr. at Sixth & I, 14 December 2024

I hate to lump all larger shows into this category but, unfortunately, my experience as of late is that the crowd at larger shows is generally more entitled and unfeeling. This could be because larger shows are much more expensive than small venue shows thanks to Ticketmaster/Live Nation and their stronghold on the industry (that’s a whole other piece entirely) but I think it’s just also because folks don’t see small music shows as worthy unfortunately. They would rather use their $15 cover charge for one beer at that larger venue (if you’re lucky). The only reason they go see live music is because the artist is already popular and their sense of discovery is dwarfed because they are being fed what to like rather than doing the due diligence themselves which is sad. There are so many people out there who don’t know what they are missing. That’s ok in a way, though. It leaves more room for my friends and I to discover the next big thing on our own, dance like no one is watching, and be able to say “we saw them when…” which is flex that is more magical than any big stadium show.