Opening Acts
Jimmy Eat World opened for Green Day Saturday night. They had one good song. Unfortunately, they played about ten.What is it about opening acts? Those of us who love concerts always have a few good stories about concerts we went to where the opening band was great. But usually they are some group that has/had one hit and are/were never heard from again. Jimmy Eat World did "The Middle." You know...everything everything will be just fine...everything everything will be allright allright...that song. Good song. In my iPod. But in 10 years is anybody going to know who the heck Jimmy Eat World is?
In my concert-going history I have had a few nice surprises. American Hi-Fi and Sugar Ray both opened for Matchbox 20. The next time we saw Matchbox they had Fountains of Wayne as their opening act. Pretty good trend there. Actually, before we saw them the first time, Matchbox 20 had Maroon 5 opening. So Rob Thomas and Co. have an eye for talent.
More often though it's bands like Fahrenheit, who opened for Boston. They had a hit at the time, couldn't tell you what it was now. There was a "comedian" who opened for Mellencamp who almost made us want to leave. Bad bad bad.
I can't help but wonder what kind of opening act this life is shaping up to be. Obviously, the headliner is coming next. And there are days when I just want to boo this life right off the stage and get on with the real show. But most of the time I'm amazed at how good the opener is. We really have no right to expect any rewards or privilege during our time on earth. God certainly hasn't promised us anything except the occasional bout of suffering. At least, not until he comes in glory. But this life here, the warmup act, I have to say: not bad!
Can you imagine...when the lights go down...and the herald of angels hit that first note...? Now that is going to rock.
posted by Thurman8er @ 2:28 PM
5 Comments:
Greg's still in the afterglow of that Eagle's concert. I thought at his age there was little short-term memory…
Although your perspective on the here and the after is thought provoking, Paul said that the opening act could be painful, that it is the terrible sufferings that are far outweighed by the glory to come. In a sense, he was saying: bring out the worst band you've got, for the glory will be proportionately grander. But, you know that… You just brought it to my mind. nqkva
How much of a geezer does it make me if I recognized 3 of the (Matchbox 20, Boston, and Mellencamp) bands? That was a great analogy, our life to an opening act at a concert. Like your experience, most of those acts were pretty dismal just as this life can be as well.
Does anybody remember the rock group Nazareth? I came home from one of their concerts (circa 1980 – back when they had “gasoline powered amps”) and couldn’t hear for a day or so.
Now think about that we are the warm up act to introduce our friends to Jesus.
Greg, I think Brady is that guy who blogs in that foreign code.
hat-way ecret-say ode-cay?
Help! My blog has been commandeered by weirdos! Forgetful weirdos!
For the record, I couldn't hear for two days after this last show. Loud music, actual on-stage explosions, and screaming teenagers in both ears. Sunday morning I could only tell I was speaking from the vibrations in my throat.
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