New TOMMY Blog on The Commet

[stmonkeys]

seems we'll be getting more than one new album. can't wait for details! Haters, find a different thread, please.

http://thecomet.com/posts/tommy_shaws_audience_rules

Tommy Shaw’s Audience Rules

Tommy Shaw is literally the hardest working man
in music – he has three major album projects on
deck (more on that later) and he’s gearing up for
Styx’ fall tour, where the band will perform
1977’s “The Grand Illusion” and 1978’s “Pieces of
Eight” in their entirety. He always puts his
audience first, unless they are fellow artists.
Shaw blogs about why musicians should never sit
in the first row and why he’s always watching you, yes you.
----------------

Artists do not make good audience members. No,
this is not a case of self-loathing, but don’t
discount that attribute; I think it’s one of the
important oars in the water that helps propel many an artist’s vessel.

It’s more of a practical matter. Most people make
wonderful audience members. They benefit from
the distraction of watching others who feel the
need to get up under the lights and express this
inner song or dance that is dying to be let out.
Praise be to those who come there to be utterly
distracted by the stories they can relate to, the
laughter, the reminders of good times and bad, to
be reassured that they are not alone but in fact
their feelings are part of the whole human
condition. THIS is who you want to invite to your show, not the insiders!

I was reminded of this recently in Atlanta when
STYX manager Charlie Brusco was inducted into the
Georgia Music Hall of Fame at the 32nd annual
awards ceremony. Rolling Stones musical
director/pianist and former Allman Brothers Band
member Chuck Leavell stepped up to lead the
all-star jam where Henry Paul (the Outlaws),
Michael Cartellone (Skynyrd, Damn Yankees), Jeff
Carlisi (38 Special), Bo Bice and Ace Young
joined my STYX band mates on stage to close out
an evening where the Black Crows and India Arie
were among a distinguished list of 2010 inductees.

Having attended enough shows, I have finally come
to the conclusion that I am not a lone freak, I
am in a class of freaks of artists that just
don’t know what to do with themselves from that
perspective. Looking out that night at the
audience, brightly lit because the event was televised, I could see them all.

As a rule, I enjoy sizing up the audience members
as a whole, but more importantly as individuals.
It’s almost a compulsion. I can’t wait to get a
look. (My wife) Jeanne tells me I make people
nervous when I stare because I’ve got these crazy
eyes that are like staring into the eyes of a blue-eyed Alaskan Husky

<. So, I try not to linger when making eye
contact. It’s my compulsion, not theirs.
So there we were starting into “Blue Collar Man”
when I looked out and saw them: Artists,
musicians, their spouses and dates, their
handlers and relatives everywhere, most of them friends.

I recognized that look on their faces – awkward
helplessness and ‘fish-out-of’ water syndrome.

I think artists will agree, we just don’t know
what to do when we are audience members. It’s
difficult to suspend your disbelief as an
audience member because you have too much
experience from the stage and you instinctively
take on the same reflex reactions as if you were
up there, except now you are helpless because you are not in the mix.

A normal, happy audience member might not notice
they were sitting next to an artist. (Often times
when women flash their breasts at us, the people
sitting around them don’t notice because they’re
focusing on whoever is on stage.) Too many
artists in an audience create a bit of a black hole.

When artists make eye contact on the stage, we
are all part of an organic living experience that
is enhanced when we lock. Looking into the eyes
of fellow performers sitting in the crowd is a
whole other animal. As if you are the magician
performing for other magicians who have a basic
understanding of how you are doing whatever it is
you are doing. When you’re prepared and warmed
up, you can hold your own, and not hopefully not
embarrass yourself amongst your peers. It’s just
not the same as doing it for you, a real audience.

We’re at ease with you the true fan audience,
feeding on your reactions. We watch you give in
sometimes immediately, sometimes slowly and even
reluctantly, allowing yourself to escape. We see
the events and stresses of your day peel away as
your inner movies cue up, the combined forces of
familiar melodies and words sung, solos played
and decibels of sound setting you free.

You aren’t burdened with how it’s being done, the
team effort of the crew who is manning and
maintaining the whole thing, while the artists
pour their souls into the individual channels of
audio being mixed by the person at the console
out there in the middle of the room. All right
there on the gear laden stage, under the lights
so carefully set and focused before you arrived.
You don’t care and you shouldn’t.
It’s flattering to see artists in the crowd,
because you know they feel a bit like a fish out of water.

So if you are new to the stage and you look out
there and see people who look a little bit like
you, but look like they need to jump back into
the pond, take it as a compliment.

My defining moment as such a fish happened on
October 24, 1997 sitting front row and center at
the Fleetwood Mac concert at the Hollywood
Bowl. Our friend had invited Jeanne and I, and
secured these enviable seats. We were actually
closer to Stevie Nicks than Lindsey Buckingham was that night.

There was the usual drunk girl squeezing into a
non-existing seat between me and her new friend
who’d paid for the seat next to me. You know the
one I’m talking about, right? I like her better when I’m on stage.

As it got near the end of the show, there was
that moment where you decide, “Do we bolt and
beat traffic? Or do we stay to hear that big
song they’ve saved for the encore?” There had
been the usual Hollywood Bowl traffic jam getting
in, so it had to be on other’s minds as well, but
they were not the two closest people to Stevie
Nicks. I looked towards Jeanne just as she turned
her left wrist towards her face to see what time
it was. Stevie Nicks saw her do it too and there
was a very uncomfortable moment. (For the record, we stayed for the encore.)

As awesome as Fleetwood Mac was, we were just too
close, but we learned our lesson. We make it a
point not to sit in the front row after that. My
apologies to Ms. Nicks. We should have traded
seats with drunk girl! She could have brought a friend!

Thank you for being you, the true, dearest,
wonderful qualified members of the audience who
continue to do what it takes to get there and
know what to do. From the bottom of our hearts,
a collective touch of knuckles from us to you all.

Here’s looking at you!

T Shaw

[Mr JY Roboto]

seems we'll be getting more than one new album. can't wait for details! Haters, find a different thread, please.

http://thecomet.com/posts/tommy_shaws_audience_rules

Tommy Shaw’s Audience Rules

Tommy Shaw is literally the hardest working man
in music – he has three major album projects on
deck (more on that later) and he’s gearing up for
Styx’ fall tour, where the band will perform
1977’s “The Grand Illusion” and 1978’s “Pieces of
Eight” in their entirety. He always puts his
audience first, unless they are fellow artists.
Shaw blogs about why musicians should never sit
in the first row and why he’s always watching you, yes you.
----------------

Artists do not make good audience members. No,
this is not a case of self-loathing, but don’t
discount that attribute; I think it’s one of the
important oars in the water that helps propel many an artist’s vessel.

It’s more of a practical matter. Most people make
wonderful audience members. They benefit from
the distraction of watching others who feel the
need to get up under the lights and express this
inner song or dance that is dying to be let out.
Praise be to those who come there to be utterly
distracted by the stories they can relate to, the
laughter, the reminders of good times and bad, to
be reassured that they are not alone but in fact
their feelings are part of the whole human
condition. THIS is who you want to invite to your show, not the insiders!

I was reminded of this recently in Atlanta when
STYX manager Charlie Brusco was inducted into the
Georgia Music Hall of Fame at the 32nd annual
awards ceremony. Rolling Stones musical
director/pianist and former Allman Brothers Band
member Chuck Leavell stepped up to lead the
all-star jam where Henry Paul (the Outlaws),
Michael Cartellone (Skynyrd, Damn Yankees), Jeff
Carlisi (38 Special), Bo Bice and Ace Young
joined my STYX band mates on stage to close out
an evening where the Black Crows and India Arie
were among a distinguished list of 2010 inductees.

Having attended enough shows, I have finally come
to the conclusion that I am not a lone freak, I
am in a class of freaks of artists that just
don’t know what to do with themselves from that
perspective. Looking out that night at the
audience, brightly lit because the event was televised, I could see them all.

As a rule, I enjoy sizing up the audience members
as a whole, but more importantly as individuals.
It’s almost a compulsion. I can’t wait to get a
look. (My wife) Jeanne tells me I make people
nervous when I stare because I’ve got these crazy
eyes that are like staring into the eyes of a blue-eyed Alaskan Husky

<. So, I try not to linger when making eye
contact. It’s my compulsion, not theirs.
So there we were starting into “Blue Collar Man”
when I looked out and saw them: Artists,
musicians, their spouses and dates, their
handlers and relatives everywhere, most of them friends.

I recognized that look on their faces – awkward
helplessness and ‘fish-out-of’ water syndrome.

I think artists will agree, we just don’t know
what to do when we are audience members. It’s
difficult to suspend your disbelief as an
audience member because you have too much
experience from the stage and you instinctively
take on the same reflex reactions as if you were
up there, except now you are helpless because you are not in the mix.

A normal, happy audience member might not notice
they were sitting next to an artist. (Often times
when women flash their breasts at us, the people
sitting around them don’t notice because they’re
focusing on whoever is on stage.) Too many
artists in an audience create a bit of a black hole.

When artists make eye contact on the stage, we
are all part of an organic living experience that
is enhanced when we lock. Looking into the eyes
of fellow performers sitting in the crowd is a
whole other animal. As if you are the magician
performing for other magicians who have a basic
understanding of how you are doing whatever it is
you are doing. When you’re prepared and warmed
up, you can hold your own, and not hopefully not
embarrass yourself amongst your peers. It’s just
not the same as doing it for you, a real audience.

We’re at ease with you the true fan audience,
feeding on your reactions. We watch you give in
sometimes immediately, sometimes slowly and even
reluctantly, allowing yourself to escape. We see
the events and stresses of your day peel away as
your inner movies cue up, the combined forces of
familiar melodies and words sung, solos played
and decibels of sound setting you free.

You aren’t burdened with how it’s being done, the
team effort of the crew who is manning and
maintaining the whole thing, while the artists
pour their souls into the individual channels of
audio being mixed by the person at the console
out there in the middle of the room. All right
there on the gear laden stage, under the lights
so carefully set and focused before you arrived.
You don’t care and you shouldn’t.
It’s flattering to see artists in the crowd,
because you know they feel a bit like a fish out of water.

So if you are new to the stage and you look out
there and see people who look a little bit like
you, but look like they need to jump back into
the pond, take it as a compliment.

My defining moment as such a fish happened on
October 24, 1997 sitting front row and center at
the Fleetwood Mac concert at the Hollywood
Bowl. Our friend had invited Jeanne and I, and
secured these enviable seats. We were actually
closer to Stevie Nicks than Lindsey Buckingham was that night.

There was the usual drunk girl squeezing into a
non-existing seat between me and her new friend
who’d paid for the seat next to me. You know the
one I’m talking about, right? I like her better when I’m on stage.

As it got near the end of the show, there was
that moment where you decide, “Do we bolt and
beat traffic? Or do we stay to hear that big
song they’ve saved for the encore?” There had
been the usual Hollywood Bowl traffic jam getting
in, so it had to be on other’s minds as well, but
they were not the two closest people to Stevie
Nicks. I looked towards Jeanne just as she turned
her left wrist towards her face to see what time
it was. Stevie Nicks saw her do it too and there
was a very uncomfortable moment. (For the record, we stayed for the encore.)

As awesome as Fleetwood Mac was, we were just too
close, but we learned our lesson. We make it a
point not to sit in the front row after that. My
apologies to Ms. Nicks. We should have traded
seats with drunk girl! She could have brought a friend!

Thank you for being you, the true, dearest,
wonderful qualified members of the audience who
continue to do what it takes to get there and
know what to do. From the bottom of our hearts,
a collective touch of knuckles from us to you all.

Here’s looking at you!

T Shaw

Regeneration Vol 1, the Bluegrass thing and a new Shaw/Blades.

[Bearded Clam]

that's a great story about the Fleetwood Mac concert.

[stmonkeys]

hmmm - i wasn't considering regeneration as new music, but i guess that would cover 3 albums of material (along with s/b & his upcoming solo disk) plus, the shaw/blades will another album of covers. so we're really not getting much NEW music, just reinterpreted music. guess it's better than nothing!

[Babyblue]

that's a great story about the Fleetwood Mac concert.

I agree cool story.