Nothing compares to live music
My favorite band went on indefinite hiatus in early December after playing their last four shows. Of course, I totally support them. They're humans and deserve to take all the time the need to figure out whatever they want to do next, and they're not obligated to return as a band. Still, my heart breaks a little bit each day since that last show. I will never get over them, as I described last month.
I want to talk about their live performance though. I actually would be semi-okay if they never made any more new music if it meant they would keep touring. It sounds ridiculous, but I've seen them play over 15 times and know that could never be enough.
Many of us can agree that there's something special about seeing our favorite artists live. Something that a studio version can't quite match. It compels a lot of us to attend shows, sometimes queuing for hours, maybe even traveling to other states or countries because the music (and hearing it being played in real time) means that much to us.
Even though I'm a little biased, Foxing are on a different level. I've witnessed a lot of live music, and no one puts on a show like they do.
They have a song called Speak With The Dead. Awesome song, don't get me wrong, but for some reason I don't find myself listening to the studio version very often.
Over the years since it was released, I've always found it better live.
There is an exception even to that though. There is truly something else about this version that my friend recorded at one of the final shows. I can't stop listening to it. I get chills every time. No words to describe it.
I need to share it because it's the perfect example of how stimulating live music is. It's cathartic, a collective effervescence, the true Dionysian experience. It's everything.