Australia 3
All finished; going home in 18 hours. It's nearly impossible to reflect on such relentless sensory stimulation (even in the quiet at the end) without some distance from the events. I don't think I'll understand what happened here for a while.
In a tangible plane, this has been a very successful tour. Every show has had higher attendance and sales than we normally expect in the U.S., and four of them had higher sales than any show we've ever played in our own country. That being said, it's going to take a lot longer to evaluate the emotional and spiritual impact of the trip. In reaching so many people in such a short time, I can't tell who's giving and who's receiving, or to what degree it's an exchange. I'm stretched thin and exhausted, but vaguely satisfied, for the moment.
Labels: Rosetta
posted by M. Weed at
12:30 AM
6 Comments:
You seem to eye this satisfaction suspiciously, fully prepared for it to be fleeting. Is that so, and why?
Because who knows how I might reinterpret events with time and reflection? I can quantify certain aspects of the trip in a crude, economical kind of way, but the real question on my mind is: of what lasting value was my interaction with people? What happened to me? What happened to them?
I suspect I might find the answer to the former with a few months of mulling it over, the latter I may never have an answer for --- but that doesn't mean it's not worth thinking about.
Well seeing my favourite band live was a huge deal for me, getting to meet you guys was even better. It was very much worthwhile to put your works into perspective, and to see the energy you brought to a show (even when very exhausted). So I'm glad you guys came all this way!
I wonder if you can sum up the experience and the interactions/exchanges quite so philosophically.
Yeah Mike, you're probably right. I tend to over-abstract my memories, mostly out of hyper-self-criticism. I always want to know what's underneath the surface, for better or worse.
I am glad, though, that our hanging out was able to put more of a human face on Rosetta. It's weird, I felt really bad about the Adelaide show because it seemed so disconnected to me; I felt out of touch with my bandmates and the audience. Technically it was ok, but in terms of the intangibles I felt it was lacking. But your comment afterward --- "it was good enough for me" --- was probably the only time anyone's ever tried to "reassure" me after a show that actually WORKED and made sense to me. It was the best thing you could have said.
I think something clicked for me when you said that... it took the focus off the sum of all my performances, or the performance trend. So long as even one person derives some value from the event, it's meaningful and worthwhile. Period. I think I knew that at one time but it's gotten cloudy over time.
2008 has not been a very happy year for me, but getting to see you guys play here was a revelation. I can't thank you guys enough for coming down here to play. I hope you enjoyed your trip and return here again soon.
We really did enjoy it, mostly because of people like you.
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