Concert Review

Thanks to the empathetic responses from the band members of Antarctica Starts Here, I have been proven wrong and humbled by the truth: Maps, the rising indie electronic band from Northampton, UK, did not break up and Maps, the “experimental rock” band from Nashville, Tennessee, were the ones who broke up. In short, I wasn’t even at the right concert. Therefore, my disappointment now rests in not having had the opportunity to see Maps in concert at all (but I suppose that’s better than never seeing them play forever and ever more).

I would also like to apologize to Antarctica Starts Here for missing their concert because as I currently listen to their music on myspace, I now realize I skipped out on what could have been a good show with good new music.

To save fellow concert-goers from similar “mis-mapped” confusion in the future, I would like to propose a series of preventative steps to take prior to a concert, JUST TO MAKE SURE IT IS THE RIGHT BAND YOU’RE GOING TO SEE.

1. Check the band’s website for tour dates and venues.
2. Check the venue’s website for band names and performance times.
3. Verify with a search in Google. If forums appear in the search results, start a discussion topic and ask. If blogs appear in the search results, email the bloggers and ask them to write a special post for you.
4. Check the promotional materials (posters, flyers, etc.). Circle the band name with a big black marker on each one you come across.
5. At the concert venue, ask the ticketmaster / doorman. Preferably with a voice recorder or video camera. (May come in handy if things go wrong)
6. Ask others in attendance. Stand outside the venue with flyers (Are YOU coming to see this band?) or repeatedly scream out the band members’ names, ripping your clothes a la A Streetcar Named Desire.
7. Ask the band members. Ask the roadies. Ask the security guards. The more, the better. Offer to help carry equipment or guard the doors in exchange.
8. Board the band vehicles and check for any sign that your favored musicians eat, sleep and travel there.
9. If all else fails, stay and enjoy the concert (especially if you’ve already paid). You might find that you’ll still get your money’s worth.

And musicians and venue personnel, please respect your fans by letting us know within a reasonable time period if you break up or cancel the concert. Otherwise, you’ll have to deal with more blogs like this.

Again, thanks to Antarctica Starts Here for gently correcting me; sorry for the mix-up. Ultimately, I have no one to blame but myself (but I am impressed you found my post; it’s a small interweb after all). Hope to see you play soon.