Saturday night is the lonliest night of the week

[cyrano]

Now watching the Don Quixote episode of Cupid. Very fun. (Possibly my favorite so far.) Thanks, Ebbie.

---

So a further commentary on last night's entry.
In general, I find clubbing or going to bars a very isolating experience, rather than a social expedition.
I can't hear a thing, because the music is deafening and it takes very little incidental noise before I can't understand conversation anyhow. It's dark, and what light there is is red or blue so I can't see anybody I'm with, can't read their facial expressions or read their lips to help me with missed words. At least in California the cigarette smoke is less of an issue. But it's usually far too hot, and I sweat like a pig and I'm too hot to be active. And there are almost always too many people in too small a space. About the only sensory impression I have left is touch, and I don't club with people who want to do that much touching with me. So I go and try to pick out the music from the muddy stereo system that I mentioned last night, and stand by myself in a crowd of people.

Comments

[juliansinger.livejournal.com]

Oh. Man. Exactly. If I want music, I want to be able to feel it, but also to feel the air, and the faces. To be able to speak, if I wish, to be able to /absorb/ the music, be part of it, but not be /overwhelmed/ by it.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm. I'm not sure I mind being overwhelmed by the music, but I want to be able to hear it--to be able to pick out different parts, and to hear them clearly. It is not, however, a social experience. People can sit next to me at a symphony, but I'm not paying much attention to them if I'm overwhelmed. (: But usually I want to listen to the music while I'm being social with other people, yeah.

[juliansinger.livejournal.com]

Mrrum.

I think my wording was off, since there are certainly moments where I have been overwhelmed by music (and cried, or danced or, you know, things like that).

Mostly, I think it all comes down to how I just don't want an unbalanced bass assaulting me.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

Oh ah! Yes! Seconded! All in favor?

[miss-friday.livejournal.com]

There's feeling music, then there's feeling it. Strong emotional response by others is what composers (songwriters) and performers strive for. Setting your teeth rattling by the amplitude of the sound waves is another issue. One that I don't understand, and one reason why I consider most popular, rock-type music to be dull and not to mention dangerous. (There are a lot of other reasons too, but they go into harmonic, rhythmic, melodic, and timbral analysis which are all pretty esoteric and most people don't want me talking about them anyway.) The human ear is not designed to handle that much sound for any length of time. There's a reason why people who work in close proximity to jet aircraft wear lots of ear protection. (It certainly ain't to look stylish.) Unfortunately, bands in clubs are just about as loud as jet aircraft now, pick up a cheap decibel meter at RadioShack sometime and go find out. I don't understand why people subject themselves to this sort of thing because the damage is permanent and the effects worsen with age.

Needless to say I don't go to clubs. I also leave parties where the music is too loud, no matter who I'm there with. I'll vote for the motion about the bass. Sorry about the rant, the subject hits a little close to home