I love Stereogum. Let me just say that up front. It’s one of my favorite music blogs. However, like a lot of indie blogs, they tend to be a tad on the elitist side when it comes to music. A lot of indie music blogs overemphasize the popularity of bands that are only really popular among their own fans and disappear as quickly as they show up.
Today, they gave the list for Al Gore’s environmental benefit concert, Live Earth, and said it might be the worst line up ever. AAs compared to what?
Pharrell
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Foo Fighters
Snoop Dogg
Lenny Kravitz
Bon Jovi
Paolo Nutini
Sheryl Crow
AFI
Melissa Etheridge
John Mayer
Damien Rice
Corrine Bailey Rae
Duran Duran
Snow Patrol
John Legend
Black Eyed Peas
Akon
Enrique Iglesias
Fall Out Boy
Mana
Keane
Kelly Clarkson
Korn
Faith Hill and Tim McGraw
Ray LaMontagne
Robin Thicke
Kenna
Ok, I’ll be the first to admit that a number of these bands are not at the top of my list, but they even say that it is a good thing tickets are free intimating that it would be hard to sell tickets for these bands. Maybe it’s me, but I’m betting Kelly Clarkson and Bon Jovi are going to draw a bigger crowd than Ok Go and Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah.
And the whole point of a big benefit like this, unless I missed something, is to get people to watch and participate. As much as I understand the influence of indie showcases on kids in music today, it has nothing to do with drawing attention. Gore is doing EXACTLY what he is supposed to in order to raise awareness - get the most popular artists you can.
You don’t have to like Faith Hill & Tim McGraw, but the were one of the highest grossing touring acts of 2006. Given that indie audiences are often perfectly in line with the environmental issues raised by Gore, the best thing you could hope for is a lineup that draws huge amounts of attention. I may not want to see Duran Duran or Enrique Iglesias, but if they raise a crapload of money for the environment, rock on.