The Diffraction: a live music publication for us all.

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$Welcome to the Diffraction$

Welcome to the Diffraction

This is Keith O'Brien, proprietary of one or two newsletters you previously subscribed to. What you're about to read is a full-speed-ahead publication, of which I hope you will stick around. The Diffraction is a newsletter/publication about live music. Sound diffracts as it encounters objects,

Live Music is the past, present, and future

Live Music is the past, present, and future

Live music, on the other hand, rekindles the connection between bands and audiences. It pays bands (relatively) well. If you are getting the door buster for pennies, you are hopefully buying the other stuff (going to shows, buying merch) for appropriate prices.

The Year In: Combatting scalpers

The Year In: Combatting scalpers

What is up for debate is whether the ticket companies actually do enough to combat the scalpers or whether they are earnestly trying to win and are failing desperately. Neither bolsters the reputations of Ticketmaster and the competitive set.

Unsolicited Advice: Remember the village

Unsolicited Advice

Unsolicited Advice: Remember the village

Have fun at shows, but not at someone else's expense. And do not be an irresponsible burden to the band or the people working the venue.

Unsolicited Advice: Let bands play what works for them

Unsolicited Advice

Unsolicited Advice: Let bands play what works for them

When it comes down to it, complaining about album-specific tours is just arguing about sequencing.

No mirage - the Oasis reunion

No mirage - the Oasis reunion

Oasis or mirage. Time will tell, but I'm confident the lads will put on a show.

Requiem for: Pitchfork Music Festival (in) Chicago

Requiem for: Pitchfork Music Festival (in) Chicago

Pitchfork Festival leaves Chicago (for good?), but could something beautiful and new spring up in its wake?

Unsolicited Advice: Clearly communicate your show times

Unsolicited Advice

Unsolicited Advice: Clearly communicate your show times

Venues and concert promoters should provide clearly available intel for those who disregard the above and just want to see the headlining band. It's not a lot of work! There's only two steps.

My Backyard Coachella: Keith O'Brien

Backyard Coachella Featured

My Backyard Coachella: Keith O'Brien

If you had the power to throw a backyard Coachella with six bands, who would you pick?

Unsolicited Advice: Water should be free

Unsolicited Advice

Unsolicited Advice: Water should be free

Water for free for everyone at a concert should be nonnegotiable. Feel free to offer expensive bottled options, but there should be plenty of water fountain/stations for everyone else.

A tale of two spectacles

A tale of two spectacles

Banking so much of your cache on reforming defunct acts inevitably leads you here. You eventually run out of the willing and able acts, then transition to the ones accepting the pay days and the ones that, in all honestly, should not be headliners.

Unsolicited Advice: See a band you don't know

Unsolicited Advice

Unsolicited Advice: See a band you don't know

Make a habit of seeing a local show of a band you've never heard of. You are directly supporting live music, and are able to enjoy the experience with zero expectations.