> Seems like every time I see a band on television performing in front of an
> audience -- say, on the "Live at the Summerstage" or "Pepsi Smash" or MTV
> Video Awards -- the whole audience around the stage is singing along.
What's
> up with that? The way I see it, it's just another form of narcissism: Hey,
> look I know the words and I'm singing with the band!  I was at an Aimee
Mann
> show earlier this year, and a woman next to me was singing along (badly)
> with every song. My friend and I wanted to kill her. Can't people just go
to
> a show and be entertained by the people on stage?

The spirit moves different people in different ways.  I've been known to go
to shows and burst into song right with the performer, just because, hey, it
feels right.  I mean, I'm at the concert of someone whose music I love,
whose songs I know backwards and forwards...it's not like I'm BRAGGING that
I know the words, but I guess, in a way, I'm kinda saying, "Hey, dude, see,
I bought your album, and it meant enough to me that I actually know the
words you're singing."  But, mostly, I'm just happy and living in the moment
and not really thinking about it.  And no-one's ever complained about
it...but, then, I'm prone to sing on-key...

I can see it might be annoying if the person was singing really poorly and
could be heard over the actual performer, thereby detracting from the person
you've paid to see...but, at the same time, it also kinda sounds like the
musical equivalent of Randal's moaning in "Clerks," where he says of working
at the video store, "This job would be great if it wasn't for all the
f***ing customers!"  You're a musician, Eytan; don't you WANT people to know
your material well enough that they can sing along to it...?