Members DukeOfBoom Posted January 8, 2011 Members Share Posted January 8, 2011 Seems like anyone who's anyone who's getting publicity these days is a comedy musician. Like the Lonely Island guys who did Jizz on My Pants, and a number of others. This follows from the success of Denis Leary's I'm An Asshole from a decade or so ago, but YouTube has made it even much more prevalent. Sure none of the comedic music acts have the lasting power of a "real" music act, but doing the comedic thing could be a foot-in-the-door to bigger and better things. The barriers to get noticed in the short-run are far, far less with the comedic thing then with the "real thing." Especially considering that a lot of the comedic acts are totally unfunny in my opinion, but everybody else eats it up. Your thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MDLMUSIC Posted January 8, 2011 Members Share Posted January 8, 2011 Don't know if it's the only way to make it, but I do know that when I do the comedy routines in my German Polka band or my oldies trio, I tend to get a bigger audience response than when I just cover a tune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members song Posted January 8, 2011 Members Share Posted January 8, 2011 It's definitely not the only way but funny sells. Just like sex sells. Put a hot looking chick singer up front and double your gigs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted January 8, 2011 Members Share Posted January 8, 2011 seems like anyone who's anyone who's getting publicity these days is a comedy musician. I just scanned the current top 50 sellers and there's hardly a comedy routine in the batch. Fluffy pop dreck? You bet. Antics? Lots. Comedy? Not so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DevilRaysFan Posted January 8, 2011 Members Share Posted January 8, 2011 No, because I suck so bad that its practically comedy and Im still poor, broke, and a nobody...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JohnMCA72 Posted January 8, 2011 Members Share Posted January 8, 2011 It's Entertainment, & it has many facets & dimensions. Those who cover (no pun intended) more of those dimensions tend to do better than those who cover fewer of them. Most musicians tend to view music through their musicians' filters. Most audience members don't. What's "good" to most of us on this forum isn't necessarily the same as what's "good" to the average person. That doesn't make anything better or worse, just different. Many years ago, I read a quote attributed to Frank Zappa: "Most audiences wouldn't know good music if it bit them on the ass." At the time, being a 20-something know-it-all, I took that as affirmation of my own standing among the elite musical literati. I "got it"; I was "hip", & I was in on the joke with Zappa & the other literati. Now, many years later, I have a little different perspective. Having read more of FZ's quotes in the meantime, I think he really did, too. Saying that most audiences wouldn't know good music if it bit them on the ass wasn't a put-down of audiences. Instead, it was a warning to those who might tend to think of themselves as "above it all" or part of an elite clique, that their own elitism wouldn't serve them well in commerce. Most audiences aren't there for the "good music", they're there for a good time. Music is one dimension of the overall experience, but there are many others, & most people really don't know or care why they're having a good time or not. If it really were "all about the music", then elevators would be always be packed with music listeners & those poor souls just looking to get to another floor would be forced to take the steps! It's not about us. It's not even about the music. It's all about them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Poker99 Posted January 10, 2011 Members Share Posted January 10, 2011 Many years ago, I read a quote attributed to Frank Zappa: "Most audiences wouldn't know good music if it bit them on the ass." At the time, being a 20-something know-it-all, I took that as affirmation of my own standing among the elite musical literati. I "got it"; I was "hip", & I was in on the joke with Zappa & the other literati. Now, many years later, I have a little different perspective. Having read more of FZ's quotes in the meantime, I think he really did, too. Saying that most audiences wouldn't know good music if it bit them on the ass wasn't a put-down of audiences. Instead, it was a warning to those who might tend to think of themselves as "above it all" or part of an elite clique, that their own elitism wouldn't serve them well in commerce. Most audiences aren't there for the "good music", they're there for a good time. Music is one dimension of the overall experience, but there are many others, & most people really don't know or care why they're having a good time or not.If it really were "all about the music", then elevators would be always be packed with music listeners & those poor souls just looking to get to another floor would be forced to take the steps!It's not about us. It's not even about the music. It's all about them! + 10320323 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flatfinger Posted January 10, 2011 Members Share Posted January 10, 2011 I am reminded of Dennis Miller starting of his act with Knock Knock jokes so , as he put it ; to gauge the crowd !!!!!!!! Some things can be prediced like usually there aren't mosh pits at a folk festival or ten dollar words in a Gallager set .! But then again, sometimes there is absolutely no correlation between the rhyme and reason and therefore why some acts inexplicably gather a following : Humans are very unpredictable . You also have to take into account that sometimes the strength of material isn't whats carrying the water .............. It's the present popularity/in fashion status of the messenger . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Matximus Posted January 10, 2011 Members Share Posted January 10, 2011 Well, first of all... it's just not really true... but even if it were why is this a bad thing? Pop music SHOULD be funny and STUPID and goofy. It used to be before the medium was high-jacked by high-minded auteers in the mid- to-late 60s. Maybe what you are seeing is another expression of how music consumption & enjoyment is devolving to way it was before modern-rock era - comedy songs, cover songs, novelty hits - these were all HUGE staple of most music consumer's diet pre-1963.... Look at billboard chart in say 1959, right ... You got Chipmunk Song & Alvin's Harmonica ...both By Alvin and the CHipmunks; Seven Little Girls in the Back Seat (Huggin and a Kissing with Fred!); Along Came Jones'... Poison Ivy... and Charlie Brown - all by the awesome Coasters; Tijuana Jail; Kookie Kookie (Lend me your Comb) and a buncha others in the Top 100 -... I mean, that's not even all of them. We're not even close to back then... How many funny or kinda funny songs charted in 2010? I don't even see any really... My Chick Bad by Ludacris? Blah Blah Blah by Kesha?? I don't know - it's all in hip hop. Those are the only artists that seem to have any blood in their veins or sense of how to engage and energize modern music fans... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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