Corprorate Gigs

Had the opportunity to go by The Avalon (it will always be the Palace to me) in LA last evening for a private event hosted by Verizon/Blackberry to help launch their new smart phone, Blackberry Bold . The event hosted performances by Queens of the Stone Age and the Foo Fighters. It's always great to see these performers back in more intimate settings with their game on after years of hard work and the team and machine that elevates their live performances to pro level. This event was was surprisingly refreshing as it engaged real fans who were not only there to test the new phone but more importantly to them to see Dave Grohl and Company deliver. Often times these corporate gigs are nothing more than a performance to a tired national sales staff who may or may not be a fan being delivered by an artist who are cashing in for the pay these dates demand, often 3-5x their normal guarantee. As stated to me once by a prominent artist, these are the days "we mow the lawn". Fortunately last night's event was much more than that and I applaud both Blackberry and Verizon for making it a special evening for real fans.