[Dixielandjazz] Knowing When To Strut, When to Pander

[Steve Barbone]

Following is excerpted fro a New York Times review of "Usher" in 
performance in a large venue packed with adoring young people. If we 
band leaders understand and embrace this type of performance, in whole 
or part, we will "discover" an unlimited audience for OKOM. Yes indeed, 
the popular acts could certainly teach us a thing or two about presentation.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

"The song starts with a star establishing his credentials. "I'm the kind 
of brother who been doing it my way/ Getting my way for years/ In my 
career," Usher sang, sort of - during this song, as during much of the 
concert, his spectacular dance moves (often glassy and smooth, 
occasionally jerky and mechanical) were his main priority. The drummer 
pounded a galloping rhythm atop the whizzing synthesizers, and Usher 
switched gears, turning (sort of) humble to describe "this girl who 
turned the tables around/ She caught me by surprise/ I never thought I'd 
be the one breaking down/ I can't figure it out."

"This was what made the show so entertaining: not just Usher's virtuosic 
dancing and slightly less virtuosic singing, but also the nonstop battle 
between strutting and pandering, between pride and sheepishness, between 
being a sex god and being a sex object. It may be the fans' job to adore 
him, but it's his job to entertain (and, sometimes, titillate) them, so 
it was sometimes hard to tell who was in charge."

"He turned "U Remind Me" into a sleazy epic, singing lyrics of rejection 
("This is why I just can't get with you") while loving and losing his 
female dancers ("They just friends, man," he protested as yet another 
partner walked away, disgusted), then turning to the audience for 
consolation as the beat dissolved into a soupy electronic atmosphere: 
"Can I get some love, New Jersey?" He could, of course, and did."