Week 6: "The Advertisement"

Walking through the gates, there was a push to the front. Everyone had their tickets and places to be, but the opening to the venue only prohibited madness. I blame the tension that the Red Rocks staff influenced by holding off the large crowd for so long; apparently, there was a delay due to technical difficulties. Nonetheless, the freedom to run to your seat or buy condiments and drinks was maniacal. I was desperate for the concert to start and get comfortable with my spot, so I was persistent to get where I was needed to be. By the time I reached my seat, I realized that the seat you paid for was more of just an admission than it was a legitimate confirmed spot belonging to you. The entire audience was disorganized I was the only one who didn't like it.

Before choosing a random place to sit down and recover from all the people I had to push away just to get there, the show started off with an add. Most concerts have an opener, but I suppose the band I went to see had a sponsorship. In this instance, it wasn't the relationship my favorite band had with the company in the add, it was what was being marketed. The cyc (cyclorama) provided for most of the visual presentation as background to the concert. When the entire Cyc went black, all of the frantic eyes in the stands turned to see what was the problem. The Cyc turned back on and displayed a well dress man with nothing but a red backdrop behind him. He was smiling at the camera and everything from the chest to his forehead was seen on frame. All he said to us was "wonder what music feels like? Try it." With a syndical grin, the ad turned into a subversive experience that promoted a new way of experiencing music. No matter what, this innovative virtual reality formed an environment based off the feelings you'd receive by listening to a certain song.

The audience's excitement was elevated beyond any other moment before then. The ad was like a drug to enhance the atmosphere and then motivate consumers to buy the product. The rest of the concert didn't even seem to be as intensely emotional as the ad made me feel. After doing some research, the ad even marketed itself as a drug. The amount of dopamine's produced in your brain based on the experience you receive was two times greater than the world's strongest drug. I'm not sure what that means or the effects it has on your body but I'll never have to go to an overcrowded concert again.