Show Review: Angie McMahon @ The Crocodile Seattle, WA

 Show Review:

Angie McMahon

@ The Crocodile 
Seattle, WA

3/11/24

  It used to be there was lots of mystery about the path from local band obscurity to stadium headliner.  Most artists started by playing local shows in local venues, then you would record a "demo," then you would look for a label or manager or both, then hopefully a booking agent, put out an album, do a van tour of the US, maybe a van tour of UK/Europe, then another record, professionally done, with a record label that has pr and def a booking agent, a second van tour as a headliner, hopefully a festival or two, then by the third record hopefully you were on a bus and playing theater size venues (1000+) and selling them out.  You would be judged by actual record sales of physical cds or records, the crowds you drew at your shows, and the press you got.  Obviously, the vast majority of bands/acts never made it past the first or second step, but plenty of artists fall off at each point, and the most succesful acts skipped one or many steps.

  Now, that has all changed.  Artists are essentially measured by two numbers: 1) their monthly Spotify streaming number, which updates daily 2) tickets they can sell to their concerts.   If you are low by the measurement of (1) you have to show that you have the power to sell concert tickets.  If you have great streaming numbers but can't sell tickets you can play festivals, but ultimately it is the live show on a big stage that is the only check on streaming era artists who have demonstrated their worth by (1).  These days, few if any artists start by playing live, rather they will record music and publish it themselves, either on bandcamp or, straight to Spotify and the other big DSP's.  I couldn't even tell you the last time I went to a local level show and saw an artist who didn't have a Spotify monthly streaming number already.

   This shift has certainly taken much of the mystery out of the lengthy process I described in the first paragraph at this post.  Now, every label, from the lowliest indie to the biggest major knows how many monthly streams you get and most of them know how many tickets you have sold (or whether you have sold any).  The biggest loser in this shift has been the press/music critics.  They used to play an important/critical role in helping artists get from the bottom to the top.  Today, literally no one gives a shit and if you have good streaming numbers and sell tickets to your shows, you don't need critics to pay attention.

  Take Angie McMahon.  I just got back from the first show of her sold-out US tour- in Seattle.  Angie put out her record last fall.  People said nice things about the record but she isn't a Pitchfork artist, and generally speaking, not much was said about her or the record, even though it was amazing.   Her streaming numbers are fine but essentially flat.   BUT- there I am watching her sell out a Monday night show at an 800 cap venue in Seattle, watching her evoke the kind of Audience response that most artists never obtain and hearing second hand about her being seriously considered for arena/stadium/big theater tours on three continents.  

  It was an astonishing performance and the crowd was incredibly diverse and enthusiastic. Truly a dream start to a US tour that promises to be the first step on a path that promises to follow that older path in an era of an obsession with streaming figures.  I think this summer is going to be interesting for many acts who built up their streaming figures over the past four years of pandemic-time with no pressure or opportunity to build up their live show.  I'm fully expecting some festival level disasters as these artists take the stage in front of big audiences for the first time, but that won't be Angie McMahon- she is going to be out there on the road slitting throats. Watch out!