And so in the A-sides and the Eternals, we see certain universal themes on the subject of opening bands. The first band is more straightforward and unassuming, while the second will slather on all manner of glitter to draw attention away from the weakness of their sound. The first band works hard with a meager audience, while the second band sits back and takes the crowd for granted.
Why, I wonder, does this seem like such an established pattern? Why do different headline artists mutually and independently replicate the same thing? It seems like there are darker forces at work, and I propose one possible explanation.
Perhaps headliners have figured out one of the nefarious truths about theatrics: It is always better to follow someone clearly worse than you. While the great first band captures the audience and delivers something truly enjoyable, the terrible second band gives the audience time to get riled up, to get really hungry for the good music they had just a few minutes ago, and hope to have again. The second band, rather than being just a poor decision, becomes a bankable phenomenon.
Good, then bad, then great. It’s enough to make your average music reviewer shake her head with shame. Oh, Ted Leo.
How could you?
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