EP. 3 - Live Entertainment
[music]
[music]
Hello everyone. Welcome back to the
English Spongecast,
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You can also find this podcast on
Spotify and other podcast apps. I'm Alia
from the United States
and I'm Justine from Canada.
In today's episode, Justine and I are
going to be talking about live
entertainment.
Live entertainment is any type of show
or performance that you might attend in
person with real people performing in
front of you. instead of listening on
your phone or on uh or watching
something on TV, you go and you see that
performance in person at a place at a
venue where you can watch that
performance happen. Uh and it's a big
part of culture. It's a big part of
activities that happen um in different
parts of the world. And a lot of
a lot of performances are related to art
and culture and music and live
entertainment is something that I really
love. Um, and I wanted to chat about
with another guide from English sponge.
So, welcome Justine to the English
sponge podcast.
» What do you think about live
entertainment?
I really love live entertainment in all
forms. Of course, maybe the first thing
we think of when we think about live
entertainment is a concert, going to
listen to music. But live entertainment
is also things like a dance or a play or
a comedy show or even a person playing
their guitar on the street.
Live entertainment is everywhere.
There's so many opportunities to enjoy
different things and experience
something different that you might not
be capable of yourself. You might not be
able to do that same thing. And so it's
really good for your soul, I think, to
to experience live entertainment in many
different forms so that you can enrich
your life so that your life is better. I
think live entertainment makes our lives
better. [snorts]
Aliyia, do you have a favorite type of
live entertainment?
Yeah, I I completely agree with you. Um
and uh I enjoy a lot of different types
of live entertainment. A lot of the ones
that you mentioned, like comedy shows,
uh performers on the streets, plays, uh
but uh I could even say uh magic shows
are a form of live entertainment that
I've seen that can be pretty fun. But I
would say hands down my favorite form of
live entertainment is concerts. Uh, and
it's amazing to see music performed
live. Uh, because like you said, oftent
times these entertainers are doing
something that you cannot do yourself. I
don't know about you, but I am not um
talented with an instrument or anything
like that. And
» uh so
even though I like singing, I kind of
like acting, I kind of like doing some
of these things for fun, I'm not
talented enough to perform the way some
of these people do. And it's amazing to
see people share their talent with the
world. And when you are at a concert in
person, it just feels so different and
so special
um compared to when you listen to that
music, you know, on your phone, for
example, or in the car. I mean, music is
really important to me in general, but
the live entertainment experience
just is so special. Um, and I've been to
a lot of concerts in my life, and I
can't imagine
living a lifestyle where I couldn't do
that.
Yeah. The the energy at a live concert
is incredible to feel. I start to get
excited and emotional even when I'm
outside of the building because I can
see the the band or the the group. I can
see their buses in the back and I think
about all of the work that they had to
do to get there. And they have big
trucks full of all of the equipment that
they need and all of their instruments.
And they've been traveling around the
country to a bunch of different cities.
They're tired. [laughter]
Their their voices might be tired, but
they are in my city now and they are
ready to share their talents with
everybody. And I look around at
everybody that's in line with me at the
building and thinking about everybody
who had to change their life around in
order to be here today. And there's
thousands of us all together for the
same purpose. We all want to enjoy this
music. And I often cry when I'm going
into a building because the energy is so
strong. Everybody is excited and we're
all there to enjoy
to enjoy this energetic sharing that
we're having. It's a really unique
experience. And depending on the type of
music or the group that I'm going to
see, I sometimes just cry through the
whole performance because it's it's such
a
intense
sensory experience. There's lights and
loud music and they they work with the
crowd and they talk to you and they
share an interesting story and it's a
really fun experience that even if I
don't really like the group that I'm
seeing, I still love going to a live
concert. Maybe I'm going with my husband
who has different music tastes from me
or a friend who invited me to see their
favorite group. Maybe they're not my
favorite group, but I love love love
going to concerts and experiencing that
shared energy. Do you have a similar uh
feeling with concerts, Aliyia?
» Definitely. I definitely agree that it
can be very emotional.
uh especially when I'm very attached to
that band
» or it's a band that I've
» maybe loved for years and years and
finally I was able to get a ticket
» to a show that's in my city or
uh in fact I've even actually traveled
to go see one of my favorite bands in
the past and I've just had so many
wonderful memories of, you know, like
finally hearing my favorite song live
and um yeah, definitely have cried at
concerts just like you because of that.
Uh I've even had some experiences where
uh the band I wanted to see was the
opening act. They were not as popular,
» not as popular as the main act. Um, and
so they perform first.
» They have a shorter
» period of time where they're allowed to
perform their music and then the main
act would play for longer, right? But I
was really there to see the opening
band. And I had this wonderful
experience in high school where my
favorite band at the time, he could see
the the singer. He could see the few of
us that were in the crowd that were
singing along to their songs.
» Oh.
» And that was really special for them
because they didn't know that they had
fans there,
» right?
» You know, they didn't know that
» people even knew their music. They're
trying to get
» discovered. They're trying
» to perform in front of more people so
that they can become more popular and
successful, too. And so when he saw that
there were actually like two or three of
us who knew the words and were singing
along and excited to see them, we were
there for them. He actually like came
down into the crowd off of the stage and
like shared his microphone with us and
we got to sing [laughter] with him. Um,
and that was just like one of the best
memories of my life probably. Um, and so
these experiences can be really personal
and emotional for everybody involved
because people put so much passion um
into into their music.
» Mhm.
Yeah. It's it's um something that
they're looking for that energetic
exchange, too. The performers want to
feel connected to their audience. So,
it's really nice when we can give that
to them and also enjoy what they're
giving to us. I love that story.
» Absolutely.
You told me before that you had a story
about live entertainment that you wanted
to share.
Yeah. When I when I was younger, my dad
was giving me a lecture. [laughter] A
lecture is when somebody's telling you a
lesson that they want you to learn. And
my dad's lesson was never turn down the
opportunity to see live music. Even if
you don't like that band, even if it's,
you know, inconvenient for you, you
should always say yes to live music if
you can. And it's something that I have
learned. I've learned that lesson very
well thanks to my dad. And it has given
me a lot of um unexpected
benefits to to little like you said
maybe a band that nobody has even heard
of and I haven't heard of them either.
But hey, I'm going to be in this city on
Friday and this band is playing at this
tiny little cafe. Let's go have a
listen. and maybe I'll go to a concert
with a friend of music that I actually
really don't like and I would enjoy it
anyway. And one of my favorite
experiences of um learning this lesson
is that when I was a young teenager, my
dad invited me to come with him to see
BB King play live. And it's something
that's really special to me that I
wasn't interested in blues music when I
was, you know, 15. But I went with my
dad because he told me that live music
is important. And so I did. And now as a
grown-up person, I can reflect on the
experiences in my life. And I think it's
really cool that I got to see BB King
play live. He is an absolute legend in
the world. And I would have never chosen
to go to that concert by myself, but
because I grew up with that lecture of
um, you know, just say yes to live
music, I got to have that experience
that I would have never had otherwise.
» Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. you have these
special memories that wouldn't have been
possible if you just said, "No, uh, I'm
not in the mood, or I don't really care
about their music. Uh, I'm just going to
stay home."
» You know, you would regret
» missing out on those things because
» special things can happen. Unexpected
things can happen. Just like with my
story sometimes
» this is something I really love about
certain musicians, is their live
performances are even better than their
recorded music. And you don't know that
until you go and see them in person.
» Yeah, that's right.
» So, yeah, it's it's
» something Oh, go ahead.
» Uh, yeah, it's it's important. And it's
a way to support them too if you if you
really appreciate
uh the work that they do because they
are putting themselves out in front of
other people. I always respect that even
if I don't like their voice or I don't
like the music that much, I really
respect that they are standing in front
of a bunch of strangers and performing
anyway. Mhm. Yeah, that's true. They're
they have to have a certain amount of
bravery to do that and and be able to
share their themselves with such a large
group of people all at once.
Is there another type of live
entertainment that you're able to enjoy,
Alia, in in LA? I'm assuming there's
lots of opportunities.
» There are. Yeah, there are a lot of
options. I really like standup comedy. I
have been to both really professional
uh shows,
bigger shows with a bigger audience and
uh you know a more famous comedian. And
I also really like to go to amateur
standup comedy. An amateur is someone
who is not a professional. They do not
do their job full-time.
Uh they do it they're practicing.
They're learning how to do it. Um and
there is a lot of amateur standup comedy
in my smaller city I live in.
um a smaller city in the in the LA area
and there are local comedians who they
uh are trying to do comedy for fun or
trying to improve their act. And I even
have one friend who does amateur standup
comedy. And so whenever he has a show,
it will be at some local bar or local
restaurant and there will be other
amateur comedians there too.
» And
honestly like
many of them are just as funny,
» if not more funny than, you know, some
of the other
» bigger acts. And so it's a fun thing to
do on a week night when you want to go
out, but you don't really know what to
do. You can find something like that in
your local area where people are just
practicing their their comedy. Uh,
another form of live entertainment that
I like is plays. I don't go to a lot of
plays, but I have in the past. And um
again, like some of the people who act
in plays, maybe they're not
professionals
um or they're not famous like the people
in Hollywood, but they are just as
talented, if not more talented.
And
something I recently did for a friend's
birthday party was I went to a magic
show and I did not know what to expect.
It was like a magic [clears throat] show
for adults, right? It wasn't a magic
show for kids.
» It was for
» That's what I was thinking about.
[laughter]
» And uh so it was a little bit more
serious like uh the some of the com
Sorry, not comedians. I was going to say
comedians again. Some of them magicians
would do pretty serious stuff like uh
swallow something sharp and then like
pull it out of their mouth again without
cutting themselves.
Or uh they would guess they would guess
um the name of something in
someone's mind like someone would think
of their aunt's name
» and the magician would guess the name
after asking
» a series of questions. So it was pretty
cool to go to an adult magic show. So,
there's a lot of
» different types of performances out
there that I think we don't we just
don't know about that that it's out
there. Um, but there are so many
different types of talents that people
have.
» Yeah. And that's really cool that in in
a large place like LA and even in your
smaller city that there's a lot of
opportunity for different kinds of
local and amateur talent, but also for
some some bigger groups and really
exciting um
events to come through. Do you have any
highlights for um really cool concerts
or shows that you've been to?
Yeah. Uh there are a lot of really cool
venues in the LA area. Some are really
big stadiums, so you can see a really
famous act at a place like the Hollywood
Bowl. Um, but my favorite theaters are
the smaller ones. Um, where there's a
small stage and there's no seats.
There's only standing room. You can only
stand uh in front of the stage to see
the show. And it's a smaller show, but
you feel closer to the music and you
feel closer to the band or the
musicians.
And um I've had a lot of experiences
seeing bands at venues like that,
especially when I was in high school. Uh
I was able to go to this one venue that
was um it was all ages, so you didn't
have to be over 18 or over 21.
uh the age to to enter. You could be any
age. So, I had a lot of great
experiences at that venue because I
could see a lot of bands for not very
much money, but still enjoy live music
as a young person.
Um and
something that I really enjoy about
certain bands is when they
include
some things in their show related to
like using the lights or using the
background on the wall. They might have
something playing behind them on the
background.
uh or they might change outfits. They
might change their clothes during the
show because the the vibe would change.
Um I love this type of performance
because it shows that they really care
about the experience for the people in
the audience.
Yeah, that's really cool. when when it's
not just standing there and singing the
songs, but you know that they have put a
lot of thought into how to present
themselves and how to make it an
entertaining,
you know, evening or night um with
everything, the whole the whole
experience, not just what you're
hearing, but also what you're seeing.
Mhm.
And lastly, one of my favorite things
that musicians do is they say that
they're performing their last song for
the night and they they say goodbye.
They say, "Thanks for coming. Bye. You
know we're
this is our name and and we'll see you
next time, Los Angeles," or whatever.
And then, but they're but they're
pretending. They're pretending it's
their last song because they know
everybody's waiting for their most
famous song, their most popular song,
and they haven't performed it yet. So,
everybody knows the band is lying. And
when they go off the stage, you have to
you have to chant one more song, one
more song, one more song. And after, you
know, a couple minutes, they they come
back out and everybody screams again
and then they say, "Of course, we're
going to play our most popular song for
you." And and then they do it and that's
that's really how the show ends. Um,
what about you? Do you have anything
like that that you really like?
» Um, one of the favorite
shows that I've been to was called River
Dance.
It's music, but it's dancing and it's
like Irish or Celtic music and the some
of the the music is made by the
dancers's feet. So the rhythm that the
dancers are using with their shoes on
the stage is part of the music and it is
incredible to be a part of that. And
even I'm thinking about it now and I
have goosebumps on my skin because that
energy is so incredible. And River Dance
is a really famous um dancing group that
has performed around the world. And they
have um live musicians that play the
music with there's a lot of um fiddles
like violins, lots of string music, and
then the dancers with their feet are a
big part of the the musical performance.
And that was one of the shows where I
just cried the whole time because I
loved it so much. And they are so
precise. There might be 30 of them all
dancing in a row. One, two, three, four,
five, 30 people all dancing together and
they're making the exact same steps with
their feet and making the same rhythm
all together. And it's so exact and um
impactful because it's loud and they're
really making percussive sounds with
their feet. They're making it sounds
like drums with their with their shoes
on the stage and it gets right into my
bones. I can feel it all the way inside
of my body and it is a very intense and
very cool performance and I would love
to see another
another uh type of performance like that
again because it was it was so so
amazing. Um, another type of of
performance that I have never been to
before, but I would love to see Cir
Dole.
It is a famous circus group from Canada,
and they have also performed all around
the world, but it's something that I've
never had an opportunity to go to. It's
quite expensive. So, I haven't been able
to to buy a ticket for Cir Dole yet, but
it's something that I would love to do
someday.
What about you, Alia? Is there something
that you would really love to see that
you haven't gotten to yet?
Yeah. Uh, I really like your examples
because they're two very cultural
examples. Uh, I think that's another
really great part about live
entertainment is that
» not only can you enjoy things from your
own culture,
but you can also experience
uh some aspects of other cultures um
» and their music and their language and
their history. And so I think there are
a lot of performances like that that I
would love to see. Uh I can't think of
one off the top of my head.
» Yeah.
» Um
I definitely would like to see Cirto
Sole at least once as well. I haven't
seen it before. Uh I know it's popular
in Las Vegas. Um,
but uh
I think in general
I when I'm planning to go see live
entertainment,
I try to keep track of my favorite
bands, for example, and I try to keep
track of their schedule. Like, do they
have a show in Los Angeles coming up in
the next year? And by doing that, I can
make sure that I don't miss their show
when they when they come to perform
nearby.
» Um, especially if it's a band I haven't
seen before. There are some bands that
I've seen more than once,
but there are also some bands that I
still haven't seen. So for me, it's more
of a priority to pay attention to their
shows, their schedule because I don't
want to miss that experience. I don't
want to lose the opportunity. So,
» uh that's usually a part of what I
do and that way I also have something to
look forward to in the future.
» That's nice.
» And
uh
yeah, it's um like I mentioned at the
beginning of the episode, I think it's
an important part of my lifestyle
personally. Um, so
yeah, I think this aspect of having live
entertainment to look forward to is a
big part of kind of what keeps me going
and um,
» you know, something that brings me a lot
of happiness. So
» yeah, it's almost like planning a
vacation when you're when you're going
on a trip. It's always exciting to think
of, you know, planning for that day and
being able to get everything ready to
go. But if you have a concert that
you're looking forward to, you don't
actually have to leave your city. You're
still enjoying in having that date and
something special to look forward to.
Um, but staying at home and having that
little mini um I don't know, it's like a
a blip of happiness. It's like bloop
something nice to look forward to.
» Yeah, exactly. And when it's over, I
don't know if you've heard this term
postcon depression.
[laughter]
» No, but I understand it perfectly. Yes.
Cuz once it's over, it's over.
» Such [laughter] a let down.
» You just have the memories.
» Yes, that's right.
» Yeah. Yeah. Well, cool. Thank you so
much for joining me for this episode of
the English Sponge podcast, Justine. Um
I look forward to having you on the
podcast more um as we talk about more
topics. And um if anybody learned a new
word or phrase from this episode, we
would love to know in the comments. And
if you have any episode ideas that you
would like to request, let us know in
the comments as well. We'd love to read
them. Thanks again. See you in the next
one. Thanks, Alia. Bye.
