Critical Review #5: Weinstein 1991

Weinstein 1991: Ch. 4. "Digging the Music: Proud Pariahs."

In this piece, Weinstein looks into the metal scene by using almost all of the ethnographic methods we have talked about in class. He attempts to describe the scene without judgment, because he says that "critics and researchers reveal an unfortunate tendency to interpret the audience in terms of the supposed merits of the cultural form it appreciates." He does mention many times throughout the article that liking metal is not the "cool" thing. People do not do it to fit in.

One thing that Weinstein observes about the metal scene is the fact that community is very important. It's not enough to be a "weekend warrior". Long hair is important because it is not something a person can get rid of in order to fit in to society. People need a "permanent stigmata".

Another observation Weinstein makes is that although the scene is named after the music listened to, it is not its meaning. The scene would not like anything just because it is deemed "metal". The songs must fit a certain lifestyle and mythology in order for metal fans to like it because they hold a set of values that sets them apart from the dominant culture.

Weinstein then focuses on the four dominant traits within the metal scene; male, young, white, and blue collar. He states that boys like metal more than girls because it celebrates the qualities that they have when they are young. Girls are more likely to be given stricter rules growing up, while boys have a freer rein. However, when they grow up, they are held by stricter rules. I'm not sure how much I agree with this area, but at the same time, it does provide an explanation for why adults may not appreciate metal. Metal is not about following all of the rules. Blue collar is involved because those in the lower middle class, are usually most aware of their social standing and do not want to be associated with the blue collar stereotypes. By using this stereotype, the middle class young fans can rebel against their parents and be everything their parents do not want to portray.

Next, Weinstein looks at "the music itself" by stressing the importance of the guitar riffs, followed by the lyrics, and meanings of songs. The guitarist is of the utmost importance to the bands.

An interesting point brought up in this article is why headbanging was invented. The metal scene could not redefine dancing as the punks did, and normally dancing is associated with sex in the Western world. As mentioned earlier, since the scene is heavily male dominated, dancing would not fit the heterosexual lifestyle it stresses. Therefore, headbanging is a form of dancing that the community can partake in, without being sexual at all.

Finally, Weinstein stresses that metal is not a passing fad. It has been around for awhile, because there will always be people on the outside of the mainstream who want to form a community of their own. The music of metal has been chosen to be a part of this community, due to the values they share. This music is not fun for many to listen to, it is loud, it can be grating, it is hard to dance to; the mainstream will not accept it. Therefore, those who want to be a part of this subculture, which stresses its differences from the rest, will always have a place to turn.

Discussion Question: Why are headbangers known to be so homophobic?

Interview

I spoke with Alex, a 20 year old male who had traveled with me to Lollapalooza, and is a music director for WBRU, an alt-rock radio station. He was able to speak to some of the bands at the music festival.

Here is our interview in its entirety.


And here is a transcript from a portion of the interview.

Me: So what’s the atmosphere like at a music festival? Kinda changing topics a little bit.

Alex: Um, the most fun in the world! Um, it’s huh… it’s kind of like… a giant picnic.

Me: (laugh) Please explain.

Alex: Um, I dunno. It’s just, it’s outside! There’s, I dunno. It’s not really like a giant picnic, but um it’s an extremely positive, happy environment, like, everyone seems to be having a good time, umm, and… environment, environment, environment…um…

Me: People?

Alex: And there’s people enjoying it in like all kinds of different ways. Like there are definitely some people who were just hitting all the different things you can do and there are people, some people who seem like they are just like, you know spending all day chilling in the hammocks that are like set up by some hammock company. Um, and I think some people are definitely like running from stage to stage, others are camping out at the one stage to see their one favorite band so but I mean overall it just seemed, like a very positive environment, like people are just there to have fun and yeah. It’s just a really happy place.

Me: So, kinda like around the lines of having fun. So what was the substances scene like either legal or illegal, like who was taking them at what bands?

Alex: Okay, I mean, I’m not the best person to ask for this question, um, I mean. Legally they were selling um, beer obviously and then bottles of wine, which apparently was like, a pretty good deal for the money. Um and then, definitely saw some people smoking weed, not really in any sort of abashed fashion. Like, there was this dude and his girlfriend in this hammock, just kinda wrapped up and smoking like a piece. Like not a joint or something that was disguised, it was just like actually a bowl. Um, and there were definitely people who asked me for other drugs. I don’t remember exactly. I feel like ecstasy and acid. But there was definitely, you could tell, if you needed something you could get it. Um and basically Grant park for Lollapalooza turns into its own kinda little mini-city with like, food and people walking, like especially when you look at it like, cause there’s that big fountain in the middle. Um, it’s kinda like a community, so yeah, I mean that stuff is definitely prevalent and available. I’m not sure exactly ‘cause I went in through a media entrance. I had a media pass, and that was, my stuff wasn’t searched, so I coulda brought whatever the hell I wanted. Um there were some label reps I knew through the radio station I work at that supposedly had, I mean, mushroom brownies. Uhh, but they’re like big important people so they wouldn’t have any trouble. But um, I guess security wasn’t too intense, um, and yeah, they didn’t seem to want to really interfere, um, with much that was going on. Uh, they were kinda just hands off. The only time I saw security really get involved was at Rage against the Machine, telling people to like, “you need to take ten steps back and calm down or the band’s not gonna play anymore.”

Me: Good Answer.

Alex: Thank you.

Me: Have you seen any bands that um, like in both just a normal concert and then at a music festival?

Alex: Yes. Lots of them.

Me: Um, can you like pick maybe like three and then describe to me maybe like what made the shows different to you? Like how was a show different at Lollapalooza than compared to their own, by themselves?

Alex: Um, I think uh, one of the biggest factors is the fact that there are multiple bands slated to be on the same stage at different times. So, one example, I guess the prominent, one of the most prominent examples was Brand New, um, who I’ve seen probably three or four times before, I’ve seen them at Lolla, and I’ve seen them once afterwards. Um, and they were taking the stage rright before Kupe Fiasco, who was right before Rage against the Machine and the Rage against the Machine fans had already started you know marking their spots, and uh, the lead singer of the band, Jesse Lacey, knew they were there and was hassling the whole time. They were hassling him too, like holding up Rage shirts and just like, sticking up big middle fingers. But you could tell, he was definitely pissed off. And um, he actually ended up midsong, throwing his guitar into the drumset and just walking offstage and the band followed him. And that’s how that ended. But you could definitely tell that performance was heavily influenced by the crowd that was there.

Performance Ethnography Essay

Not just about the music: Lollapalooza 2008

I heard from several people that Lollapalooza and other music festivals were “the best time of their lives”. But what makes this festival different from other concerts? As a twenty-year-old avid rock and indie concertgoer, I knew I had to see for myself what makes Lollapalooza so special. Could it live up to the hype?

Created by the lead singer of Jane’s Addiction, Perry Farrell; Lollapalooza first started as a tour in 1991. During the early 1990s, it drew crowds across the country, by having bands from a mixture of genres, including industrial, rap, and post-punk. Moreover, it differentiated itself from other musical tours by having non-musical features, such as a circus sideshow and tables for political and environmental non-profit groups. Farrell created the term “alternative nation” to refer to those who went, since most were not part of the dominant culture [1].

Unfortunately, as so often happens, the edgy bands that had once made this festival stand out in the early 90s, became part of the mainstream or passé quickly. In 1998, the festival disbanded as the result of not even being able to find a headliner. In 2003, Farrell brought the concept of the tour back despite weak ticket sales, and in 2005, it found its home in Grant Park, where it would stay, with increasing popularity each year to this day.

If I looked to my left, one of the main stages could barely be seen, since it was so far away. I knew, from the day before, that there were two other stages for bands that way, a stage devoted to DJ sets and dancing, a food aisle, a beer haven of sorts, and many other booths, many with an alternative flair. Close by was a shaded hammock haven, where concertgoers took a break from the hot sun. Next to the hammocks was an area (including a stage) dedicated to children younger than thirteen and their parents, called Kidzapalooza.

Kidzapalooza is just one the many ingredients that make this festival different from other shows out there; according to its website, it was started in 2005, as a “way to expose children to messages of kindness, happiness, respect, and self-discovery.” Whether or not this stage accomplishes this lofty goal, it adds to the demographics of the festival. While almost 75% of the crowd is between the ages of 18 and 34 [2], there is a definite presence of every age bracket, both older and younger. A 65-year-old man in a leather vest led what looks to be his grandson to get “tattooed” (actually face paint) at a booth at this Kidzapalooza.

Still, the majority of the festival is not at Kidzapalooza; it is at the main stages outside of this family-friendly haven. My friends and I split up at this point, and I ran over to the other side of the park to watch Does It Offend You, Yeah?, a band from the United Kingdom. They had an upbeat electro-rock sound, and with each song, the crowd seemed to get more into it, evidenced by the nodding of their heads to the beat. Whether from the heat, or something else, the band’s drummer had to leave briefly to throw up in the middle of the set. He came back, and the band continued on with just as much energy as before. I looked behind me during their last song and everyone was dancing. Most of the dance consisted of jumping up and down to the beat of the song, a few people singing along with the lyrics. Some people invoked different sweeping arm motions into their dance. Everyone looked to be having a really great time, usually with at least one companion. Lollapalooza was not simply about the music; it was about having fun and sharing the experiences with others as well. Very few appeared to have come alone.

Later that day, on the same stage, Iron & Wine played. His mellow, almost haunting melodies drifted over people as they sat on towels and blankets, smoke drifing up towards the sky. It was a completely different feel than that of Does It Offend You, Yeah?. It was here that I realized that anyone could make their experience whatever they wanted. On one hand, if they wanted it to be full of dancing, there were DJ sets and electronics bands. If they wanted more of a chill, indie flare, there were bands for that as well. Many different musical fans came all over, with at least one thing in common: they were here to have fun and listen to good music.
Note the crowd at about 3:02 in this video of DIOYY at Lollapalooza 2008:
There is also a crowd shot of Iron and Wine at 1:22 here:
Note the differences between the energies of the crowds, even though this was at the same stage (although on different days).

After many a band’s set, people took out the Lollapalooza booklet that listed the schedules and biographies of the bands, debating which bands to see and which ones they could miss. Many talked about what bands would be good at a festival, and which they should see on a separate tour, a topic I intend to discuss in a later post.


Another element of the festival that contributed to its uniqueness was the large amounts of substance use during the festival. Vendors sold beer in vast quantities, along with many bottles of wine. I was hesitant about drinking an entire bottle of wine in nearly 100 degree F weather, but others held fewer reservations. Although many concerts have alcohol and drugs, simply the length of time people had to be inebriated caused a different effect than a normal concert. In addition to these legal substances, almost any kind of drug imaginable seemed to be present. At the DJ sets, several people held signs asking “X?”, seeking or selling ecstasy to any who wanted it. Security pretended not to notice as I watched a group of twenty-somethings smoke marijuana from a bowl in the hammocks. As I previously mentioned, it was not very difficult to sneak in any sort of contraband. It was almost encouraged with this lack of actual security. The only time I saw anyone get involved was if one became sick or violent. Other music festivals, especially Bonnaroo, are noted to have the same lax policy on drug-use.

The festival appeared to be a musical vacation of sorts for those who attended. Indeed many who traveled far distances had to take time off of work and activities. Furthermore, it seemed to be a vacation from laws that normally rule society, specifically in terms of drug use. Although some people came specifically for just the music itself, most seemed to be perfectly content with the experience that comes with Lollapalooza, including the vendors, substances, and the beautiful Chicago skyline.

(Word Count: 1199)
*Names have been changed.

[1] http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lollapalooza
[2] http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Inquisite-768503.html