Music is such a big part of our daily lives. When was the last time you listed to a song or album? Chances are not that long ago. Music is there for us in many different ways. Some people use it as medicine, to get lost in the message of the song. For others it’s pure enjoyment of sound. Whatever the reason, it’s hard to escape the amazing power that music has in our culture. Listening to these thought provoking songs is great, but seeing the live performance is even more captivating. Seeing the artist(s) perform each song with meaning and enjoyment validates the message of the music. You can see the raw emotion each song has on them and the attendees. For example, I’ve seen Atmosphere perform many times since 2011 and I can tell you that each show is as good as the last. The energy of the live show is so much better than just hearing through the speakers. The energy the group brings ignites the venue and its fans. This is a story of my experiences of live music at The Blue Note through the years.
My first experience at The Blue Note came back in January of 2014. I’ve been in Columbia since 2009 but for whatever reason I never made it inside for those five years. It was a cold late-January day and I had just got off work. I saw on Facebook that a band called “Killing in the Name: A Rage Against the Machine Tribute” was performing. After asking around to see who was interested I found that no one was, yet, I decided to go anyway. I grew up a huge fan of Rage Against the Machine but they broke up before I was old enough to see them in concert. I read that these guys were the next best thing, capturing the raw emotion and intensity of an actual Rage show. Little did I know, they were also from right here in Columbia. What I read turned out to be true, as I’ve told countless people, that if they want as close to an authentic Rage performance as you can get, to see these guys. I’ll never forget my first experience at The Blue Note thanks to an amazing show, great service, and it was also the first time I cracked my phone screen from partying too hard!
Since that first experience in 2014, I’ve seen countless performances housed inside those musical confines of The Blue Note. Atmosphere, Naughty by Nature, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Hirie, Rebelution, Trombone Shorty, Corey Smith, Chris Webby, just to highlight a few. Having seen nearly every type of music performed there I can say that it truly is the perfect venue for any genre. From Los Angeles, Sioux Falls, Iowa City, Cincinnati, Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis etc., I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to many other cities to see my favorite artists perform.
While I’ve had some unforgettable experiences at some of these venues, none of them come close those I’ve had at The Blue Note. The sound system has never failed and the acoustics of the room are top of the line for all types of music. The venue has seating available and is spacious enough to not ever feel cramped, and I’ve been to many sold out shows. From the security team to the bartenders, and everyone else in between, the event staff at The Blue Note is always fun, friendly, and welcoming, making the experience that much more enjoyable.
This story was submitted by Taylor Dalton.
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