Big Head Todd and The Monsters

Last night, I went to a concert of one of my favorite bands, Big Head Todd and the Monsters. It was a great show - good music, and lots of it! They played for about 2-1/2hours, without a break. I had last seen them in 2002 at the Newport Music Hall in Columbus, OH. It's a small, filthy little venue, which is really the perfect way to see a good show. $20 got you in the door, and I was about 3 rows back from the front - in the perfect position to see Todd Park Mohr's fingerwork on the guitar. I really like seeing shows in small venues like the Newport - it's so much more fun and intimate than a huge arena with assigned seats and a band that plays for the contractual 90 minutes and not one minute more. You can really feel the energy of the band and Big Head Todd definitely gives you your money's worth. Their live shows are legendary for being awesome!

On another note, this band is unique among the music world in that they gave away 500,000 copies of their latest album, All The Love You Need, for FREE! I find their attitude towards freedom in music and art...almost Austrian? Here's what the lead singer, Todd Park Mohr, said about their latest album:

“We see the record as our main marketing tool. It’s no longer a source of income--not that it ever has been for me, given the way major labels work.” The free distribution of the new CD continues the tradition BIG HEAD TODD AND THE MONSTERS started when they began giving away new songs, demos and live cuts on the www.bigheadtodd.com website three years ago.

“Art should be free,” MOHR said at the time. “I’ve always rejoiced at the crumbling of the old empire,” MOHR told the Denver Post. “Digital music diversified the music that is being created, and it also makes a level playing field for artists. Culture is a lot more interesting when there are a lot of little things going on instead of a couple big things happening, and that’s why this is the Wild West—it’s so fun to be listening to music right now.”

Art should be free! I love it! These guys get it - the more people that listen to their music, the more popular they become. Did Monet paint beautiful paintings because he knew that he would make it big, sell millions of lithographs? Did Beethoven write symphonies to be on the top 10 classical charts for hundreds of years? No. They had talent, created art because of their love for it, and because it was good....it was embraced and loved and replicated and styles were copied and people immortalized the art. Bach didn't need a recording executive to make him a hit for the ages. Why should Big Head Todd? More power to you guys!