Last night during The Pill at Great Scott I saw DOM, the latest up and coming group from the bustling central Mass. music scene. It was a 5 dollar show; certainly one of the cheaper shows I’ve been to in awhile. The sound was great, the crowd of about 60 or so was into it, and the band was a mere six feet away from me playing their hearts out. A good time had by all. For some reason, I couldn’t help comparing the experience to an arena show I went to a few years ago when I saw The Who play the TD Banknorth Garden.

There I witnessed the two surviving members of the band banging out the same “greatest hits” set list they’ve been playing for the past two decades. The crowd? Thousands of well off middle-agers trying to relive their youth – the ones who could afford to attend such shows. I found myself constantly checking the clock because I couldn’t stand the sound, the crowd, and horrible view of the stage.

Now don’t get me wrong, The Who are one of my favorite bands of all time and I think Pete Townshend is quite possibly one of the best songwriters from the 60’s/70’s British rock scene. However you’ll have to hold a gun to my head if you want me to pay over $70 a ticket to have such a completely sterile concert going experience again.

After watching David Byrne’s excellent TED talk on how much the surrounding environment impacts songwriters and concertgoers I’ve come to the realization that the vast majority of music I find enjoyable is not suited for the arena setting at all. Unfortunately for me I was not a teenager in London during the mid 60’s so I’ll never experience The Who ripping it up in front of a crowd of mods.

Then this morning I came across this Wall Street Journal article where a reporter discuses the droves of large concert cancellations that have occurred this summer. I was a bit disappointed to see Simon and Garfunkel cutting back on some reunion tour dates, but I took consolation in the fact that seeing them in some Greenwich Village coffee house back in the day would’ve been more fitting.

The thing about such large scale concerts that bothers me is that it’s not about the music listening experience at all. Among the artists it’s a veritable arms race to see who can pack in the biggest crowds, sell the most $30 dollar t-shirts, and have the flashiest stage show. For the fans it’s just about being there for the sake of being there – the vast majority of these crowds have to view the entire event from a large projection screens and listen to a muddy sound mix.

So in sum, there’s a reason why I make an effort to see musicians I like from an early point in their career. Sure, I might spend a lot of time looking at every small venue in town’s calendar to see if there’s something good coming to town. But the pay off is a cheaper night out and a more personal experience connecting to the music you enjoy. Oh, and being able to say “great set” directly to the band and shake their hands when they get off the stage is priceless . It gives them a reason to keep making music.

After all, you never know – next time they come back it could be on a much bigger stage.