A Lesson In CMJ Notetaking
Ever see those people scribbling into notebooks or onto napkins at shows? That's us. Indeed, we've been busy covering sundry scraps with mostly illegible chicken scratch at CMJ this past few days, which got us wondering: How other folks go about making sure they have a finger on a show's details (and intangibles) after they return to their apartment and start tapping things out on a keyboard? Imagine we have some budding (and budded) journalist readers: Do you take notes? How?
The most impressive technique we've seen so far belongs to New York Times scribe Jon Pareles, who makes real-time scores of the tunes being played. A couple days ago, Wired's blog caught him at Union Pool notating a Dragons Of Zynth bass line to assure a proper song identification. We're impressed (even if he didn't use 'em exactly) and admit 'Gum notes are way different (half a set list on a handheld device, the description of a beard written on a hand or, uh, see below), but a question: Why he didn't just notate some of the lyrics? Guess this method was prettier.
Dare to guess the show attached to our post-jump pic?
Posted at 3:42 PM
Tags: CMJ | Jon Pareles
Either Dan Deacon or Skullbird & The Pipe Smoking Boot Band?
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Blackberry notes app. You look much cooler typing on a BB than scribbling into a notebook in the middle of a concert.
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That boot must be huge if it's actually the size of KMFDM.
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@Randy: lol!
I'm more of a random prose sort of person, but I generally keep a little Moleskine notebook with me. They're awesome.
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it's also possible the boot is just the *height* of the letters "kmfdm", when covered in arrow. or the height of killing mother fucking depeche mode.
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DEFINITELY dan deacon
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Is that coffee, liquor, or did you bring a brown marker?
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that looks like humpfest to me. humpfest is rad.
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"Blackberry notes app. You look much cooler typing on a BB than scribbling into a notebook in the middle of a concert."
Hahahahhahah
Toph succeeds in one of the funniest 'gum comments to date.
...Unless it wasn't sarcasm, then, well, yeesh.
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I type stuff into my shitty old phone as if I'm writing a text message - you might look like a rude bastard this way but at least you're not toting a moleskin or a blackberry like a giant sign reading "I'm the wanker writing on this"
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Yeah, that 4 x 5" book is pretty geekily cumbersome. It's my greatest source of shame.
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i dont write anything down when i'm at a show.. i'm ::gasp:: usually pretty preoccupied with, you know, the show that's happening.
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I ain't no BB toter. I'm proud to be the "wanker writing on this" and typically have ticket stubs, match books, napkins, and scrap paper with scribbled notation overflowing from every pocket post-show. Can't get much hipper than that.
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I don't go to any shows without my simple, flip-top notepad. Sure, it makes me look like an old-fashioned detective taking notes at a crime scene, but it fits nicely in my back pocket when I'm done nerding out.
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I write text messages on my cell phone to take notes, then send them to my email account. works pretty well.
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i tap notes on the iphone, and then later they're not so clever
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I usually have an unsent text message in my saved folder with the set list and a few other important notes. I also take an obscene amount of pictures. Generally by relying on both of those - I can re-piece everything together later that night - but I've pulled out the pen and napkin on occasion.
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I like to pretend I write about music professionally and then post about my hypothetical peripherals in the comments section.
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I like to musically interpret my reactions to the show, loudly, with my own one-man-band in the style of Alanis Morisette, then record that on a hand-held recorder. It turns any show into a fabulous multimedia experience for all.
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