No, this is not another post about technology saving fuels; this is a look at how technology is becoming common place in our society to the point of replacing butane lighters…
…in the glory days of rock ‘n roll musicians would gaze upon the warm glow of happy faces softly silhouetted by the light from a butane lighter. Crowds swayed to heart-felt ballads, displaying joy by igniting a flame, held at arm’s length above their head. Sure it sounds dangerous, but the prefect mood was set by millions of concert goes during the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Enter into the mid-2000s, the dawning of the mobile technology epoch. No longer do we scorch our fingers on HOT lighters, but we illuminate and capture with cell phones.
Last week I attended the Swell Season concert at the Wilma Theater in downtown Missoula. Not a lighter in sight, probably due to the fire code, but the glow of LCD displays lit the night as pictures and videos were recorded on a multitude of mobile devices. No longer do the words “cameras or recording devices not allowed” mean a thing! Most of the audience has this device attached to their belt, in their purse, or held to their ear. And they are not afraid to use it!
While I have yet to find video from the Missoula concert on YouTube, I did spend a portion of last evening watching clips from other Swell Season concerts. Quickly I was transported back to the magic of the evening while watching Glen and Marketa sing the songs they performed here.
Butane sales may be down, I have no data to verify this, but I can assure you the usage of mobile devices extends beyond the realm of placing phone calls. Rockers unite! Light the night! Pixel by pixel!
Yeah, the audience did it at the Michael Franti and Spearhead concert in March. Also at the Wilma. Maybe it is the Wilma……but the Rolling Stones concert was also on YouTube and you can be sure it wasn’t because of video cameras.