201–210 of 445 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Can't forget The Residents[1] - they were/are instantly recognizable (as eyeballs in tophats, that is) but had a rotating crew inside the masks. 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Residents#Identity
Taken to the extreme I've heard the Blue Man Group is more a franchise than theatre group which recruits the the personnel for their shows locally.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
2007 alive was my personal favorite set from them. They mashed up quite a bit of their all time tracks into absolute bangers.
I really wish there was a studio version of Alive 2007.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I saw Don Schlitz[0] perform "The Gambler" at The Grand Ole Opry[1] last year (juuust before Covid). He said something like "Yeah, Kenny Rogers did well with this song, but I can still go to the grocery store without being recognized, and I still get paid when they play it" (or something to that effect). Funny guy, and a great singer too. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Schlitz [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki…
This essay [0] from Tim Ferriss really crystalized for me a lot about why fame is a drag. During my college years, one of my dorm mate’s dads was a famous Hollywood producer. He once said to me, “You want everyone to know your name and no one to know your face.” Taking it a step further, we could quote Bill Murray: I always want to say to people who want to be rich and famous: ‘try being rich first.’ See if that does…
I always thought Daft Punk figured out the perfect solution to the how to be famous problem. Everyone recognizes their artist name and their artist costume, but virtually no one knows their real name or would accost them on the street.
I don't believe it yet. But I can see the logic. They're kind of in a Half Life 3 situation with regards to Random Access Memories. At this point, there's almost no way imaginable they could top it, and anything they do come out with will probably be compared unfavorably.
I thought RAM was already on the downturn. They peaked with Discovery and Alive 2007 in my opinion.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Agree. David Bowie once demonstrated it to a reporter. They walked together through Manhattan. No one bothered them. Bowie then said he was going to “turn it on”. Something in his expression slightly changed. And then he was mobbed by fans.
Wasn’t that story about Marilyn Monroe? https://psychcentral.com/blog/the-marilyn-monroe-effect-the-...
I wouldn't be surprised if this is a common trait of celebrities. Wear a mask, literally or figuratively, on stage or camera. Take the mask off and you're just an ordinary person that no one else will notice.
Bowie talked about that mask here, and how he used it to face his fears:
https://neil-gaiman.tumblr.com/post/166082106996/my-friend-t...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
This essay [0] from Tim Ferriss really crystalized for me a lot about why fame is a drag. During my college years, one of my dorm mate’s dads was a famous Hollywood producer. He once said to me, “You want everyone to know your name and no one to know your face.” Taking it a step further, we could quote Bill Murray: I always want to say to people who want to be rich and famous: ‘try being rich first.’ See if that does…
Worst of all is being famous but not rich.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Agree. David Bowie once demonstrated it to a reporter. They walked together through Manhattan. No one bothered them. Bowie then said he was going to “turn it on”. Something in his expression slightly changed. And then he was mobbed by fans.
Honestly this just sort of sounds like Manhattan. The east coast vibe is certainly more of a “get out of my way” mentality.
I always thought Daft Punk figured out the perfect solution to the how to be famous problem. Everyone recognizes their artist name and their artist costume, but virtually no one knows their real name or would accost them on the street.
This poses an interesting question to me: Daft Punk is a kind of meta-band, in that it’s members are not necessarily real people. For a more clear example, we can take The Gorillaz, a band made up of cartoon characters. So what does it mean for such a meta-band to “break up” when they only existed during concerts and on records. Does that mean the people behind it won’t make more music? I sure hope not!