I like Christian rock, but what's with all the Jesus stuff?

I paid good money to see Jesus'n'Me4Eva, so why do I have to sit through all that Bible thumping?

That's the gist of what this and that reviews had to say about the Roger Waters Summerfest show on Monday Night. At least Rick Esenberg was familiar enough with the performer he paid good money to see to expect some political content at the show.

First off, you're not paying to see a movie, opera, or symphony orchestra. You're seeing a rock concert, a part of which has just about always been the performer saying things to the audience between songs. If you're worried about all the 'music time' you missing out on when the artist is speaking, perhaps you should stay home and put in your Dark Side LP and forgo the live show which might have more than simply back to back song recitals.

Another thing to expect at a rock show: words and images that will get across to a large audience, who are largely under the influence. Again, you're at a rock show, not a debate at the university. I wasn't at this particular Waters show (perhaps due to the large number of people who only know Pink Floyd and Waters by the few Floyd songs they have heard on the radio spending so much of their hard earned money to drive up ticket prices and sell out the show), but I have seen him perform, and I would definitely rank his political content much higher than the 'Boot in your Ass' variety prevalent in today's pop-country (even the giant pig).
His show is not debating the fine points of Bush's foreign policy (there is fine points to it?). It's not doing an in-depth analysis of the Palestinian-Israeli land dispute. It is brushing with broad strokes. One might even say it is more about creating an atmosphere or emotional state more than politically educating. You might even see some non-literal comparisons, made simply to evoke an emotional response.

So write your blog, complain about anything non-conservative being shown in public, take the intellectual cop out and say "I would make a counterargument, but what he said was half-witted/infantile" and show how limited your understanding is of anything that isn't spelled out for you (Oh, wait, it was), but please stay home next time so that the tickets can be used by someone who will enjoy it. If holding hands and pitching woo is your thing, go see Merle Haggard.

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