So, I have to admit, I'm disappointed that the Lady Gaga-Kanye West tour is apparently cancelled. Normally, I don't like live shows very much. I know that's heretical, to a certain extent. But I think it's rare that a band has a sound system that displays them at their best, and in the age of Auto-Tune, I think live venues often end up showcasing artists' weaknesses. There are some bands I would have killed to see live--the Live in London-era Beach Boys, for example, who sounded astonishing. I'm glad I got to see Bruce Springsteen rocking a live show because the man is a legend. But for the most part, I don't feel a lot of need for contact with artists, to actually be in the room with someone.
Kanye and Lady Gaga are both exceptions. I think, for both of them, the way their personas interact with their talent is fascinating, and in some cases frequently distracting. And I think that's true in entirely different ways: Gaga's dress-up threatens to obscure her music, swathing it mummy-like in layers of absurdity. Kanye's the reverse: right now he's too out there, not musically but personally and emotionally. He needs a persona to climb back into to keep him safe. But they're the rare artists where I feel like I might learn something different if I saw them from up close, even if "up close" really means the cheap seats somewhere. I'd have been willing to shell out for that experience. I'm sorry I won't get the chance.