Socrates once said, "Musical training is a more potent instrument than any other, because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul, on which they mightily fasten, imparting grace and making the soul of him who is rightly educated graceful, or of him who is ill-educated ungraceful." And nowhere is this training more apparent than when a band takes the stage at a live music venue.
The importance of live music venues has spawned numerous articles, books and blog posts. Rolling Stone even created an interactive map of some of the best music venues in America. But what is it about attending a live gig that sparks so much interest? In a recent article "10 Fabulous Music Venues," reporter Dana Joseph of CNN says, "Nothing beats the Adrenalin, the exhilaration of a watching an amazing performance live in a beautiful space, or the rush of discovery that comes with witnessing the birth of a newcomer you know will become a massive star." Attending a live show is a ritual of artistic and social communion. It's one part a religious ceremony and the other a school of hard knocks for bands trying to reach the pinnacle of their career.