prog when friends are around

b_olariu wrote: Snow Dog wrote: [QUOTE=b_olariu]I have very good friends that I can count on one hand, but when is to talk and listen to prog , they run like hell. One of them , saw one day some cover arts on my desk with Kansas, specialy Masque, Song for America, Monolith, etc  and ask me very smooth , ""What is with those Pokemon pictures here""", I stood like  or , but they are good friends afterall. They sound like stupid friends to me.     I don't know to laugh or cry Not everybody has smart or Nobel prise friends, belive me is a rare thing to have very good and close friends to talk about anything at any hour, day you name it, but they don't like prog , is not a big deal, I guess I like prog music if for everybody is enough for me.

In the presence of my parents, as I mentioned before, I turn on something that isn't too hard to digest for them. So far, I haven't played any avant-garde tracks for them but when it comes to Math metal (Animals As Leaders, among others), my mom asks me rhetorically what kind of music I'm listening to or my dad asks me to switch to something more listenable.
Agreed, it's not as fun playing prog songs that provokes some (let alone passive) criticism to your musical taste from other close persons, as it may limit your freedom to experience the music and be proud of it.

As with my (few) friends, there are no significant conflicts between us. One of them is quite open-minded (mainly for films) and we don't give much comments about the music we play on Audiosurf. Low discussions, but no criticism to prog (but we may bash on some pop music for a change ).

A few of my friends like some prog, like Rush and Dream Theater. So i'll put some on but other than that, i'd just stick on other folks favorite bands. 

Everyone i know, know the prog classics, so what i do is i try to show the more resent developments in prog.   I bring The Mars Volta, Tool, Riverside, Dredg, Townsend, Pendragon ect. ect, ect.  , when i go visit, play it, and hope they like it. Same goes when they visit me, i try play some new stuf (prog and not prog.), everyone allready know genesis, yes, floyd, gentle gaint, ect. ect.  

Edited by tamijo - October 06 2009 at 08:58

Most of my friends that visit me from time to time are into prog, so it's no problem. When there's some older people visiting, like my girlfriend's mother last weekend, we usually put on some jazz or some mellow prog like The Snow Goose. Everyone has always liked our playlist 

I just have to suffer through the visit when I know I am in the presence of those who cringe at the sound of prog. Here is the worst experience for me: It is suggested that I should put on Kansas because it might have something mainstream about it. So it's like if I have to put something on when others are present the choices would be Yes, Kansas, 80's Genesis etc;....because most of the people are from that generation. My wife is 10 years younger than me so I have to deal with that. I grew up with Jethro Tull, ELP, early Genesis etc; which I am much jaded even with that.

Most music fans that I knew as a teenager found Kansas insulting due to the obvoius rip off of ELP's Take A Pebble on Songs For America. It was mostly the late 70's generation that picked up on Kansas, Starcastle, Triumvirat, etc; Not only do the majority of my house visitors misunderstand that these bands were influenced by ELP, King Crimson and many others, but they are also clueless as to who influenced them, which of course now we are now making reference to 20th century composers. So as a result I am subjected to bands that were 2nd generation prog bands which is a bit of cheapness in my book. So I just sit there and smile and nod my head and say things like, Yes you're right these bands are great. Eric Clapton is God, Jimmy Page is a great lead guitarist etc;..........(The guitar solo on Heartbreaker sounds like a 10 year old who is frustrated with his right hand picking technique).,,,,,I just sit there and put up with it. What else can I do?  Play Pulsar, Univers Zero, Soft Machine, and National Health and be asked if I can put something on that brings out a moment for these people? No, I don't want or need to deal with it.  

great strategy, Dean 

^Sometimes even the Beatles may work. Tomorrow Never Knows, or, if that doesn't help, Revolution 9  work out right.

Edited by someone_else - October 06 2009 at 11:06

I've never played music for friends, mostly because I have never had the chance to. Every time I do have friends over I have to fight the urge to go on a RIO spree, though. I don't know anyone who is into anything remotely avant-garde, so it might be more of a house clearing technique than listening music. I haven't played it for any friends, but Soft Machine's Third works well, especially "Facelift".

Okay so my beef with this post. Not looking to fight but I do want an argument:

moshkito wrote: Hi,   I listen to advanced/progrressive/experimental music all the time ... and it is funny how sometimes people come around ... I was blasting my roomate with Porcupine Tree 9 years ago ... today he is blasting the new album! He was blaring Dream Theater ... and I could handle it fairly well since the musicianship in the band was obviously above par ... so he had some taste ...

Okay so since when does listening to Dream Theater for their musicianship equate to having some taste? I really hate the idea that listening to a group of instrumentalists that are talented means you have taste. I'm sure you didn't mean it this way because there are tons of bands (even prog rock bands) who are not technically gifted by are still respected. Still though, if anyone believes that musicianship is a reason for listening to a band, I'd like to argue this point.