Weird Enough to Remember, Lady Gaga, The Rings of Saturn and Standing out in the Crowd
Last night the musical guest on Saturday Night Live was Lady Gaga and she crystallized something that I had been thinking about for a long time. You don’t get attention and fame from being the same as everyone else you get it from being different.
Lady Gaga dominated the show. At least two of the sketches were about her or the preposterous clothes that she wears. Even though she was not the special guest, she was at the center of most of the memorable scenes.
But, the real show stopper was her second performance. After a first song that featured the catchy dance pop and strange clothes that I expected from her, she totally shifted gears. First, a spotlight shines down on Lady Gaga in a bunch of metal rings that are so big and impractical they make it difficult for her to move. She sings a few bars with her band then shuffles over to a piano, she really did have to shuffle to get there, the costume was that constricting. After sitting down Lady Gaga is totally unable to get her mouth the right distance from the microphone because of the metallic rings floating in front of her face. She has so much trouble negotiating the suit that she clearly misses her vocal cue.
Then things get really weird.
She starts singing a Billy Joel style piano ballad that is a tribute to growing up in New York. I could not have been more surprised or transfixed. Most of last night’s show has already faded from my mind, but I can still remember the majority of the words to that strange song about being a waitress in New York and eating hot dogs from vendors.
Her set was not the best live musical performance I have seen or seen on Saturday night live. Nor was it the best song I have seen recently on TV. But, seeing this electronic dance icon surprise the studio audience, the people I was watching with and me over and over made it one of the most memorable musical acts I have seen in a long time.
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As someone who is largely ignorant of Lady Gaga’s genre of music I know little about her. I had seen pictures of her strange outfits, but really didn’t know who she was. There is no way I am gonna forget her now.
Before last nights show none of her songs ever grabbed me. I realized after the show that they have been playing in the background and I had heard them enough times to learn them without realizing. All that exposure wasn’t enough to make me care about Lady Gaga (much less write a post about her). She was in the category of things that I am so used to and not interested in that I automatically tune them out, like pop up ads or publisher’s clearing house letters. There is a certain kind of pop music that I either let float past or toss in the bin and Lady Gaga is right in the middle of that genre.
But, by being surprising she grabbed me.
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Much is said about how pop music seems so processed and the same. Up and coming artist will often complain that if you don’t have a sound that is exactly like everyone else or exactly what people are expecting you can’t get an audience. There may be cases where that is true, but this Lady Gaga performance stands in sharp contrast to that entire notion.
I think anyone trying to get people’s attention, be noticed, or remembered should take note of this performance. Lady Gaga’s piano crooning in a suit that looked like the rings of Saturn was a Seth Godin Purple Cow. No matter what you are trying to be noticed for: selling a product, making music or writing a blog — it pays to be different. Don’t be good enough to pass up, be weird enough to remember.
Oct 04, 2009
Okay so I have to be weirder? Let me work on that.
One of our grand daughter’s loves Lady GaGa so we get to listen to her music a lot and it is growing on me.
Oct 04, 2009
I think you might be well on your way to pretty weird Mik. I have only read a couple of your posts but I think you may be covering that base well.
As far as Lady Gaga her music hasn’t found its way into my collection, but I have been impressed by her willingness to take risks.
Oct 05, 2009
Hi Casey,
I enjoyed this post for a few reasons. First, I had heard of Lady Gaga but really didn’t know anything about her. Thanks for getting me up to speed.
Second, I LOVE what you had to say about being different. You hit upon a great point. I’ll always look up to (and remember) Annie Lennox for her in-your-face style. I recently saw a video of her performing at benefit concert with a shaved head. But, when she sat down at the svelte grand piano – her voice sailed out of the auditorium, the crowd was transfixed, and what we saw is not what we expected. It was magnificent!
Oct 05, 2009
Lori Thanks So much for stopping by. I loved your post on World’s Strongest Librarian.
As far as female vocalists go my favorites are mostly from a time gone by: Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Celia Cruz, Gladys Knight and the other greats. I’d love to see the video your talking about it sounds great.
Oct 05, 2009
Hi Casey,
It’s so ironic reading this post as I was only just last night watching a documentry on Andy Warhol. As an artist Andy Warhol was always wonderfully weird and different and realised the power of both.
Oct 05, 2009
Andy Warhol, wow I didn’t think that this post would bring his name up, but what a fascinating figure he was. I am sure there are lessons from his life that I could apply to my own if I better understood him.
I think I am gonna have to get his hair style too.
Oct 13, 2009
I think I read somewhere that Lady Gaga started out doing some sort of bizarre cabaret or burlesque kinda show in New York somewhere.
As far as preferences go, you would have dug the music mix my wife and I had at our wedding. Sinatra, Simone, Satch-mo along with some Mojo Nixon and Chipmunks for good measure. :)
Feb 16, 2010
Love it. Sooo maybe I’m a month late in following up on your comment, lol.