Do we get mystery messages sent to our brains at concerts?
I began wondering about this when I read Wired Magazine’s article about the 10 hidden gems in rock music. I figured, if an artist could plant secret messages in a recording then why couldn’t they do the same thing at a live concert–where the emotional entryway to our heart and mind is wide open and our brain is fertile ground to plant any sort of message (secret or not) into our psyche.
For starters, messages could be implanted in the tickets our fingers rub and touch, or in the pre-song music that venues play while we wait in heightened anticipation for the show to start.
When I think of viral or secret messaging at concerts, I think of how Trent Reznor promoted his Zero album by planting a USB drive in the bathroom for fans to find and spread across the Internet so they could discover the big puzzle of Zero’s larger story via viral treasure hunt.
There’s also the possibility of embedding a message in low frequency sound waves. I think of My Bloody Valentine who play shows rooted in the pleasure of reverberation that resonates and oozes from speakers and into our ears, ultimately giving our skin a deep tissue sonic massage.
Or what about embedding a message in the concert merch. Would it be possible for promoter and bands to team up and plant a fan-friendly message in the thread of a t-shirt so that when the lights go out (during the concert or at home after the concert) the message shows itself like invisible ink or lemon juice on paper?
That’s all I can think of for now. And I’m sure there will be more as I mull this topic over.
But what do you think about this?
(and if you read this post backwards, or send it to a friend, you’ll discover a secret message, too.)