A Tie That Binds

How Strong is Your Bond with Your Audience?

This post is admittedly not a legal update, but rather a short commentary about something extraordinary I witnessed last night between an artist and his audience. As you continue to read on, keep this one question in the back of your mind: does my audience respect me THIS much?

Inspiration is often found in unexpected places.

Last evening, an unexpected opportunity arose to attend a performance by jazz guitarist Pat Metheny, who was playing in a small outdoor venue within five minutes from my home. I had missed the opportunity to purchase tickets when they first became available, and the event sold out. Fortunately a client and friend contacted me unexpectedly with an extra ticket to the performance.

If you are unfamiliar with Pat Metheny‘s musical career, it is certainly understandable. He is not a household name nor is he a mainstream recording artist. However, in jazz circles, he is almost universally regarded as one of the masters. And from the standpoint of receiving awards and accolades, to the extent that matters, he is the recipient of no less than 20 Grammy awards¹. Mr. Metheny has been playing and recording at a very, very high level for decades.

The seating capacity at the venue is somewhere on the order of 1500 seats. The event certainly appeared to be sold out. All day through the afternoon and early evening, a light rain fell over the region resulting in a gray, depressing day and not one that lent itself to outdoor concerts.

Despite the undesirable weather, the audience dutifully gathered in ponchos and rain jackets and hats and umbrellas. It was clear from observing how many audience members were wearing T-shirts from prior Metheny concert tours that many of the concert goers had seen him perform before. At this point in the evening, what was observable was a typical amount of brand loyalty from the audience.

What followed, however, was a degree of devotion and respect that I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed at a concert in any musical style, and herein lies the lesson for the entrepreneurs, artists and content creators reading this.