Rant: Technology Interference

At a recent Bluebird Theater concert, I realized at a near sold-out show just a handful of people were actually watching the show—you know, with their own eyes. As if to improve the live music experience, they watched the artists from behind the protective cover of their smartphone. If I wanted to see my favorite band on my four-inch iPhone screen, I’m pretty sure I could have stayed home and spared my wallet the $40 cash-grab. Not only are people missing the whole “real life” experience in favor of a video to watch when they are reminiscing about the concert that they basically missed, but they are also polluting the atmosphere for any of the engaged spectators.

Near the end of the show, the band made its way into the crowd for a little unplugged portion of the set. Instead of taking advantage of a rare opportunity to be surrounded by the music, I had a bunch of octopus arms hanging all over me trying to get their phones as close as possible to the musicians. It was not how I wanted to enjoy the last few songs of the show.

A recent blog on the Denver Post website asked whether or not tap rooms in Denver need TVs, especially for instances like this weekend when the Broncos play. I’ll be the first to admit I was the one who argued to my husband that we needed the extra five diagonal inches when we hit the Black Friday TV sale. But, that TV is in my house. If a bar isn’t a sports bar, the experience of conversation may outweigh a game on the TV (for example, a concert).

So, to echo what I wrote in my recent New Years resolution story, put down your technology and be present, be in the moment. You won’t miss the concert video on your iPhone. That’s what YouTube is for.

Rave: Peyback for Omaha

First off, after Peyton Manning’s post-practice news conference on Wednesday it was confirmed that none of us will ever really know what his pre-snap bark of “Omaha” means. The only clues he gave us is that it depends on the wind, the direction the Broncos are headed, and the most insightful direction of all, the color choice of Denver’s jerseys. Is this Manning’s way of sharing the NFL love with a state which has no team? Probably not, and it’s time we stop wasting our time with this mystery. Now that we understand pondering the meaning of “Omaha” is futile, there is one thing that we can all comprehend: “Omaha” equals money.

When Manning and the Broncos take on Patriots this Sunday, each time he yells the moniker of Nebraska’s most populated city, $500 gets dropped in No. 18’s Peyback Foundation piggy bank. According to the New York Daily news, five Omaha-based companies (ConAgra Foods, First National Bank of Omaha, Mutual of Omaha, Omaha Steaks, and Union Pacific Railroad) will pull together to donate $500 for each time Omaha is used during the 1 p.m. matchup at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

Our suggestion, have Manning read this blog after the National Anthem to pad the bottom-line with an easy $5,000. OMAHA!

—Image courtesy of the Denver Broncos