My musical tastes are a tad diverse.
In the end I can't help but compare the two, not from a musical standpoint but how they treat their fans. And brother, it's not even close.
First, let me say I love me some Fiona. She had me with her debut album, Tidal. It's quite simply, amazing. The fact that it was her first effort, and that she was only 19 at the time...holy frigging shit. I've waited semi-patiently for each album after that, and considering she takes about 7 years between each, it would be understandable to lose interest. But I haven't. I pre-ordered her latest and, even though each one gets a little more erratic and it takes me more times through to really get into it, I'll pre-order the next one, if I'm still alive.
I wasn't sure what to expect at her show. You don't have to search long to find stories of her storming off stage, freaking out, etc. The term 'hot mess' has been used. Often. Upon entering the venue we were told any recording of the performance was strictly prohibited. Numerous times through the show we watched staff reprimand those that tried anyway.
She took the stage and dived right into the first song. Then the second. Then the third. She went through the full set - an hour or so - with absolutely no contact with the audience. I'm not sure she ever really looked at any of us. At the end she came out for the encore, trudged up to the mic and launched into a strange, rambling diatribe about how unfair the industry is when one of your songs appears on a movie soundtrack. Then she played another song and was gone - like smoke from a hash pipe in the brisk Texas wind.
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I jumped on the Brad Paisley bandwagon late. I'd heard of him but wasn't familiar with his work. My guitar instructor turned me on to him, saying he was one of the best guitarists out there, regardless of genre. Turns out my instructor was right. The dude can flat-out jam. I quickly grew my collection of Paisley music and waited for him to come to Phoenix.
The concert was outdoors, a packed house, and was one of the last on the tour. After the second or third song it was apparent that Brad's approach to the crowd was a little different, when he pulled out a Sharpie, signed his guitar and handed it to a wide-eyed kid, maybe 10, in the first 2-3 rows.
A little later he asked a girl in the crowd if he could borrow the smart phone she'd been using to record him. Of course, she gave it to him and watched as he made her her a video she'll probably keep until she's old and gray - he recorded her, the crowd, then turned it on himself and sang a few verses just for her.
The stage was set up so he could get as close to the crowd as possible and he used every inch of it. About an hour (roughly half way) into the show security created barriers down an aisle allowing him to run out to the lawn area of the pavilion where they had set up a smaller, second stage. He then told us that when he was a kid and would go to a show he never got any closer than that and always felt it was kind of unfair.
He chatted with the audience often, and towards the end the Sharpie came out again. This time he signed his hat and handed it to another young fan. During the final encore he pulled both of his opening acts on stage with him. During the final song he pulled 20-30 people from the audience and had them help with the chorus.
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When I was living back in DC I saw Chris Isaak play and was blown away when he told the audience he was going out to the lobby after the show and would be happy to sign autographs, chat, etc. I watched for an hour as he did just that, obviously willing to stay right there as long as needed. He seemed to be as grateful to his fans as they were of him, if not more.
I also attended a small event on Capitol Hill where they were honoring Billy Joel and found myself sitting at the table next to him. When 3 or 4 of us tried to say hello his security guard jumped up, cut us off and bluntly informed us that Mr. Joel wouldn't be signing anything that evening, or talking with anyone...who was there to honor him.
All phenomenally-talented artists - just different approaches when it comes to their fan base. It'd be interesting to see them all in the same room. For some reason I suspect Brad Paisley would probably get along best with Chris Isaak.
