Dave Matthews rocks out ... for free

Just to prove that not only do we sometimes leave our computer, but occasionally even  leave the house, here’s our picture from the Dave Matthews concert we went to last night at Roseland Ballroom in New York. (Yeah, we know, it sucks, but you’ll just have to trust us. He’s up there somewhere.) The concert was part of AOL Music’s series of performances which are Webcast live and then can be streamed on demand. What we were really curious about as we bopped (besides why the guy in front of us seemed so compelled to take up more than his allotment of personal space), was whether AOL was still only allowing subscribers to see the show online, which, back in the day, was considered one way in which the service would keep those subscription dollars flowing. This morning, roughly seven hours after we got home, we got our answer: it’s no. Anyone with an Internet connection can stream the whole thing, which clocks in at over two hours. On the one hand, that’s really cool. On the other hand, we’re not exactly sure what the business model is here; the only commerce taking place on the Web page where the concert is being streamed is an opportunity to buy the new Dave Matthews CD.  Oh God, we’re overthinking this aren’t we? Uh, rock on.

—Posted by Catharine P. Taylor

May 10, 2005 | Permalink