Who is that guy anyway?

This is my plea. It is quite possibly the most important plea I will make all year.

Friday night I went to go see Saosin, my favorite band, perform at the Filmore in Denver. And when I say I went to see them perform it is because they play their music flawlessly while being extremely entertaining. While this time around wasn't their best it is still better than many and most other bands around. While at the show I had the opportunity to see The Devil Wears Prada and Underoath as well. First time seeing TDWP while I've seen Underoath a half dozen times, or so. It was seeing these two bands in combination that made me realize I had to make this plea:

FIRE THE SYNTH PLAYER!

That's right, the band member that plays around on that Casio or Korg has got to go. Don't mistake this for me saying I don't want the synth in the music, without it I think both those bands (and many others) would not be as cohesive. Bands like Enter Shikari, Underoath, The Devil Wear Prada, and other have a presence on CD that is amplified by the differentiation in tone that the synth offers compared to the rest of the instrumentation. Formulaic bands with guitars, bass, and a drummer can be transformed into something more exciting with a synth. However, the live show has never and will never benefit from the chubby band mate that presses a key or two every 2 minutes. The band is better off with an iPOD and the extra cash in their pockets at the end of the night. Allow me for a moment to describe the stage presence of the synth player and then perhaps you will agree with my plea.

As the band walks out onto the stage (probably dimly lit) he is the one with both hands raised high in the air begging the crowd to praise him. He walks up to his rig (because he has multiple keyboards and a laptop out it is officially a rig) and presses a key on the Korg, doesn't matter what key since it is programmed to play once any key it pressed. He scrolls the laptop pad and makes a few clicks on the laptop but there is no real change in the sound, still the Korg plays on. Then the rest of the band begins to play and the synth player takes two minutes to frantically headband out of rhythm and shake his arms around about his head. Finally he presses another key and goes on to rock out again. For the bands not big enough to have the laptop yet fear not he is have a break from rocking out so hard by being the dude to grab a water bottle and throw it on the crowd, that's always sure to entrance the moshing 16 year olds. Finally as the show is coming to an end he is the one to press his last key on the rig and head off stage, a full 3 minutes before the song is even over.

To the bands, if you have any sense of showmanship left in you please heed my plea and FIRE THE SYNTH PLAYER!