I would say I have a high tolerance for annoying airline behavior. I’m not the kind of person who is going to tweet at an airline’s account about customer service. I don’t recline my seat back on the person behind me. Crying babies are fine by me, I was once one too! But one thing I will not tolerate is live music on a plane.
Live music on planes might be our future. Billboard reports that Southwest Airlines has teamed up with Warner Music Nashville to host “pop-up shows on board flights.” The partnership is a continuation of the airline’s “Live at 35″ series, which has brought bands like Imagine Dragons and The Plain White T’s on board, and seems to be country-centric for now.
For some reason, artists love promotional stunts involving planes. There was Jamiroquai’s Guinness World Record-breaking “Gig in the Sky” event in 2007 where he brought a bunch of fans on a Boeing 757 to set the record for the highest ever concert. Then there was Rihanna’s “777″ tour where hundreds of journalists and fans traveled with her as she performed seven shows in seven countries for seven days, which led to coverage about what was mostly happening on the plane.
But consenting to a flight performance by a musician you admire isn’t the same as being ambushed with a surprise show. I just want to put on my headphones, curl up against the window, and drift off to an investigative podcast hosted by a reporter with shaky journalistic ethics! So please tell me, would you like to be surprise serenaded by an artist on your next flight?
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