USB Wristbands...The Evolution of Live Music Recordings

With the amount of digital downloads over the past year, it's no surprise that CD's are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Apple has made it so easy to obtain music through its iTunes store. Napster and Rhapsody are back in the fray. There are rumors that Best Buy, Target, and even Wal-Mart will eventually stop selling CDs and revert to downloads online.

While all of this is exciting for the digital community, what about all of the live shows we go to and supporting those artists? What happens when they stop selling CDs at their merch booth? I found out what happens at a Slightly Stoopid concert last night at Red Rocks: Silicon wristbands with USB drives built-in to them.

These are not your ordinary wristbands. You can take live recordings of the show home with you on your wrist and then listen to the live show on your computer, burn it to a CD, or upload it to your iPod or any MP3 player! These USB wristbands are Mac and PC compatible. A limited number of these USB Wristbands were available for purchase at the merchandise booths approximately 15-20 minutes following each artist's performance.

The idea was first implemented last night and to prove it successful, there was so much demand that opening acts' performances sold out the wristbands. This buzz quickly became widespread within their community, and the band will now make them available online for those who missed out on the show.