I watched the first link, but "35:51 onward" in the second link is like half an hour, and ain't nobody got time for that. Also, by then I kinda felt like I'd seen enough, though I must admit that I've never seen a keyboard player crowd surfing while playing (and I still haven't).
Well, no, I just meant that one song that starts at 35:51--not the entire rest of the show (unless you so choose). Do yourself a favor and watch it. It's just a lot of fun seeing him (and the rest of the band) have so much fun.
Oh, I did watch it for a while, several minutes at least. Just not the whole thing from that point on.
I'm completely torn on this. As a keyboard player who's often wondered what it would like to front a band, or even just be able to move around while playing, I think any device which facilitates this is good. But as a lover of watching live performances, part of me will always see it as a gimmick. Coen strolls back and forth across the stage, seemingly just because he can. To me, that's not just enjoying the mobility, but showing off. Hey, it's Rock and Roll, and showcasing is a big part of that, so for many that's not a major crime. But most guitarists don't do that. They'll move around because it's boring standing in one place all the time, and because they can. But it tends to look more natural to me. During a jam, walk over here, make eye contact with the bassist and smile, make a face at the drummer, strike some Awesome Rock Poses, that kind of thing. Coen seems like "Hey check me out! I'm walking around, back and forth, while playing a keyboard!"
Double standard? Absolutely. Coen is moving around because it's boring standing in one place all the time, and because he can. Exactly the same thing I said about guitarists. But at some point it becomes distracting. Most of the time, your attention is still supposed to be on the singer. A bunch of guys walking around behind her/him doesn't add to the stage show; it confuses it. During instrumentals, the rules are different, but it should still look natural. Maybe that's my problem. After all these years, it just doesn't look natural for a keyboard player to be moving around like that. Get the fuck back to your corner and stay there! Leave being cool to the guitarists.
Also:
If coolness was a factor, we wouldn't be listening to prog
I know, it's green. But it's also true.