Storytellers and brands.

The Wife Unit and I got out of the house Friday to catch a show with Jonathan Coulton and Paul and Storm, and afterwards, when I was through with the pure enjoyment, I was struck by how often actual brands were involved in the performances. It makes sense. Singer-songwriters and many entertainers are at heart storytellers, and stories are often enhanced by specific, telling details.

Brands and consumer culture generally are the great common ground, and both of these acts harvest it with glee and creativity, and not just because Paul and Storm chucked Moon Pies into the audience as rewards (customer engagement incentive.)

I took a vid of Paul and Storm’s opening song, which aside from being a great way to shed the dreaded opening act stank, includes a laundry list of brands.

Coulton, too, taps into the usefulness of brands with songs like Flickr and Shop Vac.

Of course, one doesn’t need brands to tell a story, especially if you have a proven theme like a sad monster. This might be the most lovely song ever composed about a giant squid.

Still, the concert was a reminder of how deep brands go in our consumer lives.