Shirlette Ammons: “Expensive Experience”
Clip: 4/3/2025 | 3m 52sVideo has Closed Captions
Shirlette Ammons performs a heretofore unreleased track, “Expensive Experience.”
Shirlette Ammons likes to perform “Expensive Experience” at the end of her live shows. Ammons wrote it as a way to say thank you and farewell to her audience: “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, your time and attention, your presence is of the essence, this experience expensive.” The song has yet to be recorded in the studio.
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Shaped by Sound is a local public television program presented by PBS NC
Made possible through support from Come Hear NC, a program of the N.C. Music Office within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Shirlette Ammons: “Expensive Experience”
Clip: 4/3/2025 | 3m 52sVideo has Closed Captions
Shirlette Ammons likes to perform “Expensive Experience” at the end of her live shows. Ammons wrote it as a way to say thank you and farewell to her audience: “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, your time and attention, your presence is of the essence, this experience expensive.” The song has yet to be recorded in the studio.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship[smooth upbeat music] ♪ ♪ Too often is cosmetic ♪ ♪ You show for the shows and some more, come get it ♪ ♪ Few dollars at the door with some more for a beverage ♪ ♪ I'm guessing ♪ ♪ You mad 'cause the ticket price wasn't half price ♪ ♪ Like if my rhymes were half nice, logic ♪ ♪ Debted ♪ ♪ I don't serve refreshments yet ♪ ♪ My chords are liquid soft, just warm and quenching ♪ ♪ Don't rhyme benches ♪ ♪ I'm the first singer ♪ ♪ Lyrics fully loaded, I'm close to my trigger finger ♪ ♪ Oh, thank you ladies and gentlemen ♪ ♪ Your time and attention ♪ ♪ Presence is of the essence ♪ ♪ This experience expensive ♪ ♪ Thank you ladies and gentlemen ♪ ♪ Your time and attention ♪ ♪ Uh ♪ ♪ We lay it back now ♪ ♪ Somebody overreact now ♪ ♪ Lay it back ♪ ♪ It ain't what you pay, it's how you overreact now ♪ ♪ Every seizure of the speaker is a payment to my people ♪ ♪ Every lyric a descendant ♪ ♪ The record and the needle ♪ ♪ For the stage is preparation on paper ♪ ♪ Forget the feeble, unrehearsed ♪ ♪ Artistry is my carpentry ♪ ♪ You lay it back ♪ ♪ Uh, somebody overreact now ♪ ♪ Lay it back ♪ ♪ It ain't what you pay it's how you overreact now ♪ ♪ Uh, thank you ladies and gentlemen ♪ ♪ Your time and attention ♪ ♪ Presence is of the essence ♪ ♪ This experience expensive ♪ ♪ Thank you ladies and gentlemen ♪ ♪ Your time and attention ♪ ♪ Thank you ladies and gentlemen ♪ ♪ Your time and attention ♪ ♪ Presence is of the essence ♪ ♪ This experience expensive ♪ ♪ Thank you ladies and gentlemen ♪ ♪ Your time and attention ♪ ♪ Yo ♪ ♪ Let's lay it back ♪ ♪ Somebody overreact now ♪ ♪ Lay it back ♪ ♪ It ain't what you pay ♪ ♪ Yo ♪ ♪ I can't say I licked a pair of lips ♪ ♪ In the back of a limousine ♪ ♪ I can't even say that that's a likelihood or fantasy ♪ ♪ Six figure salary ♪ ♪ That may never happen for me ♪ ♪ Sometimes I'm feel inclined to keep gambling ♪ ♪ I can say I love them, black and white and also stereo ♪ ♪ I could say my favorite cassette was in effect mode ♪ ♪ I can say, I can tell you ♪ ♪ Slap me here, not in the face ♪ ♪ My place, my choice, make my mistakes ♪ ♪ And lately they were made of ♪ ♪ Places and sharp edges ♪ ♪ Hot to the touch ♪ ♪ Oh, I get burned quick ♪ ♪ What's too much for some, is my not enough ♪ ♪ And I fame for this life and that ♪ ♪ Thank you ladies and gentlemen ♪ ♪ Your time and attention ♪ ♪ Presence is of the essence ♪ ♪ This experience expensive ♪ ♪ Thank you ladies and gentlemen ♪ ♪ Your time and attention ♪ ♪ Thank you ladies and gentlemen ♪ ♪ Your time and attention ♪ ♪ Presence is of the essence ♪ ♪ This experience expensive ♪ ♪ Thank you ladies and gentlemen ♪ ♪ Play it back for me, fellas ♪ ♪ I have the pleasure of introducing to you ♪ ♪ My lovely, awesome band ♪ ♪ On keys, my man, Branden Williams ♪ ♪ On bass, that's my brother, Chris Sharp ♪ ♪ Behind me on drums, that's Brevan Hampden ♪ ♪ And on guitar, Russell Favret ♪ ♪ Thank you again so much ♪ ♪ The time and attention ♪ ♪ This experience expensive ♪ ♪ Thank you ladies and gentlemen ♪ [smooth upbeat music]
Video has Closed Captions
Preview: 4/3/2025 | 30s | Hip-hop artist Shirlette Ammons blends her eastern NC roots with her love for her local community. (30s)
Shirlette Ammons: “Battalions”
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: 4/3/2025 | 6m 17s | Shirlette Ammons’ song “Battalions” calls for the protection of civil rights. (6m 17s)
Shirlette Ammons: “Corner Pocket”
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: 4/3/2025 | 3m 40s | Shirlette Ammons performs “Corner Pocket,” a touching story of family, friends and camaraderie. (3m 40s)
Shirlette Ammons: “Lyfted/Earth Segue”
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: 4/3/2025 | 4m 40s | For this performance, Shirlette Ammons seamlessly combines two songs, “Lyfted” and “Earth.” (4m 40s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: 4/3/2025 | 2m 53s | Shirlette Ammons performs her song “Short,” which examines her relationship with her father. (2m 53s)
Shirlette Ammons: “Spectacles”
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: 4/3/2025 | 3m 27s | In the song “Spectacles,” Shirlette Ammons explores how we see, what we see and how we’re seen. (3m 27s)
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Shaped by Sound is a local public television program presented by PBS NC
Made possible through support from Come Hear NC, a program of the N.C. Music Office within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.