Concerts thread: Best/Worst/Next/Last one you attended?

[dixiehack]

Don't You Forget About Me

They asked so nicely. And yet I did, even with this and Alive and Kicking on my playlist.

 

[Huggy]

Simple Minds is touring the US, and I've concluded that whoever booked the tour is absolutely delusional.

I like the band. I saw them on the Sparkle in the Rain tour -- 1983ish? -- and later, post-Don't You Forget About Me, probably 1986 or so. I should be the exact demo they are targeting with this tour.

Here in Phoenix they are playing the big shitty outdoor amphitheater. It's way too big for them, and every time I have gone there I have vowed never to return.

In Los Angeles they are playing the Forum. The biggest place they've ever played there is the Greek.

In Seattle they are playing the Climate Pledge Arena, the home of the Kraken. Capacity is 18,300. The largest place they have ever played in Seattle is the Paramount Theater, capacity 3,000.

The best seats at the different venues are around $350 and up.

Tickets have been on sale for a week. That Seattle arena is going to be absolutely empty. Sales look terrible.

What the hell are they thinking? Simple Minds had been a non-entity in the US for 40 years. I'm not even sure most of their recent albums were even released here. So now they are booking a tour and trying to place places that are literally five times bigger than where they played at their commercial peak?

Just bizarre.

My wife was excited they were coming to Toronto in June until we saw they were playing Budweiser Stage, a 16,000-seat shed on the shores of Lake Ontario that is a hashle to get to and from and like your example, every time we have gone there we have vowed never to go back. I saw them back when they were a relevant act, selling records with videos on MTV and they played Mashey Hall which would the perfect venue for them now., Tickets are larcenously priced ($70+ to sit on the lawn?) and I will not be surprised to see this among the shows Live Nation discounts in the spring.

 

[UNCGrad]

Saw MJ Lenderman at Cat's Cradle in Carrboro (next door to Chapel Hill). He was terrific and the band is flat-out awesome. I love MJ's songs, love his writing and economy of words, and he absolutely rocked our faces off. I'd love to see him again.

I also walked out of there thinking, "This is the last time he'll play a club this size for a while." Sure enough, he's booked for the 3,000-seat DPAC in Durham in May.

Packed house, and people were excited to see him. A native of NC, his dad and grandmother were in the audience, and he did songs for them. "She's Leaving You" was particularly awesome. Can't believe he didn't do "Hangover Game," a song about the Jordan Flu Game, so close to Chapel Hill, but that's ok. The set was great.

That said, even with a crowd ranging in ages from college kids to me-and-above (I'm 49), it was a good crowd, but really just your typical, white, guys-bobbing-heads crowd. I enjoyed it and would go again tonight if I could, but my next show needs to have a little more fun and dance to it (c'mon, Sammy Rae and The Friends, come to Raleigh before the festival in May in Charlotte).

All that said, I bet I buy a DPAC ticket for MJ. He absolutely rocks.

 

[Cosmo]

He's playing Richmond in May but it's already sold out and I couldn't have gone anyway (work conflict). Also saw he's playing the Electric Ballroom in London in June, which is where The Hold Steady plays their Friday/Saturday shows during the Weekender. Absolute legend of a venue.

 

[Flip Wilson]

Funny, I saw their east coast itinerary and thought the exact same thing. They're playing a handful of big sheds when they should be playing theaters. I give them a smidge of credit for going the nostalgia package tour route w/Soft Cell & Modern English opening, but those guys ain't moving tickets. You need everyone on the bill having multiple big hits to fill up most of their 45-60 minute set to go that route. The three of them together wouldn't have an hour's worth of music known to the casual fan.

Modern English was scheduled to play in a club about 90 miles from here a couple of years ago. I kept putting off buying tickets, and I'm glad I did. The show ended up getting canceled. I never heard why.

And I don't know any of the band's songs except for I Melt for You, which was featured in Nicolas Cage's film Valley Girl. I absolutely love that song. Love love love. My kids got so tired of me playing that song in the morning to wake them up for school.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Thanks for the reminder. He's playing down the street from me Thursday. Been wanting to see him for ages.

I'm sorry I characterized him as a poor man's Tom Petty. The guy deserves much more than that. Tonight's concert left scorch marks on the stage floor. Looks like he's headed back to Calif, and from there to Europe.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Modern English was scheduled to play in a club about 90 miles from here a couple of years ago. I kept putting off buying tickets, and I'm glad I did. The show ended up getting canceled. I never heard why.

And I don't know any of the band's songs except for I Melt for You, which was featured in Nicolas Cage's film Valley Girl. I absolutely love that song. Love love love. My kids got so tired of me playing that song in the morning to wake them up for school.

Here's the one other Modern English song I know:

 

[Cosmo]

Just found out that Har Mar Superstar is playing a small bar in RVA tomorrow night. He was the opener for a Monday night Afghan Whigs show here some years back and he blew me away. Think I'm going to have to check it out. Super charismatic performer.

 

[UNCGrad]

Just found out that Har Mar Superstar is playing a small bar in RVA tomorrow night. He was the opener for a Monday night Afghan Whigs show here some years back and he blew me away. Think I'm going to have to check it out. Super charismatic performer.

I love stumbling on a show like that. Need to find something again soon after being able to look ahead for so long for Dave Hause and MJ Lenderman. I need something new on my docket.

By the way, in opening for MJ Lenderman, Wild Pink was awesome. They played most of their newest album, "Dulling the Horns," and were really, really tight and good. As we were leaving the venue, I was able to tell the lead singer (he was working their merch booth) how much I enjoyed their set and that I'll see them again somewhere down the line. Absolute pros.

 

[Cosmo]

Wild Pink opened for Hold Steady in DC in June and they were excellent. Big fan.

 

[I Should Coco]

Cheap Trick, Saturday night at a tribal casino in Washington state.

The three original members sounded good, especially Robin Zander, who still can hit just about all the notes even though he's in his 70s. Rick Nielsen brought out his usual array of guitars (including a Beatles-decorated one for their cover of "Magical Mystery Tour") and it was nice to see Tom Petersson, considering his health issues, plunking away on his 12-string bash.

Unfortunately, the crowd for this concert showed its age and basically sat through most of the show. About 2,000 to 3,000 people in this casino auditorium, and the energy level was D-E-A-D, especially during lesser-known and newer songs. Ain't that a shame ...

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Cheap Trick, Saturday night at a tribal casino in Washington state.

The three original members sounded good, especially Robin Zander, who still can hit just about all the notes even though he's in his 70s. Rick Nielsen brought out his usual array of guitars (including a Beatles-decorated one for their cover of "Magical Mystery Tour") and it was nice to see Tom Petersson, considering his health issues, plunking away on his 12-string bash.

Unfortunately, the crowd for this concert showed its age and basically sat through most of the show. About 2,000 to 3,000 people in this casino auditorium, and the energy level was D-E-A-D, especially during lesser-known and newer songs. Ain't that a shame ...

I've seen Cheap Trick three times in the last ten years, and I'm always amazed at how well Robin Zander's voice has held up. He always sounds great.