Monday, July 21, 2008

I *hate* big arena-shows

I hate big arena shows.

I know, I know...nothing says rock 'n roll like a giant arena rock show--but I hate them. The only good arena rock show I ever saw was back in 2001 (U2). What specifically do I hate about them? The sheer size of them, I guess. They are so impersonal. Maybe I'd have felt better if I hadn't had the WORST seats in house last night (upper balcony, backs-against-the-wall last row). My mother and I had similarly crappy seats at an Elvis Costello concert, and yet that wasn't a bad show. Why?

Maybe because we weren't in a 50,000 seat arena.

Having bad seats is one thing...but having the worst in a giant arena means you basically get to watch the show on a TV (hey! can't I do that at home?). Last night I saw the Foo Fighters...and yet, I feel as though I haven't seen them. After all, Dave Grohl was nothing but a little speck. A sweaty, long haired speck.

I think me and big arena rock shows fell out when I started going to smaller club shows. Once you stand in the front row, and get your favorite band's sweat (literally) all over you--the big arena show (where the closest person has a security detail and a riot-boundary between them and the band) seems lame. And they are. They cost too much (meaning many "true" fans can't get in, but the rich-snobs can), the sound is bad, and you can't see the band.

Unless AC/DC or Led Zeppelin go on tour--I am forsaking the big arena show. No more, never again.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I agree with this. My last big concert would have been Bob Dylan and Phil Tesh at Verizon. Once I was past the shock that Dylan wasn't the age I remembered him to be,we did the Grateful Dead grooves of Phil Lesh.

I'm afraid that the Grand Emporium spoiled us.

I've made a point to avoid all crowds for about a decade now.