A Tale of Two Concerts
Concert Number One
I've really fallen off the concert wagon lately, and have gone to hardly any shows in the last few months. A few weeks ago, I suddenly discovered late on a Sunday night that The Hold Steady would be playing the next day in Baltimore, that the show still wasn't sold out, and that they wouldn't be playing DC until the very end of November. I'd never been to a concert at any venue in Baltimore, although I'd heard good things about this show's location, the Ottobar, and I knew it was going to be a busy week at work, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity. Hell, if I get really lucky I could be in Belgium when they come through DC, so this could be my only chance of the new tour, and the last time I saw them it was one of the concert highlights of the year.
The Ottobar was ridiculously easy to get to off of 95, it only took me about 45 minutes to make the drive, door-to-door, and I found free on street parking right on a well lit main road right near the club. I'm pretty much positive I'll be going back, it was so convenient. The opening bands were okay, even Sean Na Na (the new project from the former Har Mar Superstar), but The Hold Steady fuckin' rocked the place to pieces. This review from the DCist blog pretty much gets it right: it was just a raucous, good time celebration and I could not believe how fired up and into it the kids in the front rows were. One great moment that the DCist reviewer didn't mention was when they started pulling dozens of people onstage for the final encore, "Killer Parties," and Craig Finn said, a little self-consciously, "This one is called 'The Ice of Boston'" ... a reference to area departed heroes The Dismemberment Plan, who pulled the same "dancing crowd on stage" schtick every time they played that song. They played nearly everything off the new album, half of Separation Sunday, and four tracks off of Almost Killed Me. And there was much rejoicing.
Concert Number Two
Tonight. The Decemberists. First of two sold out nights at the 9:30 Club. I don't have a ticket. I have confidence in my good ticket scalping mojo, but it could mean hanging around out in the cold for a good long time. It doesn't matter, though, I have to go, because I've already bought the awesome screen-printed poster on heavy stock (seen below) for the concerts, and I can't frame it and hang it on my wall in good conscience if I haven't actually been to one of the shows it advertises. Well, that and the fact that The D's are one of my absolute most favoritest bands right now, even though I haven't picked up a copy of The Crane Wife yet. In the unlikely event that I don't make it in tonight, I'll just have to try the exact same routine tomorrow night. If I do get in tonight, I may try to go tomorrow as well all the same ... depending on how good they are. Wish me luck!
UPDATE: Sold out concert? What sold out concert? I got to the show about fifteen minutes before the opening act was due to start, and took up a position to watch for someone with an extra ticket to sell. After a few minutes of waiting I noticed that there were no "Sold Out" signs posted, so I went up to the box office, bought myself a ticket for $25, and walked right in. The openers were cute, even if the singer (who was originally from the area) was way too stoned, and The Decemberists were fucking awesome. I bought a copy of The Crane Wife, a t-shirt with a mermaid on it, and a copy of Lavender Diamond's four song EP. I also struck up a relationship with the merch guy, and tipped him enough that he agreed to get a copy of the El Jefe poster signed by the entire band, then trade it to me for MY copy at tomorow night's show. So I guess I'm going back! I've gotta say that the show was so good I don't have the slightest hesitation about paying another $25 to see it again. Let's just hope that tomorrow's show isn't really sold out either!
I've really fallen off the concert wagon lately, and have gone to hardly any shows in the last few months. A few weeks ago, I suddenly discovered late on a Sunday night that The Hold Steady would be playing the next day in Baltimore, that the show still wasn't sold out, and that they wouldn't be playing DC until the very end of November. I'd never been to a concert at any venue in Baltimore, although I'd heard good things about this show's location, the Ottobar, and I knew it was going to be a busy week at work, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity. Hell, if I get really lucky I could be in Belgium when they come through DC, so this could be my only chance of the new tour, and the last time I saw them it was one of the concert highlights of the year.
The Ottobar was ridiculously easy to get to off of 95, it only took me about 45 minutes to make the drive, door-to-door, and I found free on street parking right on a well lit main road right near the club. I'm pretty much positive I'll be going back, it was so convenient. The opening bands were okay, even Sean Na Na (the new project from the former Har Mar Superstar), but The Hold Steady fuckin' rocked the place to pieces. This review from the DCist blog pretty much gets it right: it was just a raucous, good time celebration and I could not believe how fired up and into it the kids in the front rows were. One great moment that the DCist reviewer didn't mention was when they started pulling dozens of people onstage for the final encore, "Killer Parties," and Craig Finn said, a little self-consciously, "This one is called 'The Ice of Boston'" ... a reference to area departed heroes The Dismemberment Plan, who pulled the same "dancing crowd on stage" schtick every time they played that song. They played nearly everything off the new album, half of Separation Sunday, and four tracks off of Almost Killed Me. And there was much rejoicing.
Concert Number Two
Tonight. The Decemberists. First of two sold out nights at the 9:30 Club. I don't have a ticket. I have confidence in my good ticket scalping mojo, but it could mean hanging around out in the cold for a good long time. It doesn't matter, though, I have to go, because I've already bought the awesome screen-printed poster on heavy stock (seen below) for the concerts, and I can't frame it and hang it on my wall in good conscience if I haven't actually been to one of the shows it advertises. Well, that and the fact that The D's are one of my absolute most favoritest bands right now, even though I haven't picked up a copy of The Crane Wife yet. In the unlikely event that I don't make it in tonight, I'll just have to try the exact same routine tomorrow night. If I do get in tonight, I may try to go tomorrow as well all the same ... depending on how good they are. Wish me luck!
UPDATE: Sold out concert? What sold out concert? I got to the show about fifteen minutes before the opening act was due to start, and took up a position to watch for someone with an extra ticket to sell. After a few minutes of waiting I noticed that there were no "Sold Out" signs posted, so I went up to the box office, bought myself a ticket for $25, and walked right in. The openers were cute, even if the singer (who was originally from the area) was way too stoned, and The Decemberists were fucking awesome. I bought a copy of The Crane Wife, a t-shirt with a mermaid on it, and a copy of Lavender Diamond's four song EP. I also struck up a relationship with the merch guy, and tipped him enough that he agreed to get a copy of the El Jefe poster signed by the entire band, then trade it to me for MY copy at tomorow night's show. So I guess I'm going back! I've gotta say that the show was so good I don't have the slightest hesitation about paying another $25 to see it again. Let's just hope that tomorrow's show isn't really sold out either!