r.e.m.
The concert was good. Not as good as last time though. This time they played far too much of their new album (which isn't one of their best) and not enough of the really old stuff. I suppose its hard to fit 27 years into one concert, but seriously guys, your old stuff was WAY better than what you're putting out lately. Let's be honest here, your last really really great album came out 21 years ago. But they did a great job on The One I Love, and on a few others. Greg said he actually liked "What's the Frequency Kenneth?" at the show. I'm not sure I can say the same.
The other issue was the suite. I felt so removed from everything, like we were watching it on tv. Last time we were down in it - a part of the audience. There's something about that experience at a live show that you don't get when you're way up in the suites. But hey, the price was right! ;) They had free soft pretzels with gourmet mustard, cans of Coke and little bottles of Dasani. If they're wondering where all their Dasani went, well, I think I took about 6 trips to the bathroom during the show.
We left during the encore. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention there were 2 opening bands. "The National" and Modest Mouse. What is it with opening bands? Why do they have to be so DAMN LOUD? I know what you're thinking, I'm old, and you're right, but seriously the headlining band is never ear-splitting so why do the opening acts have to be so? Poor ol' Nick was NOT happy. He was rolling all over and punching me in organs I wasn't even sure I had. It was very uncomfortable. I don't remember if Peanut did that to me when I went to that Dots show when I was 7 1/2 months pregnant. I do remember at that show, the opening band was not only FUCKING LOUD, they also sucked. Really really bad. People were heckling them. At least The National and Modest Mouse weren't that bad. They really need to turn their amps or whatever down to something a little more reasonable however.
Oh yeah, and another thing I noticed about how times change. When I looked down at the audience, instead of the little orange bobbing lights of cigarette cherries, it was full of the square blue lights of cell phones taking pictures and texting. I should have noticed this before. When we first went to see Roger Waters in 2000, it seemed that everyone in the audience was smoking cigarettes and passing joints around. The next time we saw Roger last summer, I didn't see any of that. I don't know if its because times have changed, or because we're all getting old. We keep going to see the same bands we've always gone to see, and the entire audience continues to get older and older. I suspect if we'd gone to a show full of 18-year-olds, there would have been some illicit smoking. I don't know. I'm not complaining about the lack of smoke, but there's something... creepy... about going to a concert and no one sucking on a heater!
Anyway, yeah, as we left they were playing "Man on the Moon." I don't know if they ended on that or not, but of course that's the song that gets stuck in my head. A whole show with a lot of really good songs, and what's running through my head when I leave? Fuckin' Man on the Fuckin' Moon! Ouch. Now its in there again. But I am aware that a large percentage of my brain is completely devoted to bad songs, and the good song part is miniscule.
Oh, and another thing I thought was funny was that there didn't seem to be a lot of Obama supporters in the Thomson suite. I am fully aware that Michael Stipe is a big Obama guy, so I wasn't surprised when he went on about that, but then he asked for some applause about Obama winning the nomination and out of the 14 or 16 people in the suite, maybe two guys clapped. I think everyone else rolled their eyes. I knew I smelled Hillary on them! I knew it! :P
Well I didn't mean to write a novel about it. So I'll end it there. I would say that 75% of what they played were songs I didn't care much for, and the other 25% were pretty good. They get an A++ for The One I Love, but overall I would have to give the show a C+.
And here's a random picture!
Brady and Niece M.
Oh yeah, and I've felt like crap ever since the "Ice Cream Social" yesterday afternoon. I am too old to eat ice cream.
The other issue was the suite. I felt so removed from everything, like we were watching it on tv. Last time we were down in it - a part of the audience. There's something about that experience at a live show that you don't get when you're way up in the suites. But hey, the price was right! ;) They had free soft pretzels with gourmet mustard, cans of Coke and little bottles of Dasani. If they're wondering where all their Dasani went, well, I think I took about 6 trips to the bathroom during the show.
We left during the encore. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention there were 2 opening bands. "The National" and Modest Mouse. What is it with opening bands? Why do they have to be so DAMN LOUD? I know what you're thinking, I'm old, and you're right, but seriously the headlining band is never ear-splitting so why do the opening acts have to be so? Poor ol' Nick was NOT happy. He was rolling all over and punching me in organs I wasn't even sure I had. It was very uncomfortable. I don't remember if Peanut did that to me when I went to that Dots show when I was 7 1/2 months pregnant. I do remember at that show, the opening band was not only FUCKING LOUD, they also sucked. Really really bad. People were heckling them. At least The National and Modest Mouse weren't that bad. They really need to turn their amps or whatever down to something a little more reasonable however.
Oh yeah, and another thing I noticed about how times change. When I looked down at the audience, instead of the little orange bobbing lights of cigarette cherries, it was full of the square blue lights of cell phones taking pictures and texting. I should have noticed this before. When we first went to see Roger Waters in 2000, it seemed that everyone in the audience was smoking cigarettes and passing joints around. The next time we saw Roger last summer, I didn't see any of that. I don't know if its because times have changed, or because we're all getting old. We keep going to see the same bands we've always gone to see, and the entire audience continues to get older and older. I suspect if we'd gone to a show full of 18-year-olds, there would have been some illicit smoking. I don't know. I'm not complaining about the lack of smoke, but there's something... creepy... about going to a concert and no one sucking on a heater!
Anyway, yeah, as we left they were playing "Man on the Moon." I don't know if they ended on that or not, but of course that's the song that gets stuck in my head. A whole show with a lot of really good songs, and what's running through my head when I leave? Fuckin' Man on the Fuckin' Moon! Ouch. Now its in there again. But I am aware that a large percentage of my brain is completely devoted to bad songs, and the good song part is miniscule.
Oh, and another thing I thought was funny was that there didn't seem to be a lot of Obama supporters in the Thomson suite. I am fully aware that Michael Stipe is a big Obama guy, so I wasn't surprised when he went on about that, but then he asked for some applause about Obama winning the nomination and out of the 14 or 16 people in the suite, maybe two guys clapped. I think everyone else rolled their eyes. I knew I smelled Hillary on them! I knew it! :P
Well I didn't mean to write a novel about it. So I'll end it there. I would say that 75% of what they played were songs I didn't care much for, and the other 25% were pretty good. They get an A++ for The One I Love, but overall I would have to give the show a C+.
And here's a random picture!
Brady and Niece M.
Oh yeah, and I've felt like crap ever since the "Ice Cream Social" yesterday afternoon. I am too old to eat ice cream.