SACRAMENTO vs OAKLAND...The Smackdown!
A comparison post since they felt like two very different shows...audience and venue wise for sure....AND my encounter with Mombert! (the stars aligned for a fleeting moment)
First, the concerts...
Let's start with similarities, shall we?
~ Hall erupts in screams any time even a body part of Adam appears on the jumbotrons
~ 10 people performed on stage, and Meagan's background was still a Barbie factory explosion or some shit. (does her no favors)
~ .....?.....hmmm...Well there was this hilarious micphone strad...Twice in two nights is just...um, best not go there...
hmmm...moving on...
Vive la difference...
Parking:
Sacramento: $12
Oakland: $30! Freakin' bucks! What the Hell???!!!
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Attendees: (generalizations to be sure...but just my observations from my little corner of my section)
Sacramento: Older (in a grumpy old man sort of way.*** ), conservative (yikes), uber casual (Doesn't anybody Glam up for a concert anymore??? or at least change the outfit they wore to the lake this morning? )
*** Just an advisory: Don't EVER tap me on the shoulder and tell me to sit down whilst I'm attempting to tape WLL without a railing in view, unless you want to hear flying expletives, Geezer. (and I can say that 'cause I may be in your generation, but I'm not in your tired state of mind.)
...and oh btw, said railing just four feet from my aisle seat, was for one brief moment a leaning post for Kris, Alison and Matt when all three came out the ramp, I think it was during Lil's set. They made a hasty retreat when a tweener on the floor caught a glimpse of them and tried to take a pic.
Oakland: The very young, and young at heart, higher percentage of the Gay and Glam (Mombert added to that quotient considerably), folks made a real effort to clean up.
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Sound:
Sacramento: OY! I was warned that Arco was THE worst concert venue. Tis absolutely true.
Oakland: Ahhh...Clarity. I could actually understand every word that was said, without the ear bleeding distortion.
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Libations:
Sacramento: Some kind of pineapple/cranberry thingy mixed with a bit of vodka (this was the best they could do to fulfill my request)
Oakland: Ahhh...my Appletini. Thank you Oakland Plaza Club level for having an actual bar. :-)
Better still, thank you for being the spot my stars came into alignment...
MOMBERT!
So my friend and I are standing in line waiting to have our bags searched. I look over and literally three feet away, Leila is talking to a security guard. She's obviously looking for someone outside.
Note: She looks absolutely beautiful! Glamorous. Proud. Black pants and top with a sparkly copper trim around the neckline. Very classy. A bit shorter than I expected.
So we walk through the check point and she comes back in right beside us on the other side of the rope. As we merge into the bar area she's right in front of me. Still walking toward the bar she stops to look for someone. I simply can't pass up this opportunity, so I tap her on the shoulder, she turns and...
Me: You've raised the most beautiful son.
Mombert: Thank you so much. (sweetly and with a smile)
Me: The only reason I came tonight is to see him. You've done a great job. Congratulations.
Mombert: (smile...I think she may have said thank you again, but I didn't want to hold her up, or let her think I was being stalkery, so I was already retreating toward the bar.)
Hey, I did say it was fleeting. Anyway...Then I spent the next ten minutes in que for my much needed Appletini whilst chatting with some folks about the relative merits of $30 WTF?! parking in compact spaces. All in all, a lovely, shiny way to begin the evening. :-)))
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RECEPTIONS:
I won't go to much into specific performers, well...perhaps a few...I'll relate only the positive stuff as I left my flack jacket in my other purse.
Referring back to the copious notes I took to while away the first half...
Sacramento: Scott got the crowd going. Noop got lots of "Noop"s, and had about a quarter of the crowd up for My Perogative. Matt had half the floor on it's feet as soon as he came out. Allison got some folks up and moving. The crowd really appreciated Danny and got the whole arm wave going whenever he asked.
Transition to Adam: Ear bleeding screaming and stomping in anticipation, which had a lot to do with the horrendous sound system I'm sure, and the entire floor up and standing, but less than I expected in the side sections, especially mine. The folks behind me appreciated, but seemed too old and feeble to stand. Pathetic. Still...he was the star of the show. No two ways about it.
Kris got a warm reception and sustained applause more than anyone except Adam, but it did feel like the energy had been sucked out of the hall. It's a tough, tough position to be in, with their styles being so polar opposite.
Oakland: You know the crowd is drunk hyped when Sarver can really get them clapping. Scott got love. Lil had folks on the floor and a few kids near me up and dancing. Anoop, not so many "Noops" tonight, but lots of folks up and moving. Matt wowed with Georgia. Allison Rocked the house ~ lots of folks in the sections around me starting to get excited. Danny, had the floor standing for PYT and again, some of the kids up by me, and then...
What felt like a HUGE difference from Sacramento's transition to Adam. Techs waited for Danny's applause to die before even starting Adam's intro video. Stomping, Screaming, EVERYONE up on their feet. Literally. The ENTIRE place as far as I could tell was standing and shouting their love...well, at least standing, even the conservative looking folks sitting in front of me. Most of those not applauding and/or screaming, had cell phones and/or cameras in their hands and had hit the record buttons. (The friend I went with was doing double hand duty.) Looking across the arena was a sea of tiny lit up screens all focused on the stage. The man nearly BLEW THE ROOF OFF with WLL. Majority of the crowd, as far as I could tell remained standing, and mostly dancing or in seeming awe for his ENTIRE set. Did see some people sit for Mad World, but nobody in my vicinity. When the spots hit the gargantuan disco ball for the Bowie Medley this sports arena took on a truly magical quality, and the energy was simply fucking Adamazing. Screaming, dancing, rocking out...and that was just me. (JFC my hands were stinging at the end of his set.) Times it by how ever many the joint seated. (although the nosebleed level was surprising only about half full). Still...OMFG! Absolutely electric.
Since nearly all the youtube clips cut off as soon as Adam sinks below the stage, I only have the transition to Kris in Sacramento to go by, but it was definitely quite different. It truly seemed the techs, held off on Kris' video intro to allow the crowd's outpouring of Adam adulation a bit longer. Felt much more right that way.
I'm torn about what to say about the response to Kris. I truly feel for the tough spot he's in, particularly after the overwhelming energy that preceeded him on this particular night, the transition was a stunning 180. The collective whoosh of that many folks sitting back down perhaps. It felt strange. After each of his songs there were huge bursts of cheers and applause that died so quickly it was jarring. Really weird. I don't think the band or Kris was expecting that so it seemed there were some awkwardly dead pauses between songs.
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Overall, Oakland BY FAR the more exciting show. Very glad I made the rather last minute decision to say fuck it, and make the drive...and worth every penny of the exorbitantly priced ticket.
What can I say? Adam fully OWNED Oakland. Rename it Glambert Arena. If Oakland is any indication of LA or SD...Holy Shit! Prepare for seizmic readings. ;-)
A bit off topic, but...I wanna make a plug for my vehicle:
On the way back to drop my friend off at her car, I was so into clicking around on one of my Adam CD's (my friend is an Adam virgin, she loved him on the show, but had NO idea the extent of his musical collection. Unfathomable.)
Anyway...back to the story...I'm not paying full attention to the road and the red lights start flashing to indicate RR tracks with train coming. I miss it completely and end up being hit by the train crossing bar thingy coming down rather loudly (and thankfully) on the top of my car. Would've been much worse to actually get hit by the train I think. We both freak out momentarily, FUCK, more money thrown out the window to repair something that could have been avoided. So, train passes, we get to the parking garage and I step out of my car. Wincing as I turn to look at the roof. NOTHING! NOT A SCRATCH!!!
I ADORE MY Fucking PRIUS!!!
Disclaimer: The preceeding diatribe was wholly my opinion...and my opinion may or may not have been influenced by the consumption of alcoholic beverage during the show. (Although, there is a review in the SJ Mercury News which coraberates my story. I'm sure you've already seen. Quite scathing for some. *Ouch*)
Can't wait to hear about San Jose! *WOOT* I'll be rocking out in absentia.
If I'm tagging this all wrong, just...apologies.