May 26, 2005
Memories...
Cleaning up around the house, I decided to finally clean up the pile of reciepts, ticket stubs and coupons that sit in a box on top of my dresser. In addition to free sandwich cards at Cosi and Subway, I found ticket stubs for many of the shows I've seen since I moved here nearly two years ago. I don't have stubs for the shows where I purchased tickets at the box office on the night of the show or when I came as a plus-one, but these stubs are a fairly good representation of what I've been listening to since 2003 or so:
- Radiohead, 8/20/03, Merriweather Post Pavillion. It takes an act like Radiohead to overcome the sh*ttiness of MPP. They even played "Creep"! Also, I got my job from this gig by giving a ride to the previous holder of my newly-former position.
- The Ravonettes, 9/6/03, Black Cat. My birthday present. I was drunkety-drunk-drunk.
- Hot Hot Heat, 10/10/03, 9:30 Club. The third HHH show I've been to. Each time they're more sober and playing a bigger venue. At this rate, they'll be playing RFK as a straightedge act.
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 11/8/03, 9:30 Club. A "special midnight show" that started at around 1. Karen O tore it up true to form. When will they release another album?
- Franz Ferdinand, 6/30/04, 9:30 Club. The most hyped show of the year. It was good, but in retrospect, I wish I was standing front and center instead of on the balcony.
- The Streets, 7/1/04, 9:30 Club. I got close to the stage for this one and was rewarded with a little too much Mike Skinner sweat. But still awesome. Opener Dizzee Rascal was pretty good too, but the crowd wasn't into it quite yet.
- Ted Leo/Pharmacists, 12/2/04, Black Cat. Plagued by technical problems and a crowd that thinned out midway through to catch the last train out, they were better at the Ottobar a few months before (no stub).
- Q and not U, 12/30/04, Black Cat. Hotness, pure and simple. Packed to the gills and jumping up and down for the length of the show.
I think there are some trends here. First, I go to shows in bursts of a few at a time, then none at all for a while. This year is a particular long lull, although I did see a few shows not listed here (Futureheads, Monopoli, etc.) but I lack the stubs. Second, I tend to see what's hot at the moment. Am I that much of a trend follower?
Posted by rj3 at May 26, 2005 11:31 AM
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Comments
maybe not so much a "trend follower" as "not a risk taker" when it comes to going to shows. you want to know that your time and money will be rewarded.
Posted by: seeking irony at May 26, 2005 2:35 PM
Well, national acts will tour when they've got a new album out and the press that goes with it. What's hot at the moment and what's in town at the moment are engineered to coincide as much as possible.
Posted by: tom at May 26, 2005 2:51 PM
I'm beginning to think that something is broken with me. I read about these shows here and at DCist. I hear my friends talking about them all the time. And yet, I have absolutely no desire to go see any of them. I usually leave shows half deaf, smelling like cigarettes and beer, and pissed off at the people who always show up and insist on acting like idiots. Maybe I'm just an old fogey before my time.
Posted by: BrodyV at May 26, 2005 3:15 PM
Nah, seeing as Hot Hot Heat have come to DC like three times since you saw them, not to mention that the Ravonettes are actually playing this weekend, Q and not U played about a month back, and Ted Leo's on the schedule, you might even be ahead of the times. Either that or I'm totally behind!
Posted by: Lauren at May 27, 2005 11:20 AM