i wanted to post last night, but...
Dec. 11th, 2002 09:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
karenorI was just too friggin tired. But I've gotten up early this morn (been up for like an hour and ahalf already) cuz i couldn't sleep and figure i'll nap later if there is time before the show tonight.
It's been a while since i've posted right? I can't remember. I said I was done with school, I know that. Yesterday I turned everything in and sold back my books. Done and done. Monday i left my job. I'm FREE! For a little while. Last night was my second show of december. Tonight will be my third. Friday I'm leaving for sandiego and vegas and tempe and not coming back till tuesday. (4th, 5th, and 6th shows of december).
But last night. And I know you wanna hear about last night. It was SOOOOOO great. Alright. I had pit tickets to the universal ampitheater. If you know anything about the venue, and i'm assuming no one reading this does, you know it has a HUGE pit, and there is furious competition for the prime spots. So i got to the place about 4 oclock in the afternoon, and was only lik 5th in line for the pit. I was the first of the Toad posse to get there and everyone trickled in over the next two hours or so. As it got closer to the time when they open the gates to the hill up to the venue, the line became a mob. Also they said they would open at 7:30, so at about 10 to 7 a bunch of our group (not me tho) went and got food. Turns out they opened at 7. But they didn't open the actual doors in to the seating area till 7:30. whatever. point is, they opened early, and this whole big mob of people went running up the hill while some ppl in line were screaming at them that there was a line and everything. i'm not one who runs. in fact i do it as seldom as humanly possible, but i was sprinting up that damn hill, because i WAS in line, and dammit deserved to be on that friggin rail. well they stop us up about 40 yards from the venue doors, to give pit ppl wrist bands and i was like oh, 5th in line for that. which is good, it all evened out, right? shah. after they give us the wristbands which is a painstakingly long process, the running commences again to the closed doors for the seating area. It's 7:20 at this point and most of our group still hasn't gotten in. We don't know what door to go to since all doors lead to the pit. My idea is to spread out. I was at the center door. When the doors finally open at 7:32 we all of us go sprinting down the steps thru the place and i swear i thought i was gonna fall flat on me damn face. also i brilliantly picked the middle, without accounting for the sound board that blocks the path between orchestra and loge and had to make the quick right or left decision to get down to the pit. any other door had a direct path. but anyway, after all that, i ended up dead center. there were two big guys on the rail, but i was right behind them and had perfect view of center stage between their shoulders. i begged them to trade spots with me cuz they were crows fans and said i would move right after toad played. but they ignored me completely. but it was ok. despite having nothing to lean on, i had the best view in the whole damn place (except for the assholes in front of me). Toad was absolutely amazing. Top form. Way better than last week when they were still feeling their way around. They played mostly hits and/or rocking songs, because they are an opening act. but that was SO ok. I screamed like a goodber at the start and end of every song. I had NO shame. It was only like 35 minutes tho, and we were told it would be 50, which kinda pissed me off. But it was just great. I got sweaty and gross and felt awful after, tho. So i got the hell out of the venue for some air, a gigantic diet pepsi and a no salt soft pretzel. i met up with my friends (the not toad centered ones) and had some good conversation. relaxed a bit. i didn't go back in till right before Counting Crows came on and there was agood 45 minute interlude. my friend amber kept telling me how this concert was gonna make me love them, as before the show i really didn't care. Well i wasn't moved to tears or anything, but its an interesting show they put on. Adam is really into the audience...he kinda speaks a lot of the lyrics and lets the audience sing a lot too. The whole place was standing most of the show. I stood thru about 3 songs (long drawn out, you know) and then sat. Yes, in the pit. But i moved to the back against the rail. Next to two of the toad peeps. One of which was 6.5 months pregnant, so it's understandable. I sat there for oh, a good half hour, maybe 45 minutes. Couldn't see anything but the pretty stage decorations, and occassionally Adamns bobbing head could be seen thru the pit ppl. it was not so bad. I got up around 10 or 10:15, cuz i was told the curfew was 11 and they would have to stop playing then. It was right at the beginning of Long December which is a song i've always had a spot in my heart for, for reasons i won't get into. Adam was at the piano. It was really nice. Then a couple more songs went by, and it became clear they would play past 11. Then there drummer got sick and had to leave stage and they were all befuddled and didn't know what to do. they played a few songs with no drummer. at which point i went and sat down again, but only for a short while. i got up again when i heard the toad peeps cheering and saw that randy from toad had come on stage to help out with the drums...tho he had no idea what he was doing with their songs. maybe two songs left and they ended with...with...that one song...the big one...ack i can't think of it. not round here, the other one. but they brought glen up on stage too, and he didn't really know what to do. and a bunch of chicks came on stage too, family and whatnot. and a little girl on adams shoulders..a daughter? dunno. it was all very festive. and then it was over. crows were good. they played a bunch of songs i know from radio and from the jukebox at pineapple hill which always seems to be playing them. but i wasn't converted. i think a lot has to do with the audience of which i can safely say i would hate 90 percent of if i ever knew them. and yo. it was weird to see toad in a strictly opening act capacity. That i've never seen till last night. I saw them once at the HORDE festival in like 97 or something and they were early in the day and this was kinda like that, but not really. That's why i felt i needed to be so loud. i even sang. loudly. and i don't do that at concerts. yelled right into the ears of those guys on the rail in front of me...anyhoo...
i guess the whole process gets repeated again tonight. except the whole floor of the wiltern is now G.A. so it could be kinda nuts. I don't know when i should get there. or if there will be a place to sit. cuz i just can't handle standing for a whole show. i know that makes me old. and ALL the toad/crows shows are like this...standing. are the tori shows like that too? at least then i will actually have a seat to sit in if i choose...
god my whole body still hurts from last night.
i have to find breakfast. do laundry. shower. go to the bank. sleep if there's time. go to show. more later or tomorrow, as if this wasn't long enough....
its 9:50. i don't think i've ever written a 45 minute journal entry before...
It's been a while since i've posted right? I can't remember. I said I was done with school, I know that. Yesterday I turned everything in and sold back my books. Done and done. Monday i left my job. I'm FREE! For a little while. Last night was my second show of december. Tonight will be my third. Friday I'm leaving for sandiego and vegas and tempe and not coming back till tuesday. (4th, 5th, and 6th shows of december).
But last night. And I know you wanna hear about last night. It was SOOOOOO great. Alright. I had pit tickets to the universal ampitheater. If you know anything about the venue, and i'm assuming no one reading this does, you know it has a HUGE pit, and there is furious competition for the prime spots. So i got to the place about 4 oclock in the afternoon, and was only lik 5th in line for the pit. I was the first of the Toad posse to get there and everyone trickled in over the next two hours or so. As it got closer to the time when they open the gates to the hill up to the venue, the line became a mob. Also they said they would open at 7:30, so at about 10 to 7 a bunch of our group (not me tho) went and got food. Turns out they opened at 7. But they didn't open the actual doors in to the seating area till 7:30. whatever. point is, they opened early, and this whole big mob of people went running up the hill while some ppl in line were screaming at them that there was a line and everything. i'm not one who runs. in fact i do it as seldom as humanly possible, but i was sprinting up that damn hill, because i WAS in line, and dammit deserved to be on that friggin rail. well they stop us up about 40 yards from the venue doors, to give pit ppl wrist bands and i was like oh, 5th in line for that. which is good, it all evened out, right? shah. after they give us the wristbands which is a painstakingly long process, the running commences again to the closed doors for the seating area. It's 7:20 at this point and most of our group still hasn't gotten in. We don't know what door to go to since all doors lead to the pit. My idea is to spread out. I was at the center door. When the doors finally open at 7:32 we all of us go sprinting down the steps thru the place and i swear i thought i was gonna fall flat on me damn face. also i brilliantly picked the middle, without accounting for the sound board that blocks the path between orchestra and loge and had to make the quick right or left decision to get down to the pit. any other door had a direct path. but anyway, after all that, i ended up dead center. there were two big guys on the rail, but i was right behind them and had perfect view of center stage between their shoulders. i begged them to trade spots with me cuz they were crows fans and said i would move right after toad played. but they ignored me completely. but it was ok. despite having nothing to lean on, i had the best view in the whole damn place (except for the assholes in front of me). Toad was absolutely amazing. Top form. Way better than last week when they were still feeling their way around. They played mostly hits and/or rocking songs, because they are an opening act. but that was SO ok. I screamed like a goodber at the start and end of every song. I had NO shame. It was only like 35 minutes tho, and we were told it would be 50, which kinda pissed me off. But it was just great. I got sweaty and gross and felt awful after, tho. So i got the hell out of the venue for some air, a gigantic diet pepsi and a no salt soft pretzel. i met up with my friends (the not toad centered ones) and had some good conversation. relaxed a bit. i didn't go back in till right before Counting Crows came on and there was agood 45 minute interlude. my friend amber kept telling me how this concert was gonna make me love them, as before the show i really didn't care. Well i wasn't moved to tears or anything, but its an interesting show they put on. Adam is really into the audience...he kinda speaks a lot of the lyrics and lets the audience sing a lot too. The whole place was standing most of the show. I stood thru about 3 songs (long drawn out, you know) and then sat. Yes, in the pit. But i moved to the back against the rail. Next to two of the toad peeps. One of which was 6.5 months pregnant, so it's understandable. I sat there for oh, a good half hour, maybe 45 minutes. Couldn't see anything but the pretty stage decorations, and occassionally Adamns bobbing head could be seen thru the pit ppl. it was not so bad. I got up around 10 or 10:15, cuz i was told the curfew was 11 and they would have to stop playing then. It was right at the beginning of Long December which is a song i've always had a spot in my heart for, for reasons i won't get into. Adam was at the piano. It was really nice. Then a couple more songs went by, and it became clear they would play past 11. Then there drummer got sick and had to leave stage and they were all befuddled and didn't know what to do. they played a few songs with no drummer. at which point i went and sat down again, but only for a short while. i got up again when i heard the toad peeps cheering and saw that randy from toad had come on stage to help out with the drums...tho he had no idea what he was doing with their songs. maybe two songs left and they ended with...with...that one song...the big one...ack i can't think of it. not round here, the other one. but they brought glen up on stage too, and he didn't really know what to do. and a bunch of chicks came on stage too, family and whatnot. and a little girl on adams shoulders..a daughter? dunno. it was all very festive. and then it was over. crows were good. they played a bunch of songs i know from radio and from the jukebox at pineapple hill which always seems to be playing them. but i wasn't converted. i think a lot has to do with the audience of which i can safely say i would hate 90 percent of if i ever knew them. and yo. it was weird to see toad in a strictly opening act capacity. That i've never seen till last night. I saw them once at the HORDE festival in like 97 or something and they were early in the day and this was kinda like that, but not really. That's why i felt i needed to be so loud. i even sang. loudly. and i don't do that at concerts. yelled right into the ears of those guys on the rail in front of me...anyhoo...
i guess the whole process gets repeated again tonight. except the whole floor of the wiltern is now G.A. so it could be kinda nuts. I don't know when i should get there. or if there will be a place to sit. cuz i just can't handle standing for a whole show. i know that makes me old. and ALL the toad/crows shows are like this...standing. are the tori shows like that too? at least then i will actually have a seat to sit in if i choose...
god my whole body still hurts from last night.
i have to find breakfast. do laundry. shower. go to the bank. sleep if there's time. go to show. more later or tomorrow, as if this wasn't long enough....
its 9:50. i don't think i've ever written a 45 minute journal entry before...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2002-12-11 11:52 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2002-12-12 01:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-12-11 02:09 pm (UTC)That wrist band business for the pit area reminded me of the David Bowie show...we didn't have to run up a hill but we waited in line to get in, and then we had to wait in a second line (that DIDN'T MOVE) to get our bands and THEN we had to wait in line to get into the pit! I was freaking out but it turned out that really no-one got there early (it was an all day show and Bowie was playing second to last), so I lucked out with a spot right against the barricade.
Anyway, back to you. I'm glad it turned out okay and that you could see. That really sucks that the guys in front of you wouldn't let you in just for the opener! How lame. Concerts are so un-friendly any more...it seemed like a few years ago, everyone was there for the music and you could actually meet cool people and help each other out. Now it's all about "me first, screw you". It's also too bad that Toad only played for 35 minutes! Dang. But it sounds like you had a good time...I hope tonight's show is really great!