Radiohead Roll Call

[hartbr8k1d]

I sat in the parking lot from 11:10 until 1:10. And as other people have said, was made to go in the wrong direction out and had to turn around, thanks to the GPS. I go to Penn State games all the time with 100,000 plus people and never have had to sit for longer than 30mins to get out. It was awful. Got home at 2:30, woke up at 6 to drive to PA for work.
 
 But Radiohead was great. I was fine with the rain and cold weather, it was only the way parking and leaving was handled that was annoying.

[Youenjoy]

I didn't think that a concert venue could suck this much, we drove around for 2 hours just to finds some damn food before the show, then after we got some burritos we sat in that line for 1.5 hours, parked then took a 15 minute walk to the venue while missing jigsaw, lucky, and 15 step. we got there and the lawn was just destroyed and people with umbrellas blocking your view, everytime i found a place where i could see, within 5 minutes some group of people with giant umbrellas would come stand in front of me, Radiohead sounded great, but you could barely even see them, and after it was over we stumble back to the car, just out of pure luck being able to find it over in lot F, we sat in line for a good 2 hoursto get out, once we get out of there, all the roads out of the town were blocked off, so after about an hour we found our way out, didnt get home till 3:30. I also had the idea that i was in hell during the 2 hours i couldnt use the bathroom.

[eros]

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes,Japanese Golfer:
  Why don't you guys who get stuck in traffic on the way home either leave the show a little early or walk fast to your car to beat the rush of people?
 
 The first time I went to a NASCAR race, I was stuck in traffic for hours after the race.. Ever since, I've either left a couple of laps early, or camped out near the exit and left immediately at race's end. Then I high tail it to my car. I've never had to wait in traffice since that first time.

Right.  This is where getting setlist spoilers helps out.  You know they are going to do 2 encores, you know they have an 11:00 curfew, you have an idea what the last song will be.  We started walking to the exit during House of Cards (not one of my faves anyway) and heard the whole thing while beating most of the traffic out.
 
 Tour manager blog
 
 It will be interesting to see if they comment on the Nissan experience here.  If Thom could've seen last night's parking lot he would've looked like the this guy.
 
   <img src="http://gravybread.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/crying-indian_fullhead80p.jpg" alt=" - " />

[wml7]

Yeah leaving the place I noticed that it takes us behind the shopping center.  I just drove into the shopping center where the target is and bam I was right back on 29 heading back to cville.  With the cops directing traffic instead of going right at that light they made everyone go left.  I think if people would have known they could have drove down further and do a uturn and be back on 29 to 66 in no time.

[Vas Deferens]

some stories in the comments:
 
 http://dcist.com/2008/05/12/morning_roundup_255.php

[sonickteam2]

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes,Japanese Golfer:
  Why don't you guys who get stuck in traffic on the way home either leave the show a little early or walk fast to your car to beat the rush of people?
 
 The first time I went to a NASCAR race, I was stuck in traffic for hours after the race.. Ever since, I've either left a couple of laps early, or camped out near the exit and left immediately at race's end. Then I high tail it to my car. I've never had to wait in traffice since that first time.

There does come a point where you think, "i can leave now and miss traffic" but after spending all day basically attending this show, and, for some of us, it being our favourite band, it just didnt seem worth it.
 
 I did sacrifice alcohol consumption, something i love to do at shows, because I didnt want to  have to leave our great spot (i was probably 10 feet from you miss p!) to have to pee every 45 minutes.
 
 My wife said to me on the way home "how come its only when we see Radiohead that all this crazy shit happens"
 
 and thats when it dawned on me...we dont ever go to big venues for shows for any other band and I would bet other ppl here are in the same boat. Perhaps people who attend Nissan regularly dont see it as such a huge hassle. (though missing the show completely cant be dismissed as anything BUT)

[Jesse]

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes,Japanese Golfer:
  Why don't you guys who get stuck in traffic on the way home either leave the show a little early or walk fast to your car to beat the rush of people?
 

I left during the 1st song in the 1st encore, hauled-ass to my car at about 10:30, and still did not get to 66 til about 12:30
 
 These type of things you can't predict i suppose.

[miss pretentious]

consumerist is also reporting. ha.
  Radiohead: Flooding forces fans to circle parking lot for 3 hours.

[Aphex]

Glad I have tickets for Camden and not last night.  I never had much of a problem with Nissan, but last year a friend dragged me to see DMB (i know, as if that wasn't bad enough), but the traffic on the way out just killed the night.  I saw CSNY a few years back and leaving the venue was fine.  I don't see why Nissan doesn't do what Camden does or even venues in NY, where they turn the whole town into one giant one way road, they just cattle everyone out.  But sorry to hear all this bad shit.

[sonickteam2]

btw
 
  did anyone take Thom up on his snuggling with towels offer?
 
  i sure could have used one!

[dave24]

I've always known Nissan to be just horrific.  I was very surprised last night though that they took absolutely NO measures to make anything more pleasant for their guests.  They really don't seem to care.  In the past, I've had horrible experiences from guest services, security, management, box office, vending... is there another category?  Off the top of my head, I can give nightmarish stories about each of those headings...
 
 Last night though was absolutely ridiculous.  The vending on one side (stage right) continued to insist that there were no hot drinks (with commercial coffee makers in plain view).  When we got into the pit - you guessed it - coffee drinks in all sorts of peoples' hands, with the other side's vending selling scores of coffee and hot chocolate drinks.
 
 They opended the gates late - for those who were waiting to jockey for a spot on the lawn or in the pit, they had to just stand there and get poured on... an what, absolutely no contingency plans to put some canopies above the concession lines?  Then, leaving the venue, they had left their maze of security railings outside the gates for a bunch of cold, wet, shivering, sore, miserable people to attempt to navigate.
 
 We did get out of the lot somewhat easily.  I've learned over time, they pretty much abide be the idea of first in, first out.  But, with so much money being spent, you'd think the venue's management could find at least one way to make a miserable experience slightly better.  But, not Nissan.  This is only my second show there in five years.  I used to attend much more regularly.  But, I just can't tolerate it anymore.  It really has to be something pretty freaking cool... Radiohead helped justify it.  But, at this point I think it'll take a resurected Stevie Ray Vaughan, or fully reunited Beatles to get me there again.

[ggw]

Bullshit.
 
 It's great that you love Radiohead and all, but you should get over the idea that Thom Yorke really gives a shit about any of this.  
 
 First he said touring was a huge carbon waste, then he said the impact comes from the fans driving to shows, then he says that they will only play shows in cities with solid public transit infrastructure.
 
 Actons speak louder than words.
 
 Nissan is 35-40 miles outside the city and has no public transit access.  Most of the other venues they are playing are also suburban and exurban locations with little to no public transit.
 
 Thom looks more like this guy:
 
  <img src="http://www.bradfox.com/blog/images/monopoly.jpg" alt=" - " />
 
 

Originally posted by eros:
 It will be interesting to see if they comment on the Nissan experience here.  If Thom could've seen last night's parking lot he would've looked like the this guy.
 
    <img src="http://gravybread.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/crying-indian_fullhead80p.jpg" alt=" - " />

[sonickteam2]

damn ggw, did Thom kill your dog or something?
 
 just take a few deep breaths, man.

[sweetcell]

left DC around 3:15 pm, were in the parking lot before 5.  we were ushered into the closest lot, since there were 5 of us in the car and that was the "car-pooling lot" - this made for a fast entry and a quick exit.  spent over 2 hours "tailgating" inside the car, with every cubic inch taken up be food, drink, umbrellas, paper plates... something akin to having a gourmet picnic inside a space capsule.  the ipod dj showdown was fun.
 
 text message received from another boardee:
 

the pit is a flooded, smellymess of humanity.  Hypothermia is imminent.  in other news, i think i'm standing next to sonick but too girly to ask him.

this text really made me laugh and totally cheered me up.
 
 we had seats in the middle of 101 row E but unilaterally decided to upgrade ourselves to the inner aisle, and were never asked to leave - woohoo.  a lot of empty seats were filled by other squatters, at one point i had a surreal exchange with someone who was trying to take the seat i was in front of, despite having no more rights to it than i did (i believe the geneva convention on concert etiquette defaults to the universal "i was here first, bucko" rule).
 
 liars were indeed abominable.  just plain bad.
 
 radiohead truly are one of the greatest bands alive today.  my personal highlight was idioteque - the stipped down beats behind "ice age coming, ice age coming" were insane.  last night was the first time this tour they've played "jigsaw falling into place".  i predicted that we'd get paranoid android - with that weather, how could we not.  thom's first words to the crowd: "hello, wet people".
 
 getting out wasn't too bad for us.  we moved to the back of the venue during national anthem, and walked out during the closing notes of house of cards.  between the earlish departure and our parking spot, we were on 66 in about 15 minutes.
 
 

Originally posted by Erinaceous Sonickus:
 I did sacrifice alcohol consumption, something i love to do at shows, because I didnt want to  have to leave our great spot (i was probably 10 feet from you miss p!) to have to pee every 45 minutes.

i had no problems getting drinks and going to the bathroom from my "pussy seats"  :p
 

Originally posted by jd930:
   

Originally posted by walkonby:
    kudos to the internet kids who are ruining another form of proceed to the artist.  pretty soon, why buy concert tickets?

Certainly you are not saying that watching youtube clips is comparable to being at a live show?  Am I missing some sarcasm here?[/b]

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[distance]

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
  Bullshit.
 
 Actons speak louder than words.
 
 Nissan is 35-40 miles outside the city and has no public transit access.  Most of the other venues they are playing are also suburban and exurban locations with little to no public transit.
 

i agree with you 100% on this.
 i'm not going to say that thom yorke doesn't care, but he certainly doesn't seem to care enough to actually take action.
 
 even if the band doesn't want to deal with the stuff personally (which, with all that's involved with booking a tour this big, why should they?), but they could have hired someone competant enough to actually find places that actually fit in with most of what they were talking about.  i'm by no means professionally involved with any kind of booking or tour planning, but i certainly have EASILY gained a lot of knowledge of general stuff about venues in a LOT of cities all over this continent to know which fit what they were saying, without even trying to gain such knowledge.
 
 
 i think that the east coast leg of the 2001 tour fit those categories better than these 2008 tour venues do.  taking steps backwards?