Have to say a colossal thank you to the Director for hooking me up with a ticket. Such a thoughtful gesture, and I am so grateful. Sorry we didn't cross paths last night, but we will in the future. I owe you.
My thoughts:
1) The venue: pretty stunning. It has the stature of something like the Aragon in Chicago, but a 21st Century version with much better sound and more comfortable. It's so funny how it feels like a club and a small arena at the same time. It just depends on what's going on. With the Foos on stage, they make it feel like one big party. But it's going to be interesting to see how the feel of the venue changes depending upon who is on stage. And that stage is huge. I didn't have any issues getting in, and I'm grateful that the capacity was capped. It was easy to move around and check things out. Though I didn't buy any drinks or eat anything, it looked like there were a lot of options. I recognized some staff (didn't see Hutch though) and everyone working there seemed pretty cool.
2) The Foos: not my favorite show of theirs, but very fun. Dave was talking to Seth during the set, who was right above me and beaming down like a proud papa admiring his new baby. The set was actually a solid 2 hours...they wrapped up just before 11pm. Pretty impressive that they gave us a full show. I am sure tonight will be more grand, I was wondering if maybe they'd bring in some special guests or something.
3) Overall: we needed a venue of this size, and we got it. The face of music has definitely changed, and unfortunately most of the bands that I want to see aren't playing the 9:30 Club anymore. Most are either of a more specific taste, so they grace smaller stages. Others will be at the Anthem. So in a lot of ways, this is the venue that we'll likely be spending more and more time at. It'll be interesting to see how easy it is to get there and leave, especially using ride shares, because I don't see the Metro as being the most convenient option. That whole part of the city is now changed for good. I can't believe walking around there how much they put there. If it's true Millennials are starting to leave DC, then we'll see if all the growth in the city is sustainable. I wish Seth and all the other business owners great success. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to attend shows, weekends are safer bets for me. I'll just assume most nights the headliner will go on in the 8:30 to 9:15 range. Hutch, if you are able to get any intel, please share with us whatever you find out. We'll make it worth your efforts, I promise.
