The Anthem

[StoneTheCrow]

VIP entrance is a great idea, too. Thanks, Seth!

[grateful]

Our voices have been heard. The bartender I ran into  (hola!) Said she has been reading the board and was pouring beers into cups.

Takes way less than 5 seconds, by the way. Nonsense.

I can't wait for cask ale! Cask ale at the Anthem!!

[bearman🐻]

Hope everybody enjoyed the QOTSA show more than me. That was by far the worst I’ve ever seen them.

[hutch]

Oh no bear...sorry to read that

i did not see bottles either...so yah keep em coming

[StoneTheCrow]

Hope everybody enjoyed the QOTSA show more than me. That was by far the worst I’ve ever seen them.

Me, too.. Sound was a little muddy in  my seat, as well.

[bearman🐻]

Hope everybody enjoyed the QOTSA show more than me. That was by far the worst I’ve ever seen them.

Me, too.. Sound was a little muddy in  my seat, as well.

To me it was the performance of a band not really playing their best music, and instead they’re going through the motions. The sad thing? It felt amplified by the size of the venue. On the surface, it was fine. But compared to other tours, this was just turgid.

Oh, and waiting 30 minutes to get in needs to change. That was ridiculous.

[Unsanity]

That line to get in was insane. It took over 30 minutes. I missed most of Royal Blood. Several passerby's were asking what we were doing and we said it was a line to get into a concert and they always looked shocked. Do we really need one person to wand you, one to scan a ticket and one to put on a wristband? There is some inefficiency there. Also, what is with these security guards walking around outside the venue telling people to "keep it moving" on the sidewalks after the show? I really found that lame. Like...dude I am waiting for my friends to come out of the show so chillax you creep!

I thought Queens were pretty great at this one. Josh was admittedly tipsy and I thought he was in good spirits. He can be stoic and even confrontational with the crowd but he was all smiles and gratitude at this one. I was on the floor 3 or 4 rows back from center and the energy from the band and crowd around there was insane. Jon Theodore's drums totally slammed and Michael's bass boomed. Their guitars maybe could have been higher in the mix but to me it was pretty decent. I do wish they played a few different cuts from the new record and maybe one more from R but I had a blast and think it was better than last time I saw them.
Also, I thought they had an amazing selection of merch.

[mekmad]

I have a change that would be great but totally unrealistic.  It would be great if the stage was like 5 feet higher so the floor could see the band better.  Thought the beer line ran smoother last night, it was long but moving pretty quick.  Seemed like the bottleneck outside were the people checking id's. 

[Seth Hurwitz]

It just takes time to get 6000 people in

Although if you had the same person doing those 3 tasks it would take longer

[hutch]

Hey guys as far as beer lines pro tip just get some at the upstairs bars if lines are long on floor...no line or hardly! Spread the consumption!

[grateful]

Unless the Foo Fighters are playing...bar lines on the 3rd floor were insane!

[blipvurt]

I've been getting in around 645 super easy (for LCD and QOTSA). Like barely waiting in line. Have been hearing from friends (who show up later) that the line gets crazy later on when the majority of people show up.

After Foo Fighters it was obvious to me that some pre-planning would be necessary on future sold out shows.

As for the show, that was my favorite QOTSA performance and it sounded great where I was standing. I'm surprised/sorry some of you folks weren't into it!

[bearman🐻]

It just takes time to get 6000 people in

Although if you had the same person doing those 3 tasks it would take longer

I've never had that issue at the Aragon or the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium or Radio City Music Hall, all of which are roughly the size of the Anthem. I'd think it would make sense to get people in faster so that they'd be buying beer inside, not spending 30 minutes outside. And in the summertime or dead of winter, that's going to suck donkeys.

[hutch]

Bear were they wanding everyone at those venues?  That is by far the part that takes longest but in todays world I am glad it is being done...and they may be doing that...


But yah..long lines are no fun

[bearman🐻]

As for the show, that was my favorite QOTSA performance and it sounded great where I was standing. I'm surprised/sorry some of you folks weren't into it!

I've been seeing them a long time. The issue that I have with Friday's show is that compared to what they USED to be like in concert, this was a like watching a QOTSA cover band. In 2003, at the end of the Songs for the Deaf tour, they put on one of the most intense shows I've ever seen. In 2007 in Baltimore, they were probably the tightest as a band and they were having a blast. Last year with Iggy Pop, the guys (minus the QOTSA rhythm section) were absolutely flawless and you could see the passion and joy. Part of my issue with the concert the other night was song selection and pacing of the show, as well as overall flatness. Opening with a dirge-ish track like "If I Had a Tail" was kind of weak, considering how many shredding tunes they have. The majority of older songs were tunes they played on the last tour. I understand some bands have staples, but "Make It Wit Chu", "Monsters in the Parasol", "Little Sister", and "Sick Sick Sick" have started to become stale for me. They didn't even perform their two best new songs, "Fortress" and "Head Like a Haunted House". It's funny because most of my other friends that are QOTSA fans don't care for most of the new material (I'm 50/50 on it) and I think it would be cool if they mixed up their setlists more, especially with a song or 2 from the first 2 LPs. It was hard to get into it because it never had the soul that I have come to expect. It didn't feel like a QOTSA performance to me. "I Appear Missing" (ironically) was one of the highlights because that was one tune where I could actually hear the band come together like they used to.