A few thoughts/feedback after my third show last night, The War On Drugs:
- My first non-sold-out show so there was a lot of space available. I thought the LCD and Foo Fighters shows got nice and roomy on the floor after the first 20 minutes or so, but by halfway through TWoD you could nearly walk up pretty close to the rail with no issues. I imagine at shows not populated by a bunch of bearded rock nerds folks might push up closer to the stage and leave empty space at the back of the floor, but last night everyone spread out and had a lot of space to groove. Also, why do so many people in DC leave shows early?
- Entry process was different and way more efficient. I don't know if this is a permanent change or just something reserved for smaller shows, but I thought it was a big improvement.
- Bar lines were shorter because of a smaller crowd, but the bartenders were working hard and fast to get everyone served quickly. A lot of improvement in this area as well.
- It seemed like you could get your bottled/can beer on its own or in a cup, so there doesn't seem to be a universal policy around that yet.
- Sound quality continues to blow me away. Even with more empty reflective space around the room, the bass and drums were incredibly tight. At one point my crew was talking about how it felt like the kick drum was coming from inside our chests.
- The stage was pulled forward last night as far as I could tell. I don't know if this is the furthest it could go, but it was definitely a good 10-15' closer.
Overall, continuously impressed by the venue and ongoing work to solve the few issues from the first shows. Bring on Phil Lesh!