House of Blues Eyeing DC

[you be betty]

I hate the entire House of Blues enterprise.
 
 Their venues just annoy the piss out of me.  The idea of a chain venue annoys the piss out of me.  They are so "commercial rock."  Like, fake-grimey and fake-decrepid and at the same time very modern and they all look like the same plastic crap.  If I want to go to a theme park, I'll go to a theme park.  I don't want to go to a theme show.
 
 I think a huge part of what makes going to a great club so special is the individual experience you get at that particular venue and what you end up associating that with.  The vibes that an individual club can give off are just so wonderful...I don't understand how any music fan (no matter how much they love the green) can fuck with that.  
 
 If anyone's seen the multiple HOBs in the LA/Orange County area, you'd understand.  They forcefed and just not what a music venue should be.  For me, there's no comfort in that whatsoever.
 
 What makes the scene here so special in part is how we've escaped that crap.  The clubs we have already are impressive and personable and dedicated.  I'd love an alternative to DAR, but a House of Blues is not the answer.  We'd need a good maybe Wiltern-type theatre or something.  But this is absurd.
 
 I'm sorry if I'm coming off as a pretentious bitch about this.  But we have this great homegrown feeling in DC, and I've always loved that.  I don't want some corporate assholes coming in and messing it up.
 
 
 ...and yes, I am well aware that regardless, this is how the cold cruel world works.

The Blues isn't an art form.  It's a product, not unlike tampons or computer chips.

[edbert]

 They want to put it way downtown, who really wants to go there?
 

I do,  It's a cleaner safer place than where the other clubs are
 

 I guess it will have to be subway shows exclusively as there is no way that parking for 3000 will magically appear for some shows.  

That's a good thing, for people to be able to take the subway. But if it's next to the convention ctr there's a lot of underutilized parking capacity there at night they could potentially deal for

[Bags]

Originally posted by Sir HC:
  Look HOB's method is to book the touring band for several cities, and you have to play *their* venue in all those cities, can't just play the cool ones and play elsewhere the other times.  Such things crush competition, how can an independent network of venues compete?  

Damn, good point.  Plus, can't LiveNation leverage a promoter's portfolio of bands in terms of, "if you want Band A to play Nissan, the Band B has to play HOB."
 
 DAMN.  I take it back.  I'll see the Pixies at DAR.  9:30 is my priority.

<img src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y25/team_dupek/b4def681.jpg" alt=" - " />
 
 DAR !

[Firebutt McGee]

I dont like the idea of a House of Blues in DC. Not cool at all.
 
 I just...dont like it.

Originally posted by ixkpd-bk:
  I dont like the idea of a House of Blues in DC.  

But there should be one in Fairfax.

[sonickteam2]

i think a little competition will do everyone some good.
 
  I mean how long did seth plan on being the ONLY show in town?  (not that he minded i am sure!!!)
 
 
  either way, look at how many cities in this country have multiple venues of the same size. they're surviving!

[Sir HC]

Originally posted by le sonick:
  i think a little competition will do everyone some good.
 
  I mean how long did seth plan on being the ONLY show in town?  (not that he minded i am sure!!!)
 
 
  either way, look at how many cities in this country have multiple venues of the same size. they're surviving!

What do you mean the only show in town.  Nation closed a couple months back, there is the Black Cat (not 1/2 the size, more like 2/3), several other places.

[Sir HC]

Originally posted by Mixed Veg:
   

 They want to put it way downtown, who really wants to go there?
 

I do,  It's a cleaner safer place than where the other clubs are
   

 I guess it will have to be subway shows exclusively as there is no way that parking for 3000 will magically appear for some shows.  

That's a good thing, for people to be able to take the subway. But if it's next to the convention ctr there's a lot of underutilized parking capacity there at night they could potentially deal for [/b]

Downtown is usually pretty dead at night.  As to the subway, good luck getting artists to conform to the metro schedule for their shows.

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

The artists who play Jammin Java all seem to be able to stick to an 11 pm end time.
 
 

Originally posted by Sir HC:
   

Originally posted by Mixed Veg:
   

 They want to put it way downtown, who really wants to go there?
 

I do,  It's a cleaner safer place than where the other clubs are
   

 I guess it will have to be subway shows exclusively as there is no way that parking for 3000 will magically appear for some shows.  

That's a good thing, for people to be able to take the subway. But if it's next to the convention ctr there's a lot of underutilized parking capacity there at night they could potentially deal for [/b]

Downtown is usually pretty dead at night.  As to the subway, good luck getting artists to conform to the metro schedule for their shows. [/b]

[sonickteam2]

Originally posted by Sir HC:
   

Originally posted by le sonick:
  i think a little competition will do everyone some good.
 
  I mean how long did seth plan on being the ONLY show in town?  (not that he minded i am sure!!!)
 
 
  either way, look at how many cities in this country have multiple venues of the same size. they're surviving!

What do you mean the only show in town.  Nation closed a couple months back, there is the Black Cat (not 1/2 the size, more like 2/3), several other places. [/b]

i think we can all agree that the Black Cat and 930 are not in the same general ballpark.  BC gets the smaller shows.  
 
    Nation was always a niche club, catering to goth, punk, techno and hardcore shows for the most part.
 
    DAR, warner and the other theatres were just that, theatres.
 
    Now if the House of Blues is going to only get shows that would be too big for 930 club then it wouldnt be taking business away from them.
 
    BUT, i am assuming if its like the other HOB's then it will generally book the same type and caliber bands, therefore, making it the OTHER club to see bands like the Roots, Incubus, Interpol, Muse and other bands that are too big for Black Cat but too small for arena shows.
 
   right?

[ggw]

I bet Seth is going to sell the Club and retire to Boca.

[sonickteam2]

perhaps seth will let HOB  have their stupid Alt-rock and emo punk shows and book strictly GOOD shows!!!!
 
   course, thats probably not good for $$$ butit would be cool for us....til the club went broke.   :eek:

[you be betty]

HOB will book the slightly bigger artists that are selling out the 9:30 or doing two night shows.
 
 So basically, kiss half the acts at 9:30 goodbye if this happens.