Ben Gibbard, David Bazan, and Johnathan Rice @ Granada Theatre.
I HATE EVERYONE!
Whitney calls me a "snob" and Lee calls me an "asshole", but I can't help it that I have standards. I like nice things, I like nice people, and I tolerate very little that strays from what I agree with.
Don't like it? We weren't friends anyway...
All of my friends are basically like this and I don't know what makes the distinction between "good" people and the rest. So last night Lee and I went to the Granada to see three artists that we dearly love. We'd eaten dinner at Gloria's (best tex-mex I've ever had) and were in great moods when we arrived at the theater.
The venue was great, the staff was very nice, and it seemed like all was set for another great concert. Sure, there's much to be said about seeing Damien Rice first; it's he whom I believe to be one of the greatest live events you could possibly attend.
First up, Johnathan Rice, who would have stolen the show if people would have extracted themselves from their conversations and cellphones for two seconds to hear. At one point, I had to turn to the group behind me and say "you know that noise you're having to talk over? that's the noise I came to hear!". They promptly moved, but it didn't make a difference because Lee and I found ourselves waist-high in conversation hour.
It was the same for David Bazan.
Why do you come to a concert to ignore it? I guess it goes back to how we've commercialized and taken away the niche that culture and music, specifically, used to be. It's no longer events that people who love music go to, but has become an extension of tv and pop culture.
Ben Gibbard isn't popular because he's literally a gem compared to most everyone out there. He's popular because Death Cab for Cutie played on The OC twice and the Postal Service was on the Garden State soundtrack.
I know it's a flaw in my character that I can't ignore these things and that I can't avoid the indignation that comes from annoyances like these. But when you can't hear the music that you came to see; that EVERYONE came to see, well, then something is wrong fundamentally with society.
So don't go to a concert with me if you want to talk; not that I'm going to be going to any more concerts after the last two disappointments.
I blame Damien Rice and the Majestic Theatre for being so epic.
Comments
I. Love. Glorias. Oh yummy...black beans...makes me want it RIGHT now.
and, just so you know, i agree that you should be able to enjoy the music and everyone else should hush.
Posted by: cayce at May 15, 2007 07:53 PM
Dude, they were on the O.C. way more than twice. They played live in one episode (at a concert venue that does not actually exist out here), were referred to countless times by one of the main characters, and probably had songs in 5 or 6 episodes per season.
And I agree with everything else you said. The same is true of movies. Going to a theatre used to be part of the fun of seeing a movie. Now it's just something to be endured for the rare movie that I absolutely cannot wait for on DVD.
Posted by: Hoover at May 15, 2007 09:36 PM
I still can't talk about it. All I can say is, "word".
Posted by: Lee at May 16, 2007 07:22 AM
I so, so, so, so agree. Last year I went to quite a few concerts (Death Cab, Ben Folds, Rolling Stones, Counting Crows, and others), and virtually all of them were made far less pleasant by the jerks around me. The Rolling Stones show was the worst, because everyone was drunkenly "dancing" all over my sister and me, and spilling beer on our feet. I remember saying that I wished my eyes were death lasers so I could kill everyone within a twenty foot radius, except Lance Armstrong and Kevin Bacon, who were there and behaved themselves nicely.
[I know Whitney and I were a little bit silly at Rocky Votolato, but we were there for the music and we appreciated it! ]
Is Gloria's really Tex-Mex? I thought it was technically supposed to be like Puerto Rican or something. But whatever it is, it rules.
Posted by: jill at May 16, 2007 09:47 AM
Gloria's is Salvodorian and Mexican.
But tell a Mexican that it's Mexican and they'll say "that's not Mexican." So who knows...
Posted by: regan at May 16, 2007 10:10 AM
this is SO bizarre that you posted this, because last week, at the rice/bazan/gibbard show in austin, the EXACT same thing happened to me and my friends.
i looked over at one point and saw my friend tamar screaming in the faces of three sorority girls. they were talking so loud the entire time david bazan was playing (which happened to be the only reason we went)! we literally almost got in a fight with them.
the next song he played was the "you talk shit" song. which was perfect. we met him afterwards and chatted for a bit and he was appreciative of our support. so, good for you, too!
absolutely my concert pet-peeve. kim calls me the concert bitch because i always end up yelling at somebody about talking or(UGH)clapping.
Posted by: molly at May 23, 2007 09:48 AM
oh. by clapping i meant people that clap during songs. like we're at summer camp or something.
not as in applause. i suppose that kind of clapping is alright.
Posted by: molly at May 23, 2007 11:42 AM