10-second commentary: Grant Lee Phillips at IOTA

[geekchick]

Full of awesome.

What a great show! It was just him and the drummer, no opening act, and they played for just around two hours. There were a few songs from his new 80s covers CD, which naturally made me happy. His chatter during the show was pretty funny; the people behind me who kept up a loud running conversation through most of the show were not nearly as amusing.

The great thing about IOTA is that it's a very small venue. The bad thing about IOTA is that it's a very small venue. The only reason I didn't pass out was because I was wedged right up next to the side of the stage and the front door, so I got a bit of a breeze. also_huey reminded me of a good trick to keep in mind if you're not determined to get right up on the stage and be a drooling fan, which is to sit at the bar in the restaurant where you can hear everything without having to pay the cover. Perhaps I'll try that trick for the John Eddie show, especially if the cute bartender happens to be working again.

Comments

[also-huey.livejournal.com]

Doesn't always work. I remember being made to pay the cover at the McMurtry show, even though I was just sitting in the restaurant.

But, seriously, that is the fucking ideal place to watch the show at Iota. Problem is, you'd need to get there enough before the show to stake out those end barstools.

Also, for John Eddie, I'm probably gonna want to see PK's hands, because I'm a guitar geek. So maybe you can have my seat at the bar, and I'll take yours, being mashed up against sweaty people.

[geekchick]

I remember being made to pay the cover at the McMurtry show, even though I was just sitting in the restaurant.

Interesting. Did you have to pay when you came in or did they collect later?

Problem is, you'd need to get there enough before the show to stake out those end barstools.

True, and on a work day there's no way in hell that's gonna happen. =/

So maybe you can have my seat at the bar, and I'll take yours, being mashed up against sweaty people.

Right next to the door. You get a breeze from the door, and you're still right up at the stage. I wasn't more than 10-12 feet from him tonight in the spot I ended up occupying.

[also-huey.livejournal.com]

Did you have to pay when you came in or did they collect later?

Arrived there with my wife, right before the show started - very obviously to see the show - and she paid to go into the show, and I paid to go sit at the bar.

Perhaps we can figure something out about the John Eddie show. Maybe if I offer to buy a friend and his wife dinner, I could convince him to stake out barstools for us.      ;-)

[geekchick]

Hm, I wonder if the catch is that you have to be in the restaurant early, before they come around to collect the cover from folks already inside the room. Or, I guess, show up late to a sold-out show where they couldn't legitimately take your hard-earned cash anyway. =)

Maybe if I offer to buy a friend and his wife dinner, I could convince him to stake out barstools for us.

Bribery, it's the American way! ;) You gotta wear the gold chains though. XD

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

Oh, please don't encourage his tendency towards fashion-as-visual-assault! The boy's got a very nice sterling/lapis/pewter necklace I made, and it even matches his favorite flannels...can't he wear that instead of some tacky cliche? ;)

[geekchick]

I think if you're gonna threaten to leave the house in a leisure suit, large numbers of gold chains are the only appropriate accessory. XD In all other cases though, I would happily discourage them. Not that anyone should be taking my fashion advice, of course; I certainly wouldn't if I didn't happen to be me.

[smillaraaq.livejournal.com]

That sounds almost just like the spot I occupied for the McMurtry show. Directly in front of the speaker stack closest to the door, nice clear unobstructed view of the stage, room to shimmy my butt off throughout the best electric set I've ever seen the boy put on. Heck, I'd cheerfully have paid for two tickets just for myself, to get that spot.

[geekchick]

Yeah, that's about two feet to the left of where I was standing last night (I was right next to the wall). I ended up there sort of accidentally, but it turned out to be a great spot to watch the show so long as I didn't want anything else from the bar. =)

[geekchick]

As I was saying to also_huey last night, I've been kicking myself for missing that show. I saw it was coming up, made a note on my calendar about it, and made comments on that Friday afternoon that I was planning on going. Sunday night around 10:00 I thought "there's something I was supposed to do today, wasn't there? D'OH!!!!!!!!"