Dear Diesel,
Beach House was pretty good last night. They sounded really good, actually. Problem is, I couldn't see a thing for most of the show.
I skipped the opener, so the place was already packed when I arrived. The floor was so crowded there was really nowhere good to stand without blocking someone else. My own fault, I admit, for arriving late. So I tried upstairs, which I'm sure you're aware suffers from even worse visibility problems than it previously did, thanks to the recent renovations (which I know the clubbers--who surely account for a bigger portion of your revenues--love, so I can't fault you that).
I was able to get into a corner by the door for a little while where I could sort of see the drummer from behind, but then someone told me I couldn't stand there. I got a beer and found a spot on the back wall and gave up on trying to see anything. I listened to the music, and I enjoyed it.
All of this is just precursor; I knew what I was getting into when I bought a ticket to a Diesel show. You guys have a great soundsystem, terrible visibility issues, and Joker's been booking some solid acts there lately. But let's get to the point, to the puzzle: I counted six TVs that weren't turned on and were easily visible to the 30% or so of the crowd who could not see the stage.
So, why not set up a closed circuit, aim a fixed camera on the stage, and display concerts on those fancy hi-def screens in the future, a la Thunderbird?
Very truly yours,
Roberto
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6 comments:
Here, here! A reported $5-750k in renovations (astounding, I know) and I can pay $25 to get into a show and I'm not able to see it? Ridiculous.
Roberto overlooked the absurd start times of your shows. I know the JerseyShore crowd has bumping and grinding to do after we music fans are ushered out, but surely you realize that 7pm showtime for national touring acts is inconvenient for anyone who both works and habitually eats dinner.
I concur. I was also at the show and I was definitely frustrated by the set-up. The renovations have made concerts almost unwatchable unless you are directly in front of the stage or in one of the VIP booths on the second floor. Terrible. I am going to avoid shows there at all costs from now on unless it is a must-see act.
I won't take quite such an extreme position. The setup is frustrating, but not a dealbreaker altogether for me. It just requires you to get there reasonably early (an annoyance for sure for a 7:00 show) for a decent view, or extremely early for any kind of view where you can enjoy a beverage.
It's a catch-22 in a way: for less popular acts the venue is fine, but as soon as it gets any kind of crowd it starts to frustrate. So the problem with only going there for must-see concerts is that those are the shows where its weaknesses are at their worst. I'd almost be inclined to take the opposite approach and only go for smaller acts.
Or maybe we're overthinking this. It's certainly not the first rock club with obstructed views.
Unfortunately, the majority of venues in the city necessitate an early arrival for any type of decent view during a crowded show.
The Thunderbird Cafe-you literally cannot see at all or even enter the room.
Club Cafe-who wants to stand the entire time in a crowd three rows deep by the bar.
Brillobox-that place is a nightmare wherever you end up standing.
Smalls-my least favorite place to see a show for many reasons.
My friend Matt and I actually left halfway through because we were so disgusted. The "renovations" to the mezzanine area definitely make it even harder to see.
Just to bring it back around, my only point is that Diesel should utilize all those TVs they have.
My job doesn't afford me the ability to get there early most of the time, so I've come to accept that visibility is always a problem with small, indoor venues. But Diesel seems to have made their problem worse while ignoring an opportunity to alleviate it. A closed circuit video with no recording kept shouldn't be prohibited in most small bands' contracts, so why not give me a glimpse of what's happening?
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