Tuesday, August 15, 2006
No really, I'm not That Indie Snob
The Greek Theatre is my favorite large-scale venue in LA. Sure, it’s not exactly undiscovered, but it is open-air and sunk in the woods, two things that make it an LA anomaly. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even walk up the hill in Griffith Park to get there. (Your other option is stacked parking, a reminder that you really haven’t left the city at all).
Sunday night we went to Death Cab/Spoon/Mates of State. I went mostly for The Mates and Spoon. These bands fit more in a club like The Troubador, but lucky for us, they rocked a little harder to fill up the ginormous outdoor space. Even the Death Cab fans (i.e., pre-teens) had to stop chatting when they took the stage. For a few minutes, anyway.
Death Cab I can take or leave these days. Now look. I have glasses and wear Pumas. But I'm not That Indie Snob who turns against bands once they hit it big. DCFC seem like good guys with talent, who came from a great indie scene in Seattle -- why shouldn't they have all this success? My beef is their music -- and their live set -- has become increasingly bland and boring. Their show did provide the highlight of the night, though: a swarm of rabid tweens got past security, jumped on stage, and assaulted Ben Gibbard as he sat at the piano, singing something delicate and tortured.
The second highlight of the night? I paid for a Regular beer and got a Jumbo instead (can you tell why I like this venue so much?).
After the show let out, I noticed the impatient line of people waiting for their cars. I don’t think I’ve ever been so thankful to walk down a hill.
The Greek Theatre is my favorite large-scale venue in LA. Sure, it’s not exactly undiscovered, but it is open-air and sunk in the woods, two things that make it an LA anomaly. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even walk up the hill in Griffith Park to get there. (Your other option is stacked parking, a reminder that you really haven’t left the city at all).
Sunday night we went to Death Cab/Spoon/Mates of State. I went mostly for The Mates and Spoon. These bands fit more in a club like The Troubador, but lucky for us, they rocked a little harder to fill up the ginormous outdoor space. Even the Death Cab fans (i.e., pre-teens) had to stop chatting when they took the stage. For a few minutes, anyway.
Death Cab I can take or leave these days. Now look. I have glasses and wear Pumas. But I'm not That Indie Snob who turns against bands once they hit it big. DCFC seem like good guys with talent, who came from a great indie scene in Seattle -- why shouldn't they have all this success? My beef is their music -- and their live set -- has become increasingly bland and boring. Their show did provide the highlight of the night, though: a swarm of rabid tweens got past security, jumped on stage, and assaulted Ben Gibbard as he sat at the piano, singing something delicate and tortured.
The second highlight of the night? I paid for a Regular beer and got a Jumbo instead (can you tell why I like this venue so much?).
After the show let out, I noticed the impatient line of people waiting for their cars. I don’t think I’ve ever been so thankful to walk down a hill.
