Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! @ Metro
April 4th, 2006I have to admit – I very nearly didn’t see this show. I was running late, missed the opening band, and started to think “why bother, I’m going to see them at Coachella anyways”. But I got myself in gear, raced downtown, and got to the venue in a little over 20 minutes. The show was packed since the show was sold out, and I wasn’t able to see much as I walked around looking for a good spot.
Luckily, I found a whole colony of people a full 2-3 inches shorter than me over in a corner. From that position I still wasn’t close, but I had a nice clear view in an area that wasn’t too crowded.
CYHSY put on a good show and played well, but I just wasn’t feeling into it. Could be that I had just seen them a few months earlier at Schubas, and I was only a few people from the front of the stage. While I usually can’t stand being that close to the front, crowded in with folks, I think my friend Stu has ruined me for my usual spot hanging out in the back.
The upside of being up front: you’re in the action and you can take great pictures. The downsides: hard to get beer, and even if you do get something to drink – pray you don’t have to pee. You’ll never get back to your spot. Or at least I won’t – I feel rude as hell trying to get through a crowd. The only tactic I’ve used that makes it tolerable is to buy three beers and then fumble your way through the crowd with them. People (except the truly evil) will tend to get out of your way in this situation. Then when you get up front you give your friend the other beer, and one of the stangers you just walked in front of the other.
But I wasn’t up for that tactic this evening. I just wanted to see the show, and get to bed. Typically I’m a bit more into a show, particularly one who I was as excited about as this one. I blame daylight savings time. One hour less of sleep sometimes makes all the difference.