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Post by bambooflute on Apr 22, 2014 13:09:09 GMT
Inspired by a discussion with Quizz Kid about the Hammersmith Odeon (Apollo) in London...
We spend a lot of time analyzing individual concert performances, but I’d like to hear about your favorite (and least favorite) concert venues. Is there any place you have seen Tull that is particularly memorable?
I’ll start. My favorite venues are the Beacon Theatre in New York City; a grand old structure built for movies and vaudeville in 1929, with a capacity of 2700 (I believe); it has great acoustics and a lot of character. I also really enjoyed seeing Ian’s acoustic tour at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester, Massachusetts in 2009. Built in 1904, it was a movie theater and burlesque house, but was renovated in 2008, renamed and is now a lovely modern theatre with a capacity of 2300 (according to my research).
My least favorite (apart from the hockey arenas of the early days – or “echo chambers,” as a friend of mind calls them) is the Bank of America Pavilion (now the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion on the waterfront in Boston, Massachusetts. A slab of concrete partially covered by a tent, it holds 5000 people, with horrible acoustics (the wind off the water can, literally, carry the music away). I do, however, have a fond memory of seeing Tull perform “A Change of Horses” there in 2010, and I turned me head to see the sparkling Boston skyline lit up in the distance. It was very atmospheric and a fondly recalled moment, but overall not a great venue.
The strangest place I ever saw Tull was in Shirley, NY, at the Long Island Hot Air Balloon Festival in August, 2001. Tull played on the Friday night of the festival, held on the ground of Shirley Airport. The hot air balloons were supposed to rise, tethered to the ground, and be illuminated behind the stage during the concert, but it was too windy for this to take place. Ian performed behind a plexiglass shield due to the wind, as it would have interfered with his flute playing. It was an odd night, but a great concert; totally unique!
Those are my best, worst, and weirdest venues! Your turn!
-David
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Post by Gerrald Bostock on Apr 22, 2014 16:36:04 GMT
Favorite venues, after giving it much thought for me it had nothing to do with the acoustics, tour or band. Mine is based entirely on who I went with and who I met up with. That would have to be the Wang Center in Boston last October. Having friends fly in from London, Los Angeles,to attend a show was great and then having others drive down to Boston for a get together before and after the show was great. We had folks from New Hampshire, New Jersey and Rhode Island meet up before the show and went into Boston. Where we meet up before the show with a few more folks from the area even the person who started this thread. So it was a good time before we even sat down. The Wange Center is a very nice theater, beautiful inside and great acoustics. After the show we met up with many more folks from Long Island and New York. Ate some wings with a certain guitar player from some band who happened to playing earlier in the evening. as well as chatting with a few other members of that enatrage. A great evening at great event played in know my favorite venue. Now that is subject to change as November's convention comes closer and closer, and the chance to have a beer with the other three gents who have found this "The Jethro Tull Group" will probably make that my favorite. As well as the entire program for that weekend will make it even better than Boston.
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Post by Gerrald Bostock on Apr 23, 2014 11:34:22 GMT
...but I guess I really did not answer the question of what was my favorite venue. I would say that the shear electricity and excitement of seeing Tull was when they would play to full houses in the old "Boston Gardens" 18,000 folks was pretty wild. To me it symbolized there hey days. The acoustics, but I did not really care about that, it was the entire experience the stage presence, the lights, the movements and the music all tied into one package. The only places to see this all woven together where the old sport arenas. During the 70's and most of the 80's Tull was a top touring act and could fill just about any size venue. From the 71 to 89 they easily filled these place, it was actually around 82ish when it did scale down to slightly smaller arenas and they still could fill the 10 to 12 thousand arenas in my area the Worcester Cetrum as it was called when it opened in 82. Tull then proceed to play the outdoor amphitheaters during the summer months 88,these places would typically hold 7500 to 10,000. So Ian and the boys still could play to a large amount of fans it was the 89 tour "Rock Island" where the mid size arenas started to be harder for Tull to sell out in the states and in 91 with Catfish tour it was painfully evident that the audiences were downsizing. Tull would play multiple nights in some cities in the smaller more intimate theaters the 4500 seaters and then to smaller outdoor theaters as well. To where it is now 1500 to 2500 old musical theaters. As Tull went to the smaller the venues their sound became much better as they actually were playing in places that were built for acoustics. But it also signaled the smaller in statute they became, handing over the baton to the current popular acts of the day.
So to me seeing Ian playing to smaller venues is like seeing myself age as well. Knowing that my bell curve is starting to slope downward, a sad reality but a known fact. So i guess that is why I like the big old "Boston Garden" an age that reminds me of my care free and and totally liberated self and when Tull was the biggest Rock Act on the planet. Just an FYI Jethro Tull was a headline act over 15 times in the Boston Garden...pretty amazing. This is from the Boston Garden site :http://d21c.com/bobinil/celtics/boston_garden.html
Rock band Jethro Tull performed at the Boston Garden as a headlining act more times than any other band with 15 headlining performances from 1972 to 1980.
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Post by progrockdeepcuts on Apr 26, 2014 13:24:34 GMT
I've only been to a few, but all of them have their charms and flaws. In no particular order -
Mr. Small's in Munhall, Pa - I saw Steven Wilson there. It's a tiny church-turned-club that's close, moody, dark, and a little bit eery. Perfect vibe for Steven's music! There are even a few stained glass windows (covered, of course), just adding to the vibe. The sound isn't great, but it's so small that a bad view is nearly impossible - oh, and standing room only, so you're up close and in eye contact with the band, more or less. I just love the vibe of this place.
The Byham in Pittsburgh - If there's a polar opposite to Mr. Small's, this is it. Still small (but bigger than Mr. Small's), there's beautiful artwork on the ceiling and the employees all wear tuxedos. Really classy; I've seen Richard Thompson at this historic theater twice.
The Palace Theater in Greensburg, PA - Slightly bigger than The Byham and brings in some big acts. The downside is that you want to get seats on the floor; being a historic theater as well, the house PA doesn't carry well to the balcony. I've been there three times - Ian Anderson, Zappa Plays Zappa, and Robin Trower, and will be there a fourth to see Ian Anderson in October. The sound has always been impeccable on the floor, but for the ZPZ show, you couldn't hear vocals or percussion in the balcony. Still, a beautiful theater (but not as classy as the Byham).
The Zoellner in Bethlehem, PA - I saw the North East Art Rock Festival here in 2012. 10 progressive rock bands in three days, including Renaissance, UK (I met Eddie Jobson!), Van der Graaf Generator, and many newer (and very talented) groups. It's only 1,000 seats and is located on a college campus, but is just beautiful - sound wise and in architecture. After each performance, there was a table set up where you could meet the bands and on the lower levels, there were three or four rooms full of vendors selling t-shirts, CDs, vinyl, and other merchandise. One of the best, overall, live concert experiences I've ever been to.
Storybrook Farm, Chapel Hill, NC - I don't know if this counts as a venue (it's outdoors), but I caught the ProgDay festival there. It's basically a big field with a small stage and you are permitted to bring tents and other items to stay out of the sun. The vibe is so relaxed that you can literally walk right up to the stage. Amazing.
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