My vote is for Irving Plaza in NYC. It’s got a good-size floor area, with no stupid sound board area in the middle of it (it’s on the balcony). But it’s not too big. The wooden floor can actually get bouncing with the right kind of crowd. Which is a little scary and quite fun. Definitely better than concrete though. And the audiences, in my experience, are really enthusiastic and into it.
OTOH, it isn’t a place I would want to be stuck in if there was a fire. It’s on the second floor and everyone would head right toward the stairs where they came in.
Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow by a country mile. The stage is only about five foot high and the standing-only audience is right bang up against it. The roof is low and is gently curved, which seems to help the acoustics a great deal. The wooden floor is actually sprung! Just add 2000 refreshed Scottish people and you have the ultimate jumping up and down concert experience.
Hey, are you going to the Coachella Festival this year??? I live in Palm Springs, so I am very close. We are gonna try to make it for at least one day, particularly the day that Queens of the Stone Age play. I wish that Beck would play, but I believe he’s on tour overseas. Sigh.
Last year, Mr. Beckwall went on Sunday, he saw Queens, Foo Fighters, surprise appearance by Tenacious D, Prodigy and some others that I forget.
Old or new 9:30 Club? I loved the old one (930 F St., NW), but I never really felt like the new club lived up to its name or reputation after it moved (Somewhere on V St., NW).
I think Wolftrap (northern Virginia) is a great place to see an outdoor show, and they book some great artists. Inside… I don’t know. Maybe the Beacon in NY.
I wouldn’t miss it. Going both days. I tend to spend most of my time in the dance tent. I’m gonna try to get a little bit more variety this year (gotta catch the Beasties!).
I just saw Tom Petty there.
As for my favorite, I’m not sure, they’re so many good ones in Milwaukee, depends on the band you’re seeing. If the weather is nice, the Marcus Amphetheather is great, if the weather sucks, then there’s the Milwaukee auditorium/areana. And of course there’s always The Rave/Eagles Ballroom.
Its this old historic building on the banks of the Thames, and quite interesting in its own right. Sometimes they put on gigs in the massive courtyard in the middle.
I went to see Orbital there and it was amazing dancing to them while totally surrounded by this amazing old grand building on all sides. Kind of like a fusion of old england, with the imposing building, and new england, with the innovative electronic sounds and beats. Or thats how it felt at the time anyway!
