So last night was the Rob Thomas show at the Vic.. I was concerned when we got there at 5:45 and there was a line a mile long down the street.. almost to the point of eating the ticket cost and going home.. but alas.. we parked and got in line.. walked in.. right up the balcony... and sat in the 5th row. Not bad at all. Then they put some folding chairs in front of the seats and we moved down to the first row in the balcony. I wasn't real sure if I was going to like it there.. I was really freaked out by the smoking in the seats, but happy too see the waitress . Some very angry bi-sexual woman was his opening act. I didn't know any of her music.. it was mostly man bashing. She swore she was in "recovery" but she had the shakes so bad I am Mother Theresa if she wasn't on something..

Anyway.. Rob finally came out.. and I was amazed at the sound in that place. Jim and I agreed it was easily the best concert we've ever "heard". Loved the intimate setting. Very glad I didn't bother with trying to get downstairs. That first row of the balcony can't be more than 100 feet from the stage.. We're going to keep an eye on who's playing there as we want to see more shows there. So you guys that told me it was a good place to see a show were right.. thanks!!

That place is very cool, even the downstairs main floor, standing room is better than most places. The floor has a few levels so it keeps getting higher and higher towards the back, so everyone is on a slant. It makes it easier to see over people's heads from the back. Most places have one flat floor and even though I'm tall, I still have hard time seeing the stage.

Glad you had a good time, Steff!

 

Yeah, The Vic is probably my second-favorite venue in town, behind only the Metro.

The Vic is definitely the best place to see a "mid-level" performer ( too popular for clubs, but can't yet fill a large venue ), and as you said, the sound there is always VERY good.

The Park West is a very nice place too, but that's even smaller than Metro IIRC. Haven't been to the Park West in a long time.

He could have easily sold out a bigger place IMO. There were a ton of people trying to by tickets from those in line. We got approached at least 15 times with offers of $100 a ticket (face was $35). I went to the Metro looooooong ago. I liked it there also.

 

We stopped in a bar on the way out to use the bathroom and ended up staying till midnite.. oye ve.. those Cub fans are weird o's.. totally wasted and laughing about having to work the next morning.. I wonder how they keep their jobs.

He could have easily sold out a bigger place IMO. There were a ton of people trying to by tickets from those in line. We got approached at least 15 times with offers of $100 a ticket (face was $35). I went to the Metro looooooong ago. I liked it there also.

 

We stopped in a bar on the way out to use the bathroom and ended up staying till midnite.. oye ve.. those Cub fans are weird o's.. totally wasted and laughing about having to work the next morning.. I wonder how they keep their jobs. 

I was wondering why he didn't play the Rosemont Theatre. His matchbox20 popularity made me assume that he'd go for a RT/Riviera/Aragon type of venue, but maybe he wanted to keep it smaller, since he gets the arena experience with matchbox. Personally, I'd have taken the hundy and gone home....

 

And yeah, tell me about it re: Cubbie fans. On Sundays I work a night shift and usually leave work between 2 and 2:30 am. I like to take the long way home ( to remind myself why I used to like driving ) and I pass a few Near North side bars on the way. Still VERY full at 2:30am on a Monday morning! Not much productivity happening at those jobs today....

I always loved the Vic. I haven't been to a Vic concert since a New Year's Eve Todd Rundgren show more tthan 10 years ago.

 

I liked Metro and park West also, but for the sheer grandeure (sp??), the Chicago Theater was an amazing place to see music and Uptown not too far behind. Aragon Ballroom was a nice small venue as well, if I'm remembering right.

 

Damn, there are/were som great places to catch shows in Chicago.

Edited April 25, 200520 yr by FlaSoxxJim

The Vic is also my second favorite, behind the Riviera. I don't know why, but the Riv is such a cool place to see a show. Metro is really close too.

 

I saw Cake and Massive Attack at the Vic and they were the best sounding shows I'd seen to that point. Foo Fighters at the Riv is the best.

I'm curious as to who the opener was.

 

Love The Vic. I used to run lights for bands, and I got on pretty well with the light guy at the Vic. I would show up with the bands I worked with, climb up into the lights booth (which you can see if you look UP and to the right), and just hang with him and his girlfriend for the whole show. One of the nicest guys I ever met. You really get a great perspective of things from way up there in a club like the Vic. Best light system I ever used also.

I always loved the Vic.  I haven't been to a Vic concert since a New Year's Eve Todd Rundgren show more tthan 10 years ago.

 

I liked Metro and park West also, but for the sheer grandeure (sp??), the Chicago Theater was an amazing place to see music and Uptown not too far behind.  Aragon Ballroom was a nice small venue as well, if I'm remembering right.

 

Damn, there are/were som great places to catch shows in Chicago.

All I've ever seen at the Chicago Theatre are comedy shows.

Sam Kinison, Chris Rock, Margaret Cho - all at the Chicago. Good times!!

 

The sound is s*** at the Aragon. All the time, for every show. That place has horrible acoustics, the high end just gets swallowed up by the bass and drums. Muddy as hell. And it's not that small, capacity is around 4,000 or so, I believe.

As awful as I think the Aragon is, I have a weird fondness for the place, since I've seen some GREAT metal shows at that hole! For a time in the 80's, almost EVERY metal show worth seeing took place at the Aragon.

Since we're talking about venues in the area.

I like Metro, the Vic and the Riviera, in that order.

I HATE the Aragon, Kid G, maybe you can tell me why the sound is so awful there. It's just one big, flat echo. It's too bad, beacuse a lot of bands I like play there, but I refuse to go there.

All the oudoor venues suck too. Tinley and Alpine have average sound and horrible sight lines.

 

psst, two secret places Bottom Longue and Empty Bottle:headbang

The Vic is also my second favorite, behind the Riviera.  I don't know why, but the Riv is such a cool place to see a show.  Metro is really close too. 

 

I saw Cake and Massive Attack at the Vic and they were the best sounding shows I'd seen to that point.  Foo Fighters at the Riv is the best.

The Riviera is a cool venue, too!

Best show I saw there? Damn, that's a tough call. My top three would be:

Replacements - very drunk, very cool, tons of fun!

Public Image Ltd. - I was able to get about 20 feet away from John Lydon, who was one of my earliest rock idols.

Dinosaur Jr. - The LOUDEST drums I've ever heard! We were halfway up the balcony and the snare drum sounded like an M-80! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Plus, I love J Mascis' squealing guitar solos - I'm happy they're reforming, but bummed that the only place so far to see them is Lollapalooza, which I won't be attending. I like club shows, I hate festivals.

Since we're talking about venues in the area.

I like Metro, the Vic and the Riviera, in that order.

I HATE the Aragon, Kid G, maybe you can tell me why the sound is so awful there.  It's just one big, flat echo. It's too bad, beacuse a lot of bands I like play there, but I refuse to go there.

All the oudoor venues suck too.  Tinley and Alpine have average sound and horrible sight lines.

 

psst, two secret places Bottom Longue and Empty Bottle:headbang

Bottom Lounge is getting a TON of the cooler shows lately!

I like Double Door better than Empty Bottle, but EB is okay too.

The Riviera is a cool venue, too!

Best show I saw there? Damn, that's a tough call. My top three would be:

Replacements - very drunk, very cool, tons of fun!

Public Image Ltd. - I was able to get about 20 feet away from John Lydon, who was one of my earliest rock idols.

Dinosaur Jr. - The LOUDEST drums I've ever heard! We were halfway up the balcony and the snare drum sounded like an M-80! BANG! BANG! BANG! 

Plus, I love J Mascis' squealing guitar solos - I'm happy they're reforming, but bummed that the only place so far to see them is Lollapalooza, which I won't be attending. I like club shows, I hate festivals.

 

Holy s***, another Dinosaur JR fan!! I saw them just before they broke up at Metro and I have tix to Lolla 05 !! I'm the same way, I hate big stadium shows, but I couldn't pass up 2 days of Lolla for $35.00.

Speaking of loud drums, I saw The Secret Machines a couple of months ago at Metro. Thier drummer is sick.

Edited April 25, 200520 yr by LosMediasBlancas

The Riviera is a cool venue, too!

Best show I saw there? Damn, that's a tough call. My top three would be:

Replacements - very drunk, very cool, tons of fun!

Public Image Ltd. - I was able to get about 20 feet away from John Lydon, who was one of my earliest rock idols.

Dinosaur Jr. - The LOUDEST drums I've ever heard! We were halfway up the balcony and the snare drum sounded like an M-80! BANG! BANG! BANG! 

Plus, I love J Mascis' squealing guitar solos - I'm happy they're reforming, but bummed that the only place so far to see them is Lollapalooza, which I won't be attending. I like club shows, I hate festivals.

 

Hey, which PiL tour was it you saw there? I saw them once at the Riv. I think it was the Happy tour. Probably around '89 or so. I was right up front at that one, being mauled by some crazy girl.

I was right up front at that one, being mauled by some crazy girl.

 

Sorry bout that Kid..

 

 

 

Hey, which PiL tour was it you saw there? I saw them once at the Riv. I think it was the Happy tour. Probably around '89 or so. I was right up front at that one, being mauled by some crazy girl.

I think that was the one!

You should have SAID SOMETHING!

A LOT of girls were being crushed up front that night - we were counting, and we saw 15 girls get plucked out of the crush at the stagefront and hauled off for treatment/rehydration/backstage passes/sexual favors.

I spent most of that show trying to keep my friend from getting crushed.

Yeah, I seem to remember that. Not as bad as the Faster Pussycat situation at the Metro for the Wake Me... tour. That one was crazy.

 

It took two of my friends to pull this girl off me that night, and these were BIG guys. If that was you Steff, I might have to become a Cubs fan to be sure to never run into you again!

 

Oh, Crit, and I didn't say anything to you because you were creeping me out with your constant drooling and "Marry Me Johnny" sign.

Yeah, I seem to remember that. Not as bad as the Faster Pussycat situation at the Metro for the Wake Me... tour. That one was crazy.

 

It took two of my friends to pull this girl off me that night, and these were BIG guys. If that was you Steff, I might have to become a Cubs fan to be sure to never run into you again!  

 

Oh, Crit, and I didn't say anything to you because you were creeping me out with your constant drooling and "Marry Me Johnny" sign. 

Hey, I worked REAL HARD on that sign.....it didn't work, though (sigh)....good thing, though, as it turns out - he has REALLY fallen apart!!!

All I've ever seen at the Chicago Theatre are comedy shows.

Sam Kinison, Chris Rock, Margaret Cho - all at the Chicago. Good times!!

 

The sound is s*** at the Aragon. All the time, for every show. That place has horrible acoustics, the high end just gets swallowed up by the bass and drums. Muddy as hell. And it's not that small, capacity is around 4,000 or so, I believe.

As awful as I think the Aragon is, I have a weird fondness for the place, since I've seen some GREAT metal shows at that hole!  For a time in the 80's, almost EVERY metal show worth seeing took place at the Aragon.

I saw two Zappa Chicago Theater shows during what turned out to be his last tour.

 

Among the best concerts I ever saw.

 

And I may be getting the Aragon and the Embassy mixed up in my mind. I know I saw Stevie Ray Vaughan at both venues pre-1985 and I think ít might actually be the Embassy I liked and not teh Aragon.

 

What the hell was I doing during those concerts that my memories are so clouded...?

I saw two Zappa Chicago Theater shows during what turned out to be his last tour. 

 

There is smoking in every venue I've been too. I love it.

There is smoking in every venue I've been too. I love it.

 

 

????????

There is smoking in every venue I've been too. I love it.

 

 

I didn't like it to much. Luckily I was up top though so it wasn't a big deal.

There is smoking in every venue I've been too. I love it.

 

I don't smoke, but I hear ya, it ain't a rock-n-roll venue without smoke, booze and a sticky bathroom floor.

I don't smoke, but I hear ya, it ain't a rock-n-roll venue without smoke, booze and a sticky bathroom floor.

 

Very true. Saw Oasis at the Vic. Blur at the Riv. Squirrel Nut Zippers at the Park West. Atari Teenage Riot at a midnight Metro show.

 

Loved the Metro, Loved the Vic - The Riv is a bit outsized for me.