- Opening act was JBM, and his set was absolutely haunting. It completely touched my heart, and I told him that later when I met him and bought his CD. Look out for Not Even in July
, and by all means if he comes to your town, go see him. What a dynamic performer. Here's a photo of him on his concluding song; done with the help of some Rogue Wave buddies:
- My wife and I sat in the "Extra Gold Seating," which meant that we got to share a table with another couple and were on the hook for $60 of food or beverage each. The food was not good and tasted like it was bought off the Schwann's truck, microwaved, and plated. Likewise, our table was about as far from the stage as possible. I'd not recommend the "Extra Gold Seating" at the Fine Line - not in the least. We would have been much better off with the $12 tickets.
- Rogue Wave was outstanding. The highlights for me included the all-band drum solo ahead of Lake Michigan, Lake Michigan itself, Harmoinum, Chicago X 12, and the finale of Permalight.
A great set that left nothing out.
- The band was really tight tonight, and seemed to truly enjoy the company of one another. Interactions were light, focus was good, and execution nearly flawless. It is really fun to be present when a band is bigger than the sum of its parts, and that was clearly the case tonight.
- Zach Rogue kept the interactions with the crowd fairly limited, although after an early set of Permalight songs, someone asked that they play "the good stuff," to which Zach wondered aloud if they wrote for Pitchfork. He later congratulated the crowd on the new Twins stadium, which brought a warm reaction.
Overall, the evening was a function of great company, a great venue, some great music, some great drinks, and some lousy food that added up to a really great evening overall. Best surprise of the night was JBM - keep an eye on him.
Thanks for the comments on their "Extra Gold" seating. I was just about to purchase a pair of the seats for the Phantogram show. Bummer about the food, since I figured the food and drink would make it worth it.
ReplyDeleteIs there a problem with crowds around the seats? The main draw for me is being able to kick back, relax, and enjoy the show. I'd hate to be packed in tightly with people crowding around the balcony... if it's like that, the tickets really are worse than main floor tickets.
Losing,
ReplyDeleteNo worries about the crowd around the seats - everybody is basically downstairs. You're very free to stretch out. But definitely eat before the show and save your dollars for drinks.
Enjoy Phantogram, and thanks for posting up.