Cool stuff. Have to say it was my least favorite show I have ever seen them play, but it was still solid, which says something about how much I like them and how great of a band they are.
I will say they have officially jumped the shark fan wise….there was a pack of party gurls by us that literally did not.stop.talking throughout the entire time they were there. Not once. They just talked louder during the songs. Actually, that isn’t totally correct, they stopped probably 25 times to take group Facebook photos and to order drinks, but those were just temporary reprieves from their mindless droning.
Haha – yes, this was also my least favorite National show that I have seen thus far, but personally I attributed it to the fact that I just don’t like the new album as much as their past work. Still a good show.
A lot of people go to concerts to not actually watch/listen to music. It really makes it a bigger risk to drop a lot of money on a ticket when you know that your enjoyment could be tempered by annoying crowds.
Do you guys expect 1400 true fans that hang on every word and never do anything but stare into their dreamy eyes and sweaty brows? If you don’t like chatty bitches, move around. First Ave is a big place. Worse comes to worse, as it sounds like you guys have seen The National before and this wasn’t their best effort, leave.
/End rant from an “aging hipster”
Cool pics, can’t wait to see my first National show tonight.
Is it so ridiculous to expect people to be courteous and listen to the music that they paid to hear?
Apparently it is
I personally didn’t find the crowd annoying last night, but I know how shitty it can be to get to a show early, get a good spot, only to have someone stand next to you carrying on a loud cell phone conversation throughout a show. I suppose this is my fault though, not theirs.
Point taken, but I do think it is an expectation that is rarely met at a sold-out show at First Avenue. People pay for a “show” not necessary for the artist. Don’t get me wrong, those people piss me off too, but unless you act they probably won’t go away. If they won’t leave your good spot, and you ask them to leave because they are ruining you experience and they tell you to screw off, what can you do? Either tolerate their nonsense or hope to find a different vantage point with less chatting.
I don’t expect sold out first avenue crowds to be polite, in fact I can’t really think of a time when there wasn’t 1 of 1400 doing something annoying, but that doesn’t make it right in my eyes. Two things. 1)I agree everyone paid for a ticket and can do what they want, but like Jon said, we got there early (the person I was with rarely goes to shows and loves the National) and got a good spot. This group of girls came in 2 songs in and honestly spent more time looking away from the stage than looking at it. I don’t mind people talking, especially if it is about the show (although it still bug me), but these girls were talking about friends, guys, work, the “bitch that they saw” and taking pictures with the flash going off in my face, etc. Not your garden variety annoying person. They were really exceptionally good at pissing off everyone around them. The one girl even said “this is my favorite song” and proceeded to turn around and talk to the person behind her.
2)about moving. I agree that this is an option, but it pisses me off. Someone rambles in late and talks loud as fuck, so I should have to move to a shittier spot? As far as telling them to be quiet, I have done this in the past and have found an almost uniform response of “fuck you, I paid for a concert so calm down” or “loosen up” like it makes someone a square to not talk loudly during a concert. People who are rude assholes in a group event aren’t generally the most polite people when confronted.
All of this being said, there were 4 girls and 1 guy who were annoying, everyone else around me was really into it and having a great time. I hope Andy that you are by the 1,395 people who were excited to see the National, especially not the 5 who paid $28 to overpay for drinks and have a chatty happy hour. They really are an awesome live band, so I hope you have a really good time.
@ andy: i would willingly stare into the dreamy eyes of all members of the national and the antlers. all day and all night. but unfortunately i wasn’t able to attend this show…looks pretty epic though.
jon, how are you dealing with the new 3 song policy at 1st ave?
Is there a new policy? As far as I know it has always been three songs, though generally it is up for the bands to decide and not First Ave. There was no restriction, for instance, on shooting Chromeo on Saturday night
There’s always mostly been a 3 songs (or assumed 3 songs) with touring bands from what I’ve seen, but local stuff they don’t seem to enforce most of the time.
wasn’t my least favorite National show i’ve seen, but it was def towards the middle of the pack.
sounds like Friday nights show w/ Justin Vernon sitting in for 6 songs (including 90 Mile Water Wall!!!, About Today, and a brand new song) was the one to hit.
I saw them at the House of Blues in Chicago on Saturday and Richard Reed Parry from Arcade Fire sat in on every song from High Violet and that show was f’n amazing, so just depends.
That second pic with the green halo is amazing!
Cool stuff. Have to say it was my least favorite show I have ever seen them play, but it was still solid, which says something about how much I like them and how great of a band they are.
I will say they have officially jumped the shark fan wise….there was a pack of party gurls by us that literally did not.stop.talking throughout the entire time they were there. Not once. They just talked louder during the songs. Actually, that isn’t totally correct, they stopped probably 25 times to take group Facebook photos and to order drinks, but those were just temporary reprieves from their mindless droning.
Haha – yes, this was also my least favorite National show that I have seen thus far, but personally I attributed it to the fact that I just don’t like the new album as much as their past work. Still a good show.
A lot of people go to concerts to not actually watch/listen to music. It really makes it a bigger risk to drop a lot of money on a ticket when you know that your enjoyment could be tempered by annoying crowds.
I heard there were cooler bands with cool fans in the entry that night
Yeah, sorry I didn’t make it over. I hit a wall at around 9pm and all I could think about was going to sleep
Not a problem, just laughing at you guys complaining about the National’s fans
thanks for telling me about the show in advance adam. asshole.
@Josh and Jon:
Do you guys expect 1400 true fans that hang on every word and never do anything but stare into their dreamy eyes and sweaty brows? If you don’t like chatty bitches, move around. First Ave is a big place. Worse comes to worse, as it sounds like you guys have seen The National before and this wasn’t their best effort, leave.
/End rant from an “aging hipster”
Cool pics, can’t wait to see my first National show tonight.
Is it so ridiculous to expect people to be courteous and listen to the music that they paid to hear?
Apparently it is
I personally didn’t find the crowd annoying last night, but I know how shitty it can be to get to a show early, get a good spot, only to have someone stand next to you carrying on a loud cell phone conversation throughout a show. I suppose this is my fault though, not theirs.
Point taken, but I do think it is an expectation that is rarely met at a sold-out show at First Avenue. People pay for a “show” not necessary for the artist. Don’t get me wrong, those people piss me off too, but unless you act they probably won’t go away. If they won’t leave your good spot, and you ask them to leave because they are ruining you experience and they tell you to screw off, what can you do? Either tolerate their nonsense or hope to find a different vantage point with less chatting.
I don’t expect sold out first avenue crowds to be polite, in fact I can’t really think of a time when there wasn’t 1 of 1400 doing something annoying, but that doesn’t make it right in my eyes. Two things. 1)I agree everyone paid for a ticket and can do what they want, but like Jon said, we got there early (the person I was with rarely goes to shows and loves the National) and got a good spot. This group of girls came in 2 songs in and honestly spent more time looking away from the stage than looking at it. I don’t mind people talking, especially if it is about the show (although it still bug me), but these girls were talking about friends, guys, work, the “bitch that they saw” and taking pictures with the flash going off in my face, etc. Not your garden variety annoying person. They were really exceptionally good at pissing off everyone around them. The one girl even said “this is my favorite song” and proceeded to turn around and talk to the person behind her.
2)about moving. I agree that this is an option, but it pisses me off. Someone rambles in late and talks loud as fuck, so I should have to move to a shittier spot? As far as telling them to be quiet, I have done this in the past and have found an almost uniform response of “fuck you, I paid for a concert so calm down” or “loosen up” like it makes someone a square to not talk loudly during a concert. People who are rude assholes in a group event aren’t generally the most polite people when confronted.
All of this being said, there were 4 girls and 1 guy who were annoying, everyone else around me was really into it and having a great time. I hope Andy that you are by the 1,395 people who were excited to see the National, especially not the 5 who paid $28 to overpay for drinks and have a chatty happy hour. They really are an awesome live band, so I hope you have a really good time.
@ andy: i would willingly stare into the dreamy eyes of all members of the national and the antlers. all day and all night. but unfortunately i wasn’t able to attend this show…looks pretty epic though.
jon, how are you dealing with the new 3 song policy at 1st ave?
Is there a new policy? As far as I know it has always been three songs, though generally it is up for the bands to decide and not First Ave. There was no restriction, for instance, on shooting Chromeo on Saturday night
There’s always mostly been a 3 songs (or assumed 3 songs) with touring bands from what I’ve seen, but local stuff they don’t seem to enforce most of the time.
wasn’t my least favorite National show i’ve seen, but it was def towards the middle of the pack.
sounds like Friday nights show w/ Justin Vernon sitting in for 6 songs (including 90 Mile Water Wall!!!, About Today, and a brand new song) was the one to hit.
I saw them at the House of Blues in Chicago on Saturday and Richard Reed Parry from Arcade Fire sat in on every song from High Violet and that show was f’n amazing, so just depends.