On December 12th, I went to KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas, and it was pretty damn awesome.
First off, I have to say that I was super impressed with the Gibson Amphitheater, and here's why:
- Because it's at Universal Citywalk, there is lots to do there even if you arrive early.
- It is simple to park when you get there.
- It is easy to leave. This is especially significant, because most concerts end with you sitting in a parking lot, battling with other drivers
to get the hell out of there.
- It's an indoor amphitheater, meaning it's designed for concerts. I've seen bands play at places like Dodger Stadium, and let me tell
you, the sound is shit there when compared to the Gibson.
- It only fits 6000 or so people, which means that no matter where you sit, you get good acoustics and a great view.
- It has seats. Yay! Call me a baby, but I like having assigned seats. Not only do you not have to stand the entire time, but you also
don't have to have part of your group stay behind to defend your hard-won spot if you want to get up for some reason.
So, KROQ, I make my plea to you: Please don't change the venue for Almost Acoustic Christmas!! And if you do, keep it a smaller venue. If I had to go see AAC at the Staple Center, it just wouldn't be the same. Also, I would hate you forever.
On to the actual concert!!
Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros:
The first band started at 6:05 PM or so. HOLY SHIT! A CONCERT STARTING LESS THAN AN HOUR LATE? IT'S THE APOCALYPSE. Anyway, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros kicked off the concert (I wanted to say "with a rousing rendition of -insert song names here-", but I couldn't seem to find set lists for AAC 2010 anywhere!). I will admit that before I saw their name on the schedule, I had honestly never heard of ESTMZ, and as soon as they walked on stage, I was like, "Look at those dirty hippies!" Apparently, though, those hippies can play pretty damn well (I will definitely be going on iTunes to buy some of their music later!). I was particularly impressed with how well the musicians meshed, considering the fact that the band consists of 10 people. Often, in my opinion, bands with a lot of people who don't have a knack for playing live end up sounding like unintelligible noise. My only complaint about their live performance was that it was hard to understand the lead male singer (Alex Ebert)'s words, but that is pretty common at concerts, so I wasn't too disappointed. He also couldn't dance for crap - It looked similar to what I'd imagine a retarded monkey having a seizure would look like. - which made their performance that much more entertaining. Jade Castinos, on the other hand, had a spectacular live voice, which was a better manifestation of the band's great musical talent. I also really enjoyed the fact that they seemed friendly and made a point to interact with the crowd. - Yup. Definitely hippies. - I have one question for Mr. Ebert, though: What the fuck is wrong with your hair?
It was during this first act that we located the Creepy Dancing Middle Aged Lady for the day. My concert-going friends and I have learned that there is always at least one woman of this type at every concert. During the Hives in 2008 at the Wiltern there was a weirdly dressed middle aged woman livin' it up a few rows in front of us. Definitely creepy. During Coldplay 2009 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, there was one of those 50ish year old women that think they're a cougar, but aren't, yet still dress like a 17 year old girl. That one was extra special, because she was with her boyfriend (or husband?)... and they were practically having sex in the row in front of us. Awkward? Painfully so. Basically, no concert is complete without a weird middle aged woman doing something weird/freaky/disgusting in public. This time around, though, was particularly darling, because it was obvious that the two girls sitting next to her were her daughters... and they were VERY embarrassed.
The Broken Bells:
I had vaguely heard of the Broken Bells before seeing them on the schedule, but hadn't ever listened to them (at least, not that I know of). I have to say, though, they were good live and they seemed like solid musicians. I definitely liked them... liked not loved. I'll probably download them... illegally and for free, though. My favorite part of their performance was the second song, because it was at that time that the singer did a spectacular impression of a 5 year old girl. It was really quite realistic; I must say. Also, throughout the entire set, one of the drummers was doing what I think he believed to be a standard hip swaying motion, but it ended up just looking like he was doing awkward hip thrusts in the air. They did have two drummers which was kind of rare (I think) and cool, but there was no WOW factor. Essentially, I liked them, but wasn't totally smitten.
As much as I would like to finish this tonight, I am tired, so that concludes part 1 (of 3, at this rate). Again, if you don't like it, suck it up!
Night.
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