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Topic: Atlantic City, NJ NYE 12-31-08 Review (Read 642 times) |
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nmf016
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Atlantic City, NJ NYE 12-31-08 Review
« on: Jan 2nd, 2009, 7:17pm » |
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This will be the worst review ever. After everything that happened around the actual time the band was on the stage, it's like the concert is just a blur in my mind.
Anyways... scroll down to the bold part to bypass drama.
I haven't heard anything about this yet, but I feel the need to describe what happened before the concert in case it's brought up somewhere, so bear with me. I went to the concert with two other people who had attended NYE concerts in the past. We knew we had to be in line early if we wanted a good spot so we set up camp a little after nine on the morning. There were other people waiting, but they all had VIP/Foundation Room passes, so we were the first people there for general admission. We all hung around the lobby to the venue, played cards, colored, came and went as we needed to and casually kept track of the order and everyone was happy. Since there was no security present, when more people arrived, the Foundation Room people started setting up a formal line to keep order, so the general admission people did as well. My group was first in that line. And everyone was still happy...
Then we got news that a Pass the Line option was available. We checked at the HOB box office and they confirmed we could get passes. This normally happens for HOB concerts, but we had been told it would not happen this year. To get this pass, you need to eat at the HOB restaurant, spend a certain amount from the HOB gift shop, or drink at a certain bar. My group and a few others bought the necessary items to get passes and we left our GA line to join the early admission line since that's how the passes worked. And everything was still peaceful.
Then, a while later, security finally made their way up. We explained our lines to him and he was fine with it. And then all hell broke loose when he returned later and said that the Pass the Line passes would not be honored. HOB made no apologies and took no responsibility for selling the passes. Security told everyone with the passes to get out of the early admission line and back into the regular line. By this time, a considerable number of new people had arrived and this would have put the earliest arrivals at the back of the line. We were told by security we could go to the front of the GA line again, but the new people at the front of that line were not happy about that (understandably), so there were about 20 of us who really had nowhere to go. Later, security told us only certain Pass the Line passes would be honored, including the ones my group had, but they never actually attempted to remedy the situation, so half of the people with passes went back to the early admission line and the other half stayed at the front of the GA line. This caused a lot of unhappiness when it could have been avoided if HOB had their shit together. In the end, my group ended up back at the front of the GA line, but everyone was pretty unhappy and stressed out and it just made something that was supposed to be fun kind of awful.
And then we were let into the venue. (You don't care about this, but I need to write it down somewhere so I can remember it when I get the crazy idea to do this to myself again next year.) I made it to the center, about three rows back and we got pretty smushed together. Early on, I got separated from my group by a person who thought she was going to pass out (mostly because she was not dressed appropriately for being in a GA pit). We all tried to clear space around her since she would not get out of the crowd, but the person on the other side of me would not let that happen. I was actually completely leaning against this person from shoulder to hip in an attempt to keep her from shoving me into the person who was about pass out. I was minutes away from leaving the front of the crowd and all the stupidity when my group of people grabbed me and pulled me to a better place shortly before the Goos went on stage. It got better from there, but I was pretty annoyed and tired and my feet were killing me.
Hey! Here's the part you actually care about!!!
Setlist (stolen from American Girl on AG since I have not yet dealt with whatever is on my camera)
Long Way Down
Slide
Big Machine
Feel the Silence
Black Balloon
Smash
Tucked Away
Become
Naked
Here is Gone
Name
Countdown to midnight
Countdown to midnight AGAIN for no reason at all
American Girl
Stay With You
Before It's Too Late
Another Second Time Around!!!!!!!!!!!!
We'll Be Here
Better Days
Real
Broadway
Let Love In
Iris
Give A Little Bit
They played for a solid hour and a half. Nothing too off the wall, but at least they played a decent number of songs. John seemed to be a little introspective at points, but in a pretty decent mood. I'll have to go re-listen to what he was saying before I can really comment on that because my brain is mush. I couldn't see Robby very well some of the time (thanks giant awful New Year's headband that will undoubtedly be in my videos where Robby should be), but he seemed to be his normal awesome self. Mike, Korel and Brad didn't say anything, but they seemed happy enough. They all sounded good, but there were some seriously flubbed lyrics in at least two songs (not a complaint, I actually like it when they screw up).
John called a couple onto stage and left them with the mic while he ran offstage because 'he had to pee'. In case you can't see where this is going, the guy asked the girl to marry him and she cried a lot and John came back and shoved the mic in their faces a lot, asked questions she was not prepared to answer right then and told the guy how terrible his proposal was (A & S in 2009/10!!). Later, he asked some people what their resolutions were and just said that his was to really think before he did anything and that he hoped 2009 was a better year. I'll add in anything important after I go through my camera stuff...
There was a clock off to the side counting down and they mostly finished Name about 30 seconds before midnight. Everyone but John cleared off the stage and we counted down. There wasn't any confetti this year, which made things a little anticlimactic, but it gave a clear view to see John go over to the side of the stage and kiss his girlfriend, which was very cute. (I couldn't see the other band members, but I assume they did the same with their significant others.) Then he came back and did another countdown. Why? No idea. At the end of the show, I managed to get one of Korel's picks.
And... that's all I can really remember at this point.
Considering only the concert and the events directly leading up to it, I don't know if I would attempt NYE in the GA pit again. The way things are run, the way some people change and the general discomfort of trying to do it the way you're supposed to do it isn't terribly fun. I have wanted to do it for ten years (and been old enough for a couple years) so I am happy to have it out of my system now. I was lucky enough to get to spend some time with a couple of wonderful, generous and HILARIOUS people that I could not have made this trip without and I think that's what really made my trip memorable (and it's probably what will make me think this is all a great idea again next year).
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zomg
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Re: Atlantic City, NJ NYE 12-31-08 Review
« Reply #1 on: Jan 2nd, 2009, 8:24pm » |
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Sorry to hear about the whole lineup fiasco, but it sounds like the trip was fun overall. So yay!! Happy New Year! 
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nmf016
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Re: Atlantic City, NJ NYE 12-31-08 Review
« Reply #2 on: Jan 2nd, 2009, 8:42pm » |
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She said yes. And John was just teasing. He also tried to convince them to get married next week before they change their minds.
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Shannon
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Re: Atlantic City, NJ NYE 12-31-08 Review
« Reply #3 on: Jan 3rd, 2009, 10:54am » |
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Thanks for the awesome review Nicole. I'm sorry to hear the pre-show GA drama wasn't so fun. At least it all resolved itself and you managed to get a good spot. Considering who you were with I can totally see you doing this again next year. I bet you laughed your asses off the whole time ... except for the line stuff.
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d.e.n.i.s.e.
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Re: Atlantic City, NJ NYE 12-31-08 Review
« Reply #4 on: Jan 3rd, 2009, 5:01pm » |
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Man, that line drama is really too much. I'm glad you were able to get back to the front and had fun with your friends.
I had a much different experience. I didn't even try for the front. As a matter of fact I intentionally stayed in the back. I stayed so far in the back that I was able to stand on the stairs to the balcony, so I had a clear view of centerstage for the whole show.
It's a lot of fun being up front and center, I know I've been there a few times. But there is something to be said for going out for a nice dinner and showing up right before the band goes on.
I went with my husband which is why I did what I did. There was no way he was going to deal with waiting all that time and the nonsense of the line drama.
I don't know what I would have done if he wasn't with me. I probably would have been part of the drama LOL.
It was my first New Year's show and I was very glad with the way it turned out.
I liked the set-list a lot. And I got to see a few songs I'd never seen live
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Re: Atlantic City, NJ NYE 12-31-08 Review
« Reply #5 on: Jan 5th, 2009, 10:37am » |
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great review!
HOB is known for that crap. few years ago they pulled that with us ( a huge group of at least 15) in new orleans for the goo show.
they still do it to this day. why they can't figure out a set plan for concerts is beyond me.
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googoofan5
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Re: Atlantic City, NJ NYE 12-31-08 Review
« Reply #6 on: Jan 12th, 2009, 7:38pm » |
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FYI, I was standing behind the soundboard and saw the setlist on paper and inputted into the computer, American Girl was not on the setlist as an option at all. They just ended up playing it. The song was not in line on the computer for the automatic level adjustments.
I thought it was cool he just added a song on the fly, they looked to be having a great time.
-Steve
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