Genesis
Au Stade Olympique
Montreal, Quebec, Canada!!!!
Vendredi 14 Septembre 2007
(Olympic Stadium
Montreal, Quebec, Canada!!!!
Friday, September 14, 2007)
Section 120, Row VV, Seat 12
$152
Genesis did the impossible. They made a warm, personal connection with the audience in this mammoth stadium. Too bad about the sound.
The last time I saw Genesis was on their previous US tour for We Can't Dance. I was still in high school then. I was only familiar with their three most recent albums, the self-titled one, Invisible Touch, and We Can't Dance. IT was actually the second cassette purchase I ever made (along with Madonna's True Blue) when I was 12. I've always had a soft spot for this era of the band. A lot of the songs hold up. I remember learning this fascinating piece of trivia that Peter Gabriel used to be the singer of Genesis. That seems so long ago.
My friend Scott was determined that I listen to more old Genesis. He made me tapes of Nursery Crime and Foxtrot, and gave me a CD of Selling England by the Pound as a college graduation present. I quite like those albums, but I've never listened to the rest of their catalog all that much. I know the songs that got radio airplay too, of course. I've seen The Musical Box tribute band more times than I've seen Genesis.
The story of Montreal goes like this: when I was a part of the ProgDay organizing committees, I worked with a Canadian named Sean McFee. He had plans to do his own prog festival in Canada, Le Festival des Musiques Progressives de Montreal (FMPM) and the first one took place last year. Roy and I thought it would be nice to go sometime and see what it's like. Unfortunately, the festival is held just a few weeks after ProgDay and it's expensive to fly into Montreal.
Genesis announced their tour dates, and they weren't playing St. Louis. They were playing Chicago, a five hour drive, but it was during the week, which would involve taking time off of work. We looked at their weekend dates. Ohio on a Saturday seemed likely. I Instant Messaged Roy at work, "hey they're playing Montreal on a Friday. It would be fun to see them there" knowing that Montreal is a big fanbase for Genesis and Quebec in general is a hotbed for progressive music. Later that day, Roy remembered that Sean's fest was also in mid September. In fact, it was the same weekend. He wrote me this in another IM, and I replied that we had to do it! That was last March; this trip was a long time coming. We applied for passports, time off of work...Thankfully, we were able to use frequent flier miles for the flight. We called the festival "Seanfest" and referred to the Genesis concert as the pre-show.
We flew up to Montreal on Thursday. The hotel was convenient and clean, but in dire need of renovations. It was right on Rue St Denis, with lots of restaurants and a subway stop nearby. It sounds funny, but what I was most looking forward to was the weather and walking outside. We had one of the hottest Augusts in history in St. Louis and September was still hot. Montreal was a good 20 degrees (fahrenheit) cooler. I happily packed my jeans and closed shoes, leaving the shorts behind. We were staying right by a university, and my first impression of the area was how bike friendly it was. The bike lanes were between the sidewalk and parked cars, closed off from the traffic with a concrete barrier. There were lots of bicyclists and walkers around.
We slept for about an hour after arriving there, and then walked to Old Montreal for dinner. That perked us up, so we were able to walk around the area some more. I only know a handful of French words, but almost everyone we talked to could switch to English as soon as they heard us say "bonjour" with American accents. The next day we had breakfast at a cute little creperie near the hotel. Both were great meals.
We hadn't done a lot of research on touristy stuff for this trip - the majority of the time, we'd be in concerts. Last year, when we went to San Francisco, we took a bus tour of the city, and it ended up being a highlight. It took us to some places on our must-see list and some we hadn't heard of. So we decided to take a similar tour of Montreal. The hotel made a 12:00 reservation for us and we made a deposit, but when we got there, we found that they didn't reserve seats for us on the bus. It was first-come, first-served and the next bus wasn't for another hour and a half. We were near an entrance to the Underground City, so we walked around the large underground mall for a while. Even the mall chain stores have a good selection of progressive music. The HMV aboveground was pretty good too. The bus tour was disappointing. There was only one real stop, at a cathedral shortly after we started. After that, we only had three brief photos and bathroom break stops for the whole three hour tour. Roy fell asleep on the bus. The tour and waiting for it sucked up all our time between breakfast and dinner; I had hoped to do more walking that day.
We checked out Crescent Street for dinner. All I knew about it was that the festival website called it "the most famous street in Montreal". It was a couple blocks of more restaurants. We ate at an overpriced Italian restaurant and then walked around for a while. We were right near a green line metro station, so we took that to the Pie IX stop by Olympic Stadium.
We got there early and walked around outside a bit. Once inside, I bought a tshirt and program. My plan was to wear proudly my new Genesis tshirt at the festival the next day and I was all set!
Our seats didn't suck for the venue. I definitely did not want to be on the floor. We were on the first level up, off to Mike Rutherford's side of the stage. Top row of our section, on the aisle. It was good sitelines for me, I was looking over the aisle to see the stage, so no one could block my view. Plus I could stand up to see better or dance without blocking anyone else's.
Roy and I were discussing what they were going to play. I'm sure we looked at the European setlists, but I didn't really remember. All I recalled from it were lots of mini-medleys. (Unlike Yes, where I willed myself to wake up in the middle of the night after the first show to check and memorize the setlist on Forgotten Yesterdays.) I figured they'd open with Turn It On Again, since that was the name of the tour.
The show started late, but it finally started. We'd been planning this trip and this show for six months. Genesis opened with the beginning of Behind the Lines and then Turn it on Again. I was sort of right. I'm going to have to rely on a setlist from the http://www.genesis-news.com website, since there were lots of instrumental bits (and some songs) that I couldn't place. The main set included:
Behind The Lines / Duke’s End
Turn It On Again
No Son Of Mine
Land Of Confusion
In The Cage / The Cinema Show / Duke’s Travels
Afterglow
Hold On My Heart
Home By The Sea / Second Home By The Sea
Follow You Follow Me
Firth Of Fifth / I Know What I Like
Mama
Ripples
Throwing It All Away
Domino
Drum Duet
Los Endos
Tonight Tonight Tonight (intro)
Invisible Touch
It was a good mix of classic and 80s material. The stage set was really nice - the stage itself was minimal, but there were two large screens on either side plus one in back that was the whole length of the stage. One of my favorite uses of it was during Follow You, Follow Me. The center screen had lights that created line drawings. It showed the guy from the cover of Duke walking up to the windows and recreating the cover artwork. Ahh... At one point, the lights were going all over the place, and I couldn't figure out what they were doing - until they finished, and it was the guy sleeping on the bench of Selling England by the Pound. It was obvious that they spent a lot of money on this equipment, but it turned out classy and not show-offy.
Apparently this venue had not been used for concerts in ten years. I could tell why - it was quite boomy and echoey. I would say up to a third of what I was hearing was the rumbling echo. I had trouble hearing the keyboards except for the parts that were lead lines and turned up louder. I was wearing earplugs, and I experimented with them. When I took them out, the overall volume blocked some of the boominess, but it introduced a shrill sound that the earplugs blocked. I decided to go with the boominess and protect my hearing. Roy noticed that the sound bothered him more on the older material, maybe because it's more densely layered. But I missed hearing more of Tony Banks.
I mentioned at the beginning of this note how Genesis, well Phil, made a connection with the crowd. For some reason, I knew he spoke French. We're in a French speaking city. Voila! He made his stage announcements in French. I don't speak French, so I don't know what he said, but it was like watching a foreign film; I really noticed the *way* he was speaking. Phil Collins is a great frontman, and he usually does quite a spiel in his song introductions. This time, however, it sounded like he was really speaking to the audience. His tone was conversational and he looked like he was thinking of how to convey his words, not just saying something rehearsed. The crowd just ate it up. During the encores, I heard him say something like "le relation de Genesis et Montreal", acknowledging the fanbase and history here. It wasn't like this was just another show on the tour; this one was special.
For me, this led to the "oh la la, I'm seeing Genesis in Montreal!" feeling. I like seeing something different. But Roy was looking forward to Phil's talks and felt something was missing when he didn't understand them. We did get some talk in English. Phil said his French wasn't good enough to do this one introduction, so he was going to do it in English. It was for Domino, with the crowd participation. It was the same intro and participation from the last Genesis concert I went to, so I think I would have figured it out even in French.
The video screens were also put to good use during Throwing it All Away. This song is alright, but kind of a throwaway for me. But they focused on different audience members on the big screen and watching people realize, "hey we're on the screen" was fun. I think it also helped make the show more about the individual people there, rather than the enormity of the venue. The other song I could have done without was Hold on My Heart.
The musical highlight for me was the portion of Firth of Fifth leading into I Know What I Like. That guitar solo is my favorite piece of Genesis music. I would have liked to have heard the whole song, but it was nice to get the solo in. During I Know What I Like, I had a flashback to one of the prog festivals I'd been to. The fest ended with a jam, and they all played I Know What I Like. I still remember the Italian band Finisterre singing those lyrics with enthusiasm. And here I was singing the song along with Genesis!
I sang along and danced in my seat, I was so happy. Some guys needed to get back to their seats, but I didn't want to be interupted. They squeezed by, and one of them turned to sing along with me "you've got to tidy your room now". I grabbed Roy's hand and we waved our arms along to the chorus. The screens showed pictures and film clips (I think) of the classic lineup. This was my adrenaline rush of the night.
Other songs that I really liked were Land of Confusion and Home by the Sea/Second Home by the Sea. I'm almost embarrassed to admit I didn't recognize In the Cage or Afterglow, but it was great to see the crowd enjoy the music. Towards the end of the show, I had to use the restroom, but I didn't want to miss any of the songs. If I had known the drum duo was going to be so long... The encore started and they went into I Can't Dance. Finally, a song I didn't feel bad missing. The funny thing is, the sound was great in the restroom. They must have pumped it in from the soundboard.
I returned for the end of I Can't Dance. The final song was Carpet Crawlers from Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. It was a good, solid show. Why does that feel like a letdown? It wasn't a big letdown, but it's hard to be blown away with the faraway seats and the bad sound. Um well, except for Yes.
We took the metro back to the hotel and found a dessert place still open. Juliette et Chocolate. I had a cinnamon and sugar crepe. Yummy! It was a good way to end the evening.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
ProgDay 2007 Day 2
ProgDay Day 2
Storybook Farm
Chatham County (Chapel Hill), NC
Sunday, September 2, 2007
General Admission
I sometimes feel guilty about not doing more to help out ProgDay. I was on the band selection and budget committees for a number of years. I was also a festival underwriter - I risked money but I never lost any in those years. But I wasn't keeping up with the new prog bands and I had other commitments for my time. I still buy a patron pass each year and volunteer for front gate duty.
I didn't want to wake up quite so early to do the first shift of the front gate, but the other available time slots were during bands I didn't want to miss. I ended up inventing my own timeslot, overlapping with some open ones. Roy, Jerry, and I went out to breakfast at Foster's Market and then headed off to the Farm.
While the first day had run on time, there was some stress on Sunday morning. The first band Skeletonbreath had not showed up yet. We didn't have contact info for them either. One festival-goer said he saw them in the hotel lobby when he was leaving. They finally arrived 20 minutes before they were due to go onstage, saying they got lost on the way. Yeah, this happened because they left late and then got lost. Anyway, it didn't take them long to set up and they started on time.
I was working the front gate during their set, but I could hear it. It was a three piece band of violin, bass, and drums. It was instrumental, and more fusiony than symphonic or metally. Some of the melodies reminded me of Jewish music, stuff that gets called klezmer. It sounded good from where I was, and Roy said I would have liked their stage show as well. Skeletonbreath played one of the shortest sets - they had a new band member and only had so many songs prepared.
I do like working the front gate. You get to see all the people coming into the festival and talk briefly to them. I was there with Deb Sears and Laurel Sly, and we got some time to catch up as well. After my shift was over, I walked down to the stage area and found Roy.
I was looking forward to the next band Advent. They were the most traditional symphonic band playing. All I knew from them was the soundclips and description on ProgDay's website. They just didn't do much for me live. I think I might have liked them better if I knew their material, just so I would know what to listen and watch for. Jerry mentioned that they might have been served better in a theater, without so many distractions. It was pretty easy for me to walk over to the shaded pavilion and open my book and give up on them. I didn't dislike them, but I liked them best as background music to my book.
We stayed in the pavilion during the break. There were long tables, which we shared with some other people. Some guy smoking like a chimney sat down by our table. It's hot and humid, without much breeze, hard enough to breathe already. Yuck! I got up and walked over to the vendor table to get away from it. I chatted with Peter for a while. Peter started this festival 13 years ago and used to live at Storybook Farm. He was selling some used CDs, and I was offering my opinions on all the Yes and Yes solo CDs to anyone who looked interested.
Like I mentioned in my previous entry, my eye was bothering me a lot towards the end of the festival. It started during Nemo, the third band. I started out in the pavilion, in the shade. They sounded interesting, so I moved to my chair by the stage, out in the sun. My eyes are usually sensitive to the sun, so I was already wearing sunglasses and a hat. But it was worse than usual. I didn't last a whole song before moving out to the shaded area by the edge of the field. My friend Richard was there too. I chatted with him briefly and lay down on the grass to read.
Some more people came over to escape the sun. Gerhard asked me what I was reading. I held up Asimov's Foundation and Empire. Oh, it's some light reading, he joked. We chatted a bit about science fiction.
The thing is, I liked Nemo when I was focusing on them. But my eye was bothering me more. After Nemo's set, Roy and I went for a walk around the field. We walked back to the pavilion. Instead of going to the nearby Burger King and washing up, I held my wet handkerchief to my eye. I talked to Michael Bennett, one of the Progday organizers for a bit, and then Roy, Jerry, and I played Trivial Pursuit again. I won this time.
The headliner Three was starting. They were a seasoned touring band, having opened for Porcupine Tree. Even though they weren't my favorite style, they should put on a good show. I'd call them hard rock with some proggy leanings. I wanted to watch them. I moved from the pavilion to the side of the stage. Even in the shade, it was too bright for me. I went to my seat briefly, but then moved off by the edge of the field again. I really wasn't comfortable and I wasn't paying attention to the band at all. Roy came over and suggested we just leave then. He made plans for dinner for Jeff and Jerry, and then we headed back to the hotel. I felt bad about leaving ProgDay early. You never know if it's going to be the last one, and I wanted to say goodbye to everyone and leave on better terms than this. Roy packed everything up and I met him at the car.
We were going to my favorite local restaurant for dinner. It was Pepper's pizza. I know it's just a pizza place, but it's so hard to find New York or East Coast style pizza in St. Louis, it's the food I miss the most. I was surprised Jeff agreed to it, since he usually doesn't like going to downtown Chapel Hill. He and Jerry met us in our hotel room after the show.
I wasn't surprised when Jeff made other dinner plans. Everyone from the fest was going to some chain Mexican place for dinner. These large dinners get loud, have slow service, and I'm not a big fan of Mexican chain food. I can still remember the group dinner from the previous year, and I'd rather go to a place of my own choosing. Jeff teased us about wanting pizza and didn't give a shit about him. I replied back that we didn't give a shit about him. ;-)
So just Jerry, Roy, and I went to Pepper's. I actually had a bit of a scare on Friday. We drove past Pepper's and it looked closed. Oh no! As we drove further, we could see that it just moved down the street. Jerry, there is no vast conspiracy against me to deprive me of my pizza. We had a great meal and conversation, talking about why we love Yes. I'm sure Jeff would have made fun of us, we were so sincere. After dinner, we went back to the hotel and made an appearance at the pool party, just long enough to say bye to the people there.
There are always worries about attendance and budget with this festival. This year was particularly bad, with low ticket sales. I don't know if it was fear of bad weather or that the lineup was announced so late that hurt the band more. This is year 13, and it is the longest running progressive rock festival. It keeps on limping along. I do hope it continues, but I have to admit we've already starting making plans of what to do on Labor Day weekend if there is no more ProgDay in the future.
Storybook Farm
Chatham County (Chapel Hill), NC
Sunday, September 2, 2007
General Admission
I sometimes feel guilty about not doing more to help out ProgDay. I was on the band selection and budget committees for a number of years. I was also a festival underwriter - I risked money but I never lost any in those years. But I wasn't keeping up with the new prog bands and I had other commitments for my time. I still buy a patron pass each year and volunteer for front gate duty.
I didn't want to wake up quite so early to do the first shift of the front gate, but the other available time slots were during bands I didn't want to miss. I ended up inventing my own timeslot, overlapping with some open ones. Roy, Jerry, and I went out to breakfast at Foster's Market and then headed off to the Farm.
While the first day had run on time, there was some stress on Sunday morning. The first band Skeletonbreath had not showed up yet. We didn't have contact info for them either. One festival-goer said he saw them in the hotel lobby when he was leaving. They finally arrived 20 minutes before they were due to go onstage, saying they got lost on the way. Yeah, this happened because they left late and then got lost. Anyway, it didn't take them long to set up and they started on time.
I was working the front gate during their set, but I could hear it. It was a three piece band of violin, bass, and drums. It was instrumental, and more fusiony than symphonic or metally. Some of the melodies reminded me of Jewish music, stuff that gets called klezmer. It sounded good from where I was, and Roy said I would have liked their stage show as well. Skeletonbreath played one of the shortest sets - they had a new band member and only had so many songs prepared.
I do like working the front gate. You get to see all the people coming into the festival and talk briefly to them. I was there with Deb Sears and Laurel Sly, and we got some time to catch up as well. After my shift was over, I walked down to the stage area and found Roy.
I was looking forward to the next band Advent. They were the most traditional symphonic band playing. All I knew from them was the soundclips and description on ProgDay's website. They just didn't do much for me live. I think I might have liked them better if I knew their material, just so I would know what to listen and watch for. Jerry mentioned that they might have been served better in a theater, without so many distractions. It was pretty easy for me to walk over to the shaded pavilion and open my book and give up on them. I didn't dislike them, but I liked them best as background music to my book.
We stayed in the pavilion during the break. There were long tables, which we shared with some other people. Some guy smoking like a chimney sat down by our table. It's hot and humid, without much breeze, hard enough to breathe already. Yuck! I got up and walked over to the vendor table to get away from it. I chatted with Peter for a while. Peter started this festival 13 years ago and used to live at Storybook Farm. He was selling some used CDs, and I was offering my opinions on all the Yes and Yes solo CDs to anyone who looked interested.
Like I mentioned in my previous entry, my eye was bothering me a lot towards the end of the festival. It started during Nemo, the third band. I started out in the pavilion, in the shade. They sounded interesting, so I moved to my chair by the stage, out in the sun. My eyes are usually sensitive to the sun, so I was already wearing sunglasses and a hat. But it was worse than usual. I didn't last a whole song before moving out to the shaded area by the edge of the field. My friend Richard was there too. I chatted with him briefly and lay down on the grass to read.
Some more people came over to escape the sun. Gerhard asked me what I was reading. I held up Asimov's Foundation and Empire. Oh, it's some light reading, he joked. We chatted a bit about science fiction.
The thing is, I liked Nemo when I was focusing on them. But my eye was bothering me more. After Nemo's set, Roy and I went for a walk around the field. We walked back to the pavilion. Instead of going to the nearby Burger King and washing up, I held my wet handkerchief to my eye. I talked to Michael Bennett, one of the Progday organizers for a bit, and then Roy, Jerry, and I played Trivial Pursuit again. I won this time.
The headliner Three was starting. They were a seasoned touring band, having opened for Porcupine Tree. Even though they weren't my favorite style, they should put on a good show. I'd call them hard rock with some proggy leanings. I wanted to watch them. I moved from the pavilion to the side of the stage. Even in the shade, it was too bright for me. I went to my seat briefly, but then moved off by the edge of the field again. I really wasn't comfortable and I wasn't paying attention to the band at all. Roy came over and suggested we just leave then. He made plans for dinner for Jeff and Jerry, and then we headed back to the hotel. I felt bad about leaving ProgDay early. You never know if it's going to be the last one, and I wanted to say goodbye to everyone and leave on better terms than this. Roy packed everything up and I met him at the car.
We were going to my favorite local restaurant for dinner. It was Pepper's pizza. I know it's just a pizza place, but it's so hard to find New York or East Coast style pizza in St. Louis, it's the food I miss the most. I was surprised Jeff agreed to it, since he usually doesn't like going to downtown Chapel Hill. He and Jerry met us in our hotel room after the show.
I wasn't surprised when Jeff made other dinner plans. Everyone from the fest was going to some chain Mexican place for dinner. These large dinners get loud, have slow service, and I'm not a big fan of Mexican chain food. I can still remember the group dinner from the previous year, and I'd rather go to a place of my own choosing. Jeff teased us about wanting pizza and didn't give a shit about him. I replied back that we didn't give a shit about him. ;-)
So just Jerry, Roy, and I went to Pepper's. I actually had a bit of a scare on Friday. We drove past Pepper's and it looked closed. Oh no! As we drove further, we could see that it just moved down the street. Jerry, there is no vast conspiracy against me to deprive me of my pizza. We had a great meal and conversation, talking about why we love Yes. I'm sure Jeff would have made fun of us, we were so sincere. After dinner, we went back to the hotel and made an appearance at the pool party, just long enough to say bye to the people there.
There are always worries about attendance and budget with this festival. This year was particularly bad, with low ticket sales. I don't know if it was fear of bad weather or that the lineup was announced so late that hurt the band more. This is year 13, and it is the longest running progressive rock festival. It keeps on limping along. I do hope it continues, but I have to admit we've already starting making plans of what to do on Labor Day weekend if there is no more ProgDay in the future.
ProgDay 2007 Day 1
ProgDay Day 1
Storybook Farm
Chatham County (Chapel Hill), NC
Saturday, September 1, 2007
General Admission
Patron Pass: $140
I got excited about the lineup to this year's ProgDay. I didn't know a note of any of the bands' music and there weren't any traditional well-known headliners. But I like to work the front gate and greet all the people coming in. I listened to all the MP3 samples on the ProgDay website, and I couldn't find a single band that I wanted to skip. They all sounded like I could enjoy them. That's a great way to feel heading into my 11th ProgDay.
A number of our usual friends were unable to make it this year. But my friend Jerry, who had only come to ProgDay once before, was coming this year. He and I had been part of a group of four Yes fan friends who hung out together monthly when we all lived in Pennsylvania. We called these parties Yestogethers, and we all bonded. Unfortunately, Jerry and I both moved out of state four years into the gatherings, but we all try to see each other when we can. The last time all four of us were together was for my wedding.
The festival did have a personal downside. I had some type of allergic reaction, which really bothered me the second day. I think it was due to a new gel type of sunscreen I used. My right eye stung and was tearing continuously. I was desperate to wash my hands and then rinse it out. The pavilion had a sink, but the new caterers this year didn't have any soap with them. (Ewww!) The hand sanitizer in the porto-potties wasn't going to really clean my hands and trying to use wet handkerchief only irritated it more. Plus it made my eyes more sensitive to the sunlight - I kept to the shade almost the whole day and we ended up leaving early. I should have left during one of the breaks to use a real restroom instead of trying to tough it out. I will remember to bring my own handsoap next year.
We arrived on Friday, and since we were celebrating our 5th anniversary, drove back to the bakery that did our wedding cake. We had ordered a new top layer. I had visions of splitting it with a bunch of people, but Roy and I ate most of it over the weekend. We met up with Jerry at the hotel, and then drove down to Franklin Street, where we did some music and comic book shopping. Jerry was thinking about going to the preshow and we were thinking of going to a movie. Roy and I had dinner together at Spanky's, where we had our wedding reception. The timing didn't work for a movie at the theater there, so we went back to the hotel and watched one on the pay-per-view.
On Saturday morning, we met Jerry for breakfast at Bob Evans and then drove to Storybook Farm. I said hi to a bunch of people. We didn't know for sure that Jeff was coming, so it was good to see him. I was most looking forward to the first band - Oblivion Sun. It was made up of two members of Happy the Man, who I really like. In fact, I was surprised they were opening, given this caliber of musicianship. The guitarist Stan Whitaker has headlined ProgDay three times, twice with HtM and once as a guest with Ten Jinn. I found out from ProgDay organizer Steve Sly that Oblivion Sun requested to open because they didn't have much material to play live yet.
Oblivion Sun really reminded me of Happy the Man. If it weren't for Stan Whitaker and Frank Wyatt being in both bands, I would call this band a rip-off of them. Oblivion Sun had some heavier parts, which gave the sound some nice dynamic changes and more vocals. I guess the additional vocals would have been alright with a different singer, but I don't think Stan has that strong of a voice. They were pretty sounding and a good start to the day.
I chatted with Jeff for a while. We just stayed in our seats, and unlike other festivals, we were able to stay in our seats during the change in sets. It's so relaxed. Roy and I had lunch during this break. They used a new caterer this year and last. I miss Bon's, the barbeque place. The food was great and it just fit in as part of the festival. The new people only had cold sandwiches the first day. While we were in line, we bumped into Gerhard. Now, most people remember that this is our anniversary, but Gerhard even knew it was our 5th.
The next band Naikaku was my favorite of the weekend. Very high energy. They're one of those bands I can't imagine listening to at home, although I liked their music. They were just fun live, which you don't get out of CD player. The band was a guitar, bass, and drum lineup, playing heavy fusion-ish music, along with a pastoral pretty flute. Excellent balance between the light and heavy music, with rhythms I could bop my head to.
And they looked like they were having a blast, both on stage and off. Their stage show could have been goofy, but they carried it off. Juggling, tossing Japanese energy drinks into the audience, jumping off stage and running to the merchandise table, only to return holding copies of their CDs. The flute player, during a tune she didn't play on, sat down and created an arts and crafts project. We called it the art solo. She folded and cut out a piece of white paper, forming a snowflake, and then glued it on to a blue background. Gave it to a member of the audience. All of this charm combined with great musicianship and great material made this the best performance of the weekend. Their set went by very quickly. After the show, some of the band were playing soccer with some of the festival kids.
Bob Eichler's review of ProgDay described it this way. I have to quote him, because I can't say it any better.
The next band was from Sweden and called QOPH (kwop). I had heard of them before, but knew nothing about their music. It was 60s-ish hard rock with some psych leanings. Not bad, but didn't do much for me. The singer wanted to be Jim Morrison so bad.
We planned to go to dinner that night with Jeff and Jerry. Jeff turned to me partway through the set and say he had enough. If he left now, he could freshen up and get to dinner earlier. Sounded good to us. Roy and I left too, and we arranged to meet up at the Japanese steak place by the hotel. It was the first time I left ProgDay early, but I had had enough of the performance and was ready to hang out with my friends. Sometimes it feels like the festival is just the excuse for us all to travel to the same place; the conversations are the real thing.
There was a UNC football game taking place this weekend. Usually that's a bad thing, as the restaurants get crowded. But this year, the game was in the evening, so there was little wait at Kanki's. We sat at the big communal table with a group from Scotland and talked to them for a little bit afterwards. After dinner, Jerry, Roy, and I played Trivial Pursuit in the common room at the hotel. We got to chat with people heading out to the pool party, but those parties can be too drunk and smoky for me to enjoy.
Storybook Farm
Chatham County (Chapel Hill), NC
Saturday, September 1, 2007
General Admission
Patron Pass: $140
I got excited about the lineup to this year's ProgDay. I didn't know a note of any of the bands' music and there weren't any traditional well-known headliners. But I like to work the front gate and greet all the people coming in. I listened to all the MP3 samples on the ProgDay website, and I couldn't find a single band that I wanted to skip. They all sounded like I could enjoy them. That's a great way to feel heading into my 11th ProgDay.
A number of our usual friends were unable to make it this year. But my friend Jerry, who had only come to ProgDay once before, was coming this year. He and I had been part of a group of four Yes fan friends who hung out together monthly when we all lived in Pennsylvania. We called these parties Yestogethers, and we all bonded. Unfortunately, Jerry and I both moved out of state four years into the gatherings, but we all try to see each other when we can. The last time all four of us were together was for my wedding.
The festival did have a personal downside. I had some type of allergic reaction, which really bothered me the second day. I think it was due to a new gel type of sunscreen I used. My right eye stung and was tearing continuously. I was desperate to wash my hands and then rinse it out. The pavilion had a sink, but the new caterers this year didn't have any soap with them. (Ewww!) The hand sanitizer in the porto-potties wasn't going to really clean my hands and trying to use wet handkerchief only irritated it more. Plus it made my eyes more sensitive to the sunlight - I kept to the shade almost the whole day and we ended up leaving early. I should have left during one of the breaks to use a real restroom instead of trying to tough it out. I will remember to bring my own handsoap next year.
We arrived on Friday, and since we were celebrating our 5th anniversary, drove back to the bakery that did our wedding cake. We had ordered a new top layer. I had visions of splitting it with a bunch of people, but Roy and I ate most of it over the weekend. We met up with Jerry at the hotel, and then drove down to Franklin Street, where we did some music and comic book shopping. Jerry was thinking about going to the preshow and we were thinking of going to a movie. Roy and I had dinner together at Spanky's, where we had our wedding reception. The timing didn't work for a movie at the theater there, so we went back to the hotel and watched one on the pay-per-view.
On Saturday morning, we met Jerry for breakfast at Bob Evans and then drove to Storybook Farm. I said hi to a bunch of people. We didn't know for sure that Jeff was coming, so it was good to see him. I was most looking forward to the first band - Oblivion Sun. It was made up of two members of Happy the Man, who I really like. In fact, I was surprised they were opening, given this caliber of musicianship. The guitarist Stan Whitaker has headlined ProgDay three times, twice with HtM and once as a guest with Ten Jinn. I found out from ProgDay organizer Steve Sly that Oblivion Sun requested to open because they didn't have much material to play live yet.
Oblivion Sun really reminded me of Happy the Man. If it weren't for Stan Whitaker and Frank Wyatt being in both bands, I would call this band a rip-off of them. Oblivion Sun had some heavier parts, which gave the sound some nice dynamic changes and more vocals. I guess the additional vocals would have been alright with a different singer, but I don't think Stan has that strong of a voice. They were pretty sounding and a good start to the day.
I chatted with Jeff for a while. We just stayed in our seats, and unlike other festivals, we were able to stay in our seats during the change in sets. It's so relaxed. Roy and I had lunch during this break. They used a new caterer this year and last. I miss Bon's, the barbeque place. The food was great and it just fit in as part of the festival. The new people only had cold sandwiches the first day. While we were in line, we bumped into Gerhard. Now, most people remember that this is our anniversary, but Gerhard even knew it was our 5th.
The next band Naikaku was my favorite of the weekend. Very high energy. They're one of those bands I can't imagine listening to at home, although I liked their music. They were just fun live, which you don't get out of CD player. The band was a guitar, bass, and drum lineup, playing heavy fusion-ish music, along with a pastoral pretty flute. Excellent balance between the light and heavy music, with rhythms I could bop my head to.
And they looked like they were having a blast, both on stage and off. Their stage show could have been goofy, but they carried it off. Juggling, tossing Japanese energy drinks into the audience, jumping off stage and running to the merchandise table, only to return holding copies of their CDs. The flute player, during a tune she didn't play on, sat down and created an arts and crafts project. We called it the art solo. She folded and cut out a piece of white paper, forming a snowflake, and then glued it on to a blue background. Gave it to a member of the audience. All of this charm combined with great musicianship and great material made this the best performance of the weekend. Their set went by very quickly. After the show, some of the band were playing soccer with some of the festival kids.
Bob Eichler's review of ProgDay described it this way. I have to quote him, because I can't say it any better.
Naikaku were a really fun bunch of people, and after their set was over they spent the entire rest of the weekend in the grass behind the audience playing soccer and frisbee with all the kids that had come along with their parents. Can't beat that - a kick ass band that just about everybody liked, who then provide free babysitting service. They need to come back every year.Frogg Cafe were the third band. I have a Frogg Cafe hat which I wear at every ProgDay. It's not that I'm a fan, I just wanted a hat one year to block the sun, and they were selling one. It's my favorite hat - it's canvas and less structured than a usual baseball cap. I couldn't care less that it says "Frogg Cafe" on it. Kind of odd to be wearing it at their performance, given that I don't know their music. To put it bluntly, they bored me. They were a jam band that didn't make me want to dance to their music. Low energy and noodly. I pulled out my book for this one (Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy). Later on in their set, they covered Red, which was nice.
The next band was from Sweden and called QOPH (kwop). I had heard of them before, but knew nothing about their music. It was 60s-ish hard rock with some psych leanings. Not bad, but didn't do much for me. The singer wanted to be Jim Morrison so bad.
We planned to go to dinner that night with Jeff and Jerry. Jeff turned to me partway through the set and say he had enough. If he left now, he could freshen up and get to dinner earlier. Sounded good to us. Roy and I left too, and we arranged to meet up at the Japanese steak place by the hotel. It was the first time I left ProgDay early, but I had had enough of the performance and was ready to hang out with my friends. Sometimes it feels like the festival is just the excuse for us all to travel to the same place; the conversations are the real thing.
There was a UNC football game taking place this weekend. Usually that's a bad thing, as the restaurants get crowded. But this year, the game was in the evening, so there was little wait at Kanki's. We sat at the big communal table with a group from Scotland and talked to them for a little bit afterwards. After dinner, Jerry, Roy, and I played Trivial Pursuit in the common room at the hotel. We got to chat with people heading out to the pool party, but those parties can be too drunk and smoky for me to enjoy.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
A ProgDay Valentine
How do I love thee ProgDay? Let me count the ways.
There's a number of annual progressive rock music festivals in North America. I've been to a bunch of them: east coast, west coast, Mexico, Canada. They all follow the same basic format - mix of relatively unknown independent bands with some better known prog bands.
ProgDay is the only outdoors festival I've been to. You wouldn't think just the fact of an outside venue would make much of a difference. But it does, and it makes ProgDay my favorite of the fests. It's also the first festival I ever attended, and my first year was one of the best. In the past, I've been an underwriter for the festival, helped the band selection committee, driven bands around, and worked the front gate. In fact, (if you're reading this, you probably know this already) Roy and I got married at ProgDay five years ago. Reasons 1-3 help explain why.
1. The time between the bands relates the colour to the scenes. It's so laid back. Some of our same friends attend a number of different fests, but ProgDay gives us the most time to socialize. The festival ends at sunset (7 or 8pm) each day, and we can have a relaxed dinner and hanging-out time. Other fests have a dinner break between bands where it always seems like you're in a rush to get back. I never get the feeling I didn't get enough time with people at ProgDay. You can grab a bite to eat at the fest and still be "inside the venue" and not miss any music. You never have to leave the seated area; after the band ends, stay in your seat for another half hour and chat.
2. It has a small, but very loyal audience. I feel like we know everyone there. I've seen kids grow up, families grow. It's a very friendly, welcoming environment.
3. The venue, Storybook Farm, is such a part of the fest. It is a beautiful setting. I believe it used to be a camp, where the bunks and other buildings were converted to apartments. While the area in front of the stage is out in the sun, you can sit along the edge of the trees or under the pavilion and still hear the music just fine.
4. It sounds bad to some when I say this, especially given how many concerts I go to, but the best thing about ProgDay is that you don't have to pay 100% attention to the performances. IT CAN BE BORING LISTENING TO LIVE MUSIC. Some people can get off on watching any live music performance. Me, I've thought about this and I need something more, even if I like the music.
The best way to draw me in is:
- play something I know
- play something accessible enough that I can dance or bop my head to
- be mindblowingly good.
If a band is playing something unfamiliar/inaccessible, there has to be something in the performance itself. They need to be:
- charming
- enthusiastic, have their fun rub off on me
- energetic
- theatrical, or
- experienced and professional.
Most any professional touring band fits these requirements. But too many bands at these festivals just don't have enough on-stage experience. I might like their music, but they don't hold my attention live. At other festivals, you are watching a band in a dark theater. Your options are to sit in the dark theater and be bored or leave and miss all the music. At ProgDay, it's outdoors, it's daylight, you can move away from the stage, read, shop, eat, without bothering anyone else but still be able to hear the music. It always feels weird to me to walk out on a band, but in a theater, there's not much else to do if they're not doing much for me. It's a relief to take a break and multi-task, but not miss any of the music.
5. The sound is so much better at Storybook Farm. You'd think it would be worse outdoors, but I never have any complaints on the mix. All the instruments are clear. This is so different than some other venues, where vocals can be low in the mix or inaudible, the mix is mushy, and the keyboards get this weird feedback sound. Some venues just have bad acoustics, other times, bands insist on using their own soundman who pushes the sound too loud for the venue.
6. I mentioned that the vibe is friendly and laid back and that you don't have to leave the venue while the bands change sets. I can't stress enough how wonderful it is not to "hurry up and wait". There are times we've rushed back from dinner only to spend hours sitting in front of the venue while a band sets up and soundchecks. We can't leave, or we risk missing part of the show. At ProgDay, with its outdoor venue, you never have to leave or miss anything.
7. We enjoy visiting the Chapel Hill area every year. We always go to downtown Franklin Street, with record shops, music venues, great pizza at Peppers, Ben & Jerry's. We had our wedding reception at Spanky's, at the corner of Franklin and Columbia. It's right by UNC-Chapel Hill, so the people-watching is great too.
There are some downsides to ProgDay, and I think these scare too many people away.
1. The weather - it can rain or be too hot. My first ProgDay, I wasn't prepared for it. I fell to heat exhaustion. Since then, I've been much more careful about keeping hydrated, moving to the shade, bringing a fan, wearing a hat, etc. It's all about being prepared. I prefer rain to the heat.
2. Porto-potties. Ewwww.
3. ProgDay just can't afford the really well-known bands that some of the other fests can bring in. Some years, it seems like there's no real headliner. But most of us come every year regardless of the bands. And the unknown bands lead to the biggest surprises.
So that's ProgDay and why I love it.
There's a number of annual progressive rock music festivals in North America. I've been to a bunch of them: east coast, west coast, Mexico, Canada. They all follow the same basic format - mix of relatively unknown independent bands with some better known prog bands.
ProgDay is the only outdoors festival I've been to. You wouldn't think just the fact of an outside venue would make much of a difference. But it does, and it makes ProgDay my favorite of the fests. It's also the first festival I ever attended, and my first year was one of the best. In the past, I've been an underwriter for the festival, helped the band selection committee, driven bands around, and worked the front gate. In fact, (if you're reading this, you probably know this already) Roy and I got married at ProgDay five years ago. Reasons 1-3 help explain why.
1. The time between the bands relates the colour to the scenes. It's so laid back. Some of our same friends attend a number of different fests, but ProgDay gives us the most time to socialize. The festival ends at sunset (7 or 8pm) each day, and we can have a relaxed dinner and hanging-out time. Other fests have a dinner break between bands where it always seems like you're in a rush to get back. I never get the feeling I didn't get enough time with people at ProgDay. You can grab a bite to eat at the fest and still be "inside the venue" and not miss any music. You never have to leave the seated area; after the band ends, stay in your seat for another half hour and chat.
2. It has a small, but very loyal audience. I feel like we know everyone there. I've seen kids grow up, families grow. It's a very friendly, welcoming environment.
3. The venue, Storybook Farm, is such a part of the fest. It is a beautiful setting. I believe it used to be a camp, where the bunks and other buildings were converted to apartments. While the area in front of the stage is out in the sun, you can sit along the edge of the trees or under the pavilion and still hear the music just fine.
4. It sounds bad to some when I say this, especially given how many concerts I go to, but the best thing about ProgDay is that you don't have to pay 100% attention to the performances. IT CAN BE BORING LISTENING TO LIVE MUSIC. Some people can get off on watching any live music performance. Me, I've thought about this and I need something more, even if I like the music.
The best way to draw me in is:
- play something I know
- play something accessible enough that I can dance or bop my head to
- be mindblowingly good.
If a band is playing something unfamiliar/inaccessible, there has to be something in the performance itself. They need to be:
- charming
- enthusiastic, have their fun rub off on me
- energetic
- theatrical, or
- experienced and professional.
Most any professional touring band fits these requirements. But too many bands at these festivals just don't have enough on-stage experience. I might like their music, but they don't hold my attention live. At other festivals, you are watching a band in a dark theater. Your options are to sit in the dark theater and be bored or leave and miss all the music. At ProgDay, it's outdoors, it's daylight, you can move away from the stage, read, shop, eat, without bothering anyone else but still be able to hear the music. It always feels weird to me to walk out on a band, but in a theater, there's not much else to do if they're not doing much for me. It's a relief to take a break and multi-task, but not miss any of the music.
5. The sound is so much better at Storybook Farm. You'd think it would be worse outdoors, but I never have any complaints on the mix. All the instruments are clear. This is so different than some other venues, where vocals can be low in the mix or inaudible, the mix is mushy, and the keyboards get this weird feedback sound. Some venues just have bad acoustics, other times, bands insist on using their own soundman who pushes the sound too loud for the venue.
6. I mentioned that the vibe is friendly and laid back and that you don't have to leave the venue while the bands change sets. I can't stress enough how wonderful it is not to "hurry up and wait". There are times we've rushed back from dinner only to spend hours sitting in front of the venue while a band sets up and soundchecks. We can't leave, or we risk missing part of the show. At ProgDay, with its outdoor venue, you never have to leave or miss anything.
7. We enjoy visiting the Chapel Hill area every year. We always go to downtown Franklin Street, with record shops, music venues, great pizza at Peppers, Ben & Jerry's. We had our wedding reception at Spanky's, at the corner of Franklin and Columbia. It's right by UNC-Chapel Hill, so the people-watching is great too.
There are some downsides to ProgDay, and I think these scare too many people away.
1. The weather - it can rain or be too hot. My first ProgDay, I wasn't prepared for it. I fell to heat exhaustion. Since then, I've been much more careful about keeping hydrated, moving to the shade, bringing a fan, wearing a hat, etc. It's all about being prepared. I prefer rain to the heat.
2. Porto-potties. Ewwww.
3. ProgDay just can't afford the really well-known bands that some of the other fests can bring in. Some years, it seems like there's no real headliner. But most of us come every year regardless of the bands. And the unknown bands lead to the biggest surprises.
So that's ProgDay and why I love it.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Sleepy and Creepy
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum
Creepy Crawl
St. Louis, MO
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Opening Act: Tub Rink
General Admission
$12.00
What is it about live music that's so exciting? When it's on, it's worth the late nights, smoky venues, all this stuff I would never subject myself to otherwise. And sometimes a band that I enjoy live is not one that I'd listen to at home. They just add that something extra in their live performance that makes the experience greater than the music.
Roy and I have seen Sleepytime Gorilla Museum twice now, I don't get exactly what their shtick is. Are they supposed to be demons? Aliens? Whatever it is, they are different but friendly. They all dress in weird costumes and makeup. The singer even appeared in a donkey head. It's a full package, with the visuals and lights tying into the music, all theatrical and dark. Song titles include "The Donkey-Headed Adversary of Humanity Opens the Discussion" and "Sleep is Wrong".
I don't know how to describe their sound. It's definitely heavy, with violin and percussion along with the usual guitar, bass, and drums. So there's some different sounds and layering going on. At this show, the singer described the event as "electronic doom". I think we have their debut album, but it didn't do much for me. I quite like an album by one of their associated groups, Charming Hostess. Lots of vocals with off-kilter harmonies.
I first saw Sleepytime at Nearfest a few years back. It was 2003, which had one of the strongest lineups on paper, but worst sound and enjoyment of any festival I've been to. SGM opened Day 2. It wasn't really a good slot for them timewise, too early and comfortable for their ambience.
I was open to seeing them again. They were scheduled to play in St. Louis a few years back, but the show was canceled at the last minute. They played in Columbia, a couple hours away. I know someone from the area who went, but we weren't that interested. This time, they were booked at the Creepy Crawl, an all ages venue that usually features metal. I've been to a lot of dives and I didn't want to know what this place was going to be like.
Creepy Crawl recently moved from downtown to Grand Center, an area with lots of "nice" cultural venues. We had dinner at a nearby pizza place. The doors were supposed to open at 7, but it got pushed back at least an hour. We went to a nearby museum in the meantime. When we got back to the club, there were quite a few people there, including our friend Rich. We'd be seeing him at ProgDay in a few days as well. We talked to him, and since he was near the end of the line, we just stayed with him until the doors opened. I was happy to see there were some places to sit, even if it was bar stools that are too high for me. The club was a long, narrow box with a stage at the end and not much else. We sat at the bar in the small over-21 section and chatted some more.
Most of the audience was just hanging out, but when the opening act Tub Rink started, they moved to the front. Hey, I want to be in the front too! Or at least standing where someone wasn't blocking my view. I moved up to the stage, watching the band from between the shoulders of people in front of me. I get the feeling I enjoyed this band more being so close and being part of the crowd, rather than observing it from farther away. It was a high energy set. I was probably the oldest person up there and I was surprised the kids were singing along with the band. I'd never heard of them. They played about 45 minutes, which was enough for me.
Roy joined me up front in between the sets and we got a spot right at the stage. SGM took a while to set up their gear and do a soundcheck. Their set started around 10pm, my usual bedtime. SGM gets described as a "love 'em or hate 'em" type band, but I am pretty much in the middle. I enjoyed their set. Their stage show and presentation even more than the music itself. I can't really write much about the details of the music, it didn't worm its way into my head. I do remember the visual elements, like the red light shining underneath helped them look more satanic.
The show had an abrupt ending. I've never seen anything like this. It's an all ages venue on a weeknight. Apparently there's an 11PM curfew for the minors. At one point, the soundperson told the band they had 17 minutes until the kids had to leave. ok. What I didn't realize (nor the band, apparently) was that the show was ending when the kids left. Later on, they got a two-minute warning, and that's when the soundlady said the show had to end. She let them do one more song and that was it. The bar was still open for hours, but they had to stop playing. I thought the lack of communication was awful - the band should have been told about this before starting their set. It did work out well for me, since it wasn't too late a night and could have been worse. We talked to a couple bandmembers, said see you in a couple days to Rich, and headed home.
Creepy Crawl
St. Louis, MO
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Opening Act: Tub Rink
General Admission
$12.00
What is it about live music that's so exciting? When it's on, it's worth the late nights, smoky venues, all this stuff I would never subject myself to otherwise. And sometimes a band that I enjoy live is not one that I'd listen to at home. They just add that something extra in their live performance that makes the experience greater than the music.
Roy and I have seen Sleepytime Gorilla Museum twice now, I don't get exactly what their shtick is. Are they supposed to be demons? Aliens? Whatever it is, they are different but friendly. They all dress in weird costumes and makeup. The singer even appeared in a donkey head. It's a full package, with the visuals and lights tying into the music, all theatrical and dark. Song titles include "The Donkey-Headed Adversary of Humanity Opens the Discussion" and "Sleep is Wrong".
I don't know how to describe their sound. It's definitely heavy, with violin and percussion along with the usual guitar, bass, and drums. So there's some different sounds and layering going on. At this show, the singer described the event as "electronic doom". I think we have their debut album, but it didn't do much for me. I quite like an album by one of their associated groups, Charming Hostess. Lots of vocals with off-kilter harmonies.
I first saw Sleepytime at Nearfest a few years back. It was 2003, which had one of the strongest lineups on paper, but worst sound and enjoyment of any festival I've been to. SGM opened Day 2. It wasn't really a good slot for them timewise, too early and comfortable for their ambience.
I was open to seeing them again. They were scheduled to play in St. Louis a few years back, but the show was canceled at the last minute. They played in Columbia, a couple hours away. I know someone from the area who went, but we weren't that interested. This time, they were booked at the Creepy Crawl, an all ages venue that usually features metal. I've been to a lot of dives and I didn't want to know what this place was going to be like.
Creepy Crawl recently moved from downtown to Grand Center, an area with lots of "nice" cultural venues. We had dinner at a nearby pizza place. The doors were supposed to open at 7, but it got pushed back at least an hour. We went to a nearby museum in the meantime. When we got back to the club, there were quite a few people there, including our friend Rich. We'd be seeing him at ProgDay in a few days as well. We talked to him, and since he was near the end of the line, we just stayed with him until the doors opened. I was happy to see there were some places to sit, even if it was bar stools that are too high for me. The club was a long, narrow box with a stage at the end and not much else. We sat at the bar in the small over-21 section and chatted some more.
Most of the audience was just hanging out, but when the opening act Tub Rink started, they moved to the front. Hey, I want to be in the front too! Or at least standing where someone wasn't blocking my view. I moved up to the stage, watching the band from between the shoulders of people in front of me. I get the feeling I enjoyed this band more being so close and being part of the crowd, rather than observing it from farther away. It was a high energy set. I was probably the oldest person up there and I was surprised the kids were singing along with the band. I'd never heard of them. They played about 45 minutes, which was enough for me.
Roy joined me up front in between the sets and we got a spot right at the stage. SGM took a while to set up their gear and do a soundcheck. Their set started around 10pm, my usual bedtime. SGM gets described as a "love 'em or hate 'em" type band, but I am pretty much in the middle. I enjoyed their set. Their stage show and presentation even more than the music itself. I can't really write much about the details of the music, it didn't worm its way into my head. I do remember the visual elements, like the red light shining underneath helped them look more satanic.
The show had an abrupt ending. I've never seen anything like this. It's an all ages venue on a weeknight. Apparently there's an 11PM curfew for the minors. At one point, the soundperson told the band they had 17 minutes until the kids had to leave. ok. What I didn't realize (nor the band, apparently) was that the show was ending when the kids left. Later on, they got a two-minute warning, and that's when the soundlady said the show had to end. She let them do one more song and that was it. The bar was still open for hours, but they had to stop playing. I thought the lack of communication was awful - the band should have been told about this before starting their set. It did work out well for me, since it wasn't too late a night and could have been worse. We talked to a couple bandmembers, said see you in a couple days to Rich, and headed home.
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