h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So, last night was the gig (Naked Raygun, Hot Water Music, Methadones, Arrivals) I'd hemmed and hawed about whether or not I should attend... we ended up going, because we *really* like seeing three of those bands play, in spite of my dislike for the venue and that we were forced to buy tickets through Ticketmaster, which added about $34 to the total cost.

Hot Water Music aren't a band i normally listen to, but they're OK, and the other two opening acts are people K has known and/or played with over the years, so I'm already familiar with- and like- them. Naked Raygun put on a great show, and since I hadn't seen them play in many years (since the late '80s, I think), I'm glad we went.

But good god, is the House of Blues a terrible, terrible place. I'd been there once, when I won free tickets to see Joan Jett in a raffle. I was impressed with neither the performance nor the venue then, but wanted to see this show badly enough to go there again. Ugh. $4 for a bottle of water! We wound up spending nearly $30 for water and tips.

It was chilly and was supposed to rain, so after much thought, we decided to drive instead of taking the train. Big mistake. They only have valet parking. We should have just pulled back out of the lot and driven to the pay lot around the corner. It might have cost less, and there would've been a lot less hassle. After the show, we waited in line for a good 15 minutes just to get to the payment machine ($24 total parking fee) and another 25 minutes for the valets to bring the car around. It wasn't *that* cold- around -8°C- but I'd left my coat in the car rather than check it, because I've had problems with coat checks at "larger" venues like this.

There was some sort of stupid dance party thing going right after the gig, and their security people were literally refusing anyone entry to the restrooms after the show, and sending everyone right to the exit. How the hell can you deny someone the opportunity to pee, and then make them stand outside for nearly an hour waiting for their car?

OK, had we taken the train, we could've been home by the time we got the car. Hell, we could probably have walked it in an hour and a half. But honestly, the establishment is an overpriced dump and I'm officially reinstating my boycott effective immediately.

All that moaning done- the show itself was awesome, and I have to admit the acoustics were great, too. I had an absolute blast while the bands were playing, and we ran into a half dozen or so friends/acquaintances and chatted between sets, so that was , too.

Eek! Drepiving people of bathroom access sounds like a major breach of human rights. They should all just piss on the dancefloor!

Glad the show was awesome

Bad situation with the bathrooms!

The guy in line behind us at the valet-pay-machine-thingy just peed in a bush.

I'm glad I went, though. It had been WAY too long since I'd seen Raygun play.