House of Blues / Old 97’s
Posted By Gary Cohen in Square Pegs on May 12, 2007
So I made my maiden voyage to the House of Blues last night to catch the Old 97's show. Some general impressions:
- The HOB has hired an army of pseudo-tough guys through whom you have to walk the gauntlet in order to get in. Getting inside actually felt like an accomplishment after successfully navigating the Ticket Tough Guy, the Security Tough Guy, the Under-21 Tough Guy, another Ticket Tough Guy and several other random Tough Guys making sure we didn't do something inappropriate, god forbid.
- Once inside, I didn't like the layout as much as the only other HOB I've been to, in New Orleans. It felt more cramped here.
- Holy crap, there were a lot of people at the (sold out) show. I figured half of these people had never seen the Old 97's before. Once the show started, I revised that figure upwards to 75%.
- Getting a drink was a generally unpleasant experience. Long lines and - shocking! - high prices.
- The sound is excellent.
- Others will no doubt disagree, but the no smoking rule is a plus.
- My generally mild-mannered wife took a disliking to the place to the extent I've rarely seen from her. Among her descriptive terms: "bites ass," "corporate hell," and "musical Disneyland."
- I didn't hate HOB as much as her, but I can't say I loved it either. Is it better than the Gypsy Tea Room? Tough to say - I wasn't exactly a fan of that place either.
- Sorority girls should not be allowed to roam the streets in large packs when drinking. Perhaps they should have their own special section, roped off from the rest of us, where they can screech and giggle to their heart's content.
- The band played well, but it must have been an odd experience for them. The whole experience was pretty far afield from Trees, the Gypsy Tea Room, Dave's Art and Pawn Shop, etc.
The HOB's presence raises an interesting question: if the place results in more people around town attending live shows, is that a good thing even if the venue is overly-corporate in feel and it hurts the other, independent clubs in the area?
Mike Orren, says:
Did the 97's play anything new?
Staff
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Gary Cohen, says:
No. Setlist was pretty standard, although they did play your favorite, Over The Cliff (check your voicemail).
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Teresa Gubbins, says:
nice reportage. so, does mrs gary prefer clubs with a grungy, funky vibe? or is there something overwhelmingly shiny about this place
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Billusa99, says:
The N.O. HOB has a pretty expansive bar where you can watch the stage act for free on in-house monitors.
Does anything like that exist here?
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Gary Cohen, says:
Not that I could tell, although I didn't see enough of the entire facility to know for sure.
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Bill Holston, says:
I hope that this isn't true: "The HOB's presence raises an interesting question: if the place results in more people around town attending live shows, is that a good thing even if the venue is overly-corporate in feel and it hurts the other, independent clubs in the area". I hope that's not likely. I sincerely hope this doesn't hurt independant clubs. I don't knock a place with a corporate feel. It's doing something good, providing a place to hear good music. but what the Indy club does is provide a forum for groups that no one has ever heard of before. Me, I've heard all the classic rock I ever care to. I want to hear up and coming bands, new bands, and I love it that I can pay a five buck cover and hear new original music. All those bands, like Old 97's were new once. I talked to someone just back from Austin asking, why do people come out for shows there? Good question. I've sat in rooms with 10 people listening to top notch acts that I had never heard of before. People think nothing of spending 4 bucks for a cup of coffee, but won't chance five bucks on live original music.
Again, I'm not taking anything away from HOB, I wish them well, but I am stating a preference for small intimate clubs with original acts: Dada, Lakewood Bar and Grill, Opening Bell, Bend Studio, Amsterdam Bar, Cavern, Gazellig, Barley House. Lots of good music for reasonable prices. You can always leave if you don't like it.
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Gary Cohen, says:
Bill, I hope you are right and that there is room for both the HOB/Palladium Ballroom-type places and the independent clubs. I just fear that won't be the case but would love to be proven wrong. After all, we are in Dallas, not Austin.
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