Tremont Street Music Hall
Review by: Bryan
Ok, here is my review of the Charlotte, NC show. Sold Out.
Antheneum started out the show at about 8:40pm and played until about 9:25 or so. They were alright, and got the crowd pumped up. It could be because they have a homefield advantage being from North Carolina.
OK, onto Goo. They took forever to finish setting up and came on around 10:10pm. The show started out with it completely dark, and a few of the motorized lights flipping around and some funky sounds coming from the keyboard for about 2 minutes. Almost an eerie / spooky sound....then BLASTED right into Dizzy. They played almost all the new material within the beginning two-thirds of the show.
Couple of cool notes to point out:
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when they played Naked, johnny got caught up in the audience and forgot the words. He had this funny look on his face like he knew he wasn't fooling anyone, and tried to cover it by mumbling. Then he just stopped and said something like, "I forgot the fu*#ing words!" and then broke out into a laugh. Then busted right back into it.
There was a guy walking around in a sailor uniform (Idea from Howard Stern? Maybe Navy? Doubt it...I would go with Howard)
Everyone was singing when they did Slide, Name, and Iris. That was cool to hear everyone singing in unison.
Robby had larengitis :( So he sung very few songs...but he did sing Amigone and Full Forever :) He said, "I'll try and burp out a few songs!"
Ok, here was the one moment that made me laugh my a$$ off:
They came to a slight break in their set and Johnny starts telling a story: (Here it is as I try to remember it, may not be exact, but you'll get the idea) He has an acoustic guitar in hand. Told as he is talking to you.
"I was sitting in my apartment one night, and I started playing a song. It sounded like this: (Playing acoustic sort of like a banjo type tune.) Then I decided to slow it down a little, and it sounded like this. (He plays the beginning of Name) I kind of liked it, so I went to Rob and said, What do you think of this? (Starts playing the beginning to Name) Rob said he liked it and so we dicided to put it on an album. So we went to the studio and recorded it. We figured we would stick it right in the middle of the album and hope no one would find it. So a couple of months later I am driving down a street in my car, and I hear this on the radio (starts playing the beginning of Name) The first thing I said was $HIT, that FU%king godawful song!
He then goes on to say, "I had it all, no money, no nothing, but at least I had my punk rock image and my fu%king Indie label." He continues: "So a few months later I get this letter in the mail, and it stated:
Dear Faggit,
I hate that fucking song
you guys are a sell-out
FU%K Off
signed, Punk Rock Dude
"But I thought to myself, everytime I do this (starts playing Name) You guys do that!" (Crowd goes wild and starts screaming!) They then go right into Name.
I really thought that was pretty cool. I think its really cool when the band stops and chit-chats during the concert. This helps make the concert more memorable.
I also had the opportunity to meet Janet from the list. Very cool person. Let me just say one thing.....she can get you to the front of the stage! We were in the center about 12 rows (if you can call them rows in gen admin shows) and by the middle of the show, we were about 2 from the stage. Its very hard to move up when the crowd was pretty tame. That was another thing, this was the TAMEST show I have ever been to. I don't know if it was because their music has slowed down a little, or if it was because it wasn't a Buffalo show. I can't answer that question because I have never been to a goo show outside of Western NY....At a few points, the crowd started to get going, but then slowed down again. All in all still a kick ass show.
We hung out after the show and Mike, Nathan and Dave all came out into the bar. Most had left already. KEY POINT: Hang out if the bouncers don't boot you, especially if they have a bar! Then after getting Mike to sign autographs, we went outside were some poeple were waiting for John to sign stuff. So Brian from the list, walks around the back of the bus and semi to the Goo bus (Green one) and walks right up to the door. And out walks Johnny. So we talked with him a little before the one bouncer says, "Ok, let's move along people!, its cold out and we don't want the band to catch a cold." A few comments on that: OK, first off, are you their mother? and second, They're from BUFFALO - Land of freezing temps and hideous wind chills, I THINK THEY KNOW COLD, and this ain't it! It was kind of cold out....maybe in the low 40s.
The low part of the night: The 2.5 hour drive back to Raleigh! Got home at 3am and passed out, especially since I worked a half day and had to get up at 6:15....
And that about wraps it up. I know I left things out, so maybe Janet or Brian call fill in where I left off.
BRYAN