Ugh, I hear this sort of thing all the time from Radiohead fans. "Hey! I paid a lot for these tickets! Don't ruin MY ENJOYMENT by having fun! Jeez, people, don't you know that Radiohead is INTELLECTUAL music?? NOT FOR DANCING!"

**from some Radiohead fans.

Um, actually, my wish for a handgun was to shoot the hippies.

Radiohead ≠ Tom Waits, of course. But I'll be pretty fuckin' pissed if my view of the stage is blocked by twirling trustafarians. It's a THEATER, for chrissakes. I have no problem standing for the whole show, and pretty much expect to, but I'd prefer to be able to concentrate on Waits' performance, not Dreddy McDredderson and his patchouli-soaked girlfriend spinning into me every sixteen seconds.

And believe me, I've crawled out of mosh pits bleeding and grinning many a time, but there's a time and a place for everything, and a Tom Waits show isn't the place for dervish displays. If you must seek ecstatic release through enthusiastic movement, please do so in the back of the room, so others can see the stage.

Now get off my lawn.

Damned dirty young hippies.

Hey, I'm with those who oppose free-stylin' in front of people, blocking their view. These days, it seems, artists are demanding FREAKISHLY high dollar for tickets. If you are gonna fork out, you deserve to see AND hear the performance.

Iggy and the Stooges are playing, or recently played Toronto. Good seats were in the 200-300 range. While I have previously admired Iggy's non-precious approach to music (like selling Lust for Life to that cruise ship line) there's no fucking way I'm paying HUNDREDS of dollars to see Iggy and the fellas. Unless it included a high class call girl that is. Even then...

Get off my lawn too!

bop, don't expect to need to stand up for the whole show. Everyone at both the shows I've seen wanted to sit down and take it in.

You are going to love the show! Check in after, okay?

See, if I were the artist, I'd tell the hippies to go sit down so's others could see. Nicely, but still.

My spin instructor occasionally plays Tom Wait's version of Wonderful World during our cooldown...man, that voice would make sandpaper sound smooth in comparison.

I understood you the first time, BOP :)

I saw Simon and Garfunkel live a few years ago, and I remember some middle-aged women totally getting down at the barrier. It was pretty cool, IMO. :)

*Shrug* I guess the way I see it, I like to sit and watch and listen and absorb, and other people like to writhe and dance and feel the music. Yeah, they shouldn't be rude about it (like, they should have danced at their seats, instead of rushing the stage or whatever), but I don't get the classicism and privilege implied in the craigslist rant. Like, didn't the hippies pay just as much for their seats? (or they wouldn't have been able to walk up the aisle to the front)? That's all.

(Also, I don't like the part that was all "oh, they should have realized they were pissing us off -- didn't they hear our mean-spirited, behind-their-back comments???")

Jeebus! Two hundred bucks for the Stooges?! WTF?

But I would so pay that just to touch the hem of Mike Watt's flannel shirt...

*shakes it off*

I don't get the classicism and privilege implied in the craigslist rant

That could be because you're looking for something that isn't there. At a hundred bucks a ticket, all the victims of classism and privilege at that show were working the concession and valet parking stands.

Also, I don't like the part that was all "oh, they should have realized they were pissing us off -- didn't they hear our mean-spirited, behind-their-back comments???

Just as the poster didn't like his view of the show constantly being impeded by free-spirited, in-front-of-his-face people standing arms aloft between him and the stage. That's a bit more offensive than whispered comments since, you know, it ACTUALLY INTERFERES with seeing the show.

I suspect the problem is that the kids at this Tom Waits show have been to too many Widespread Panic shows and not enough Fugazi shows. Amateurs.

bop, don't expect to need to stand up for the whole show. Everyone at both the shows I've seen wanted to sit down and take it in.

Yeah, from the pics I saw of the Houston show, it was in an actual theater with seating, and all of the crowd shots showed people actually seated.

Here in Dallas (Mon. the 23rd), it was at a venue that was all Standing Room Only and General Admission. I don't know if this is how Tom typically rolls, but he definitely was ballad-heavy (fine by me) but standing room only was a bit odd. Not to mention, it was hotter than balls there that night. Made for a bit of an uncomfortable experience, but whatever.....I got to see Tom Waits live and in person. And it was great.

At the end of his tour, we should have a MeCha review thread for everyone to post their Glittery and Gloomy experiences. I'd be interested.

Have fun, BOP. I certainly did.