But the real point of this post is that it's such a joy to be able to be close to see and feel the passion and enjoyment the performer is feeling.  I almost can't go see the big stadium shows any more except when I've got the feeling that if I don't, I'll never get to see an act again, like the Rolling Stones... What if Keith had killed himself falling out of that tree and I had never made it to a show? So when they played Dodger stadium last year, I had to suck it up and pay the price.

But this year the Police are playing Dodger stadium and I did not bite that bullet. Why? Because I saw them at the Tacoma Dome in 1984 on the Synchronicity tour and it was and is one of the best shows I ever saw. So I'm going to skip the rehash tour. Unless someone gives me a free ticket, I suppose. 

Back to the point... I love the little venues. I love being able to walk up the guitarist and strike up a conversation about amps and guitars. After the show Friday night, I did just that and found Marcia's guitarist was using the same amp I have at home and he sounded amazing through it. So there's hope for me!

I've had lots of little moments like that here in LaLa land. It's one of those things I would really miss if I went anywhere else. There are so many great venues to see music (even when the sound is bad, which was not the case at The Mint).

There, I feel better.  And I’m a musician for crying out loud… I LIKE loud music.

In the not-too-distant past I have been to the Viper Room, the Roxy, The Gig, The Joint, and the Troubadour. (I’ve played at the Cat Club and have always wondered what it sounded like out front. Can’t tell from the stage. But I digress.) Each venue was painful and the bands sounded like ear-splitting mush. The only clarity was in drums and even then, the kick drum is overemphasized.

Maybe it’s the bands’ fault, I don’t know. Anyone who has played in a band knows how hard it is to find that perfect balance so that the guitars don’t overwhelm the vocals but each member can hear himself and the rest of the band. My band has dealt with it by downsizing the guitar amps because we found you can’t turn up big amps in small clubs to get the tone you need without getting complaints about being too loud. Clubs with backlines (house amps and drums) tend to have the big 50 or 100 watt half stacks that are overkill for the space. Ours are 15 and 22 watts.

Earplugs have become my salvation, but they attenuate frequencies unevenly, even the ‘better’ ones I have been using. (If anyone knows of a good full spectrum earplug they would like to suggest, please let me know. Something that just drops the level, but lets frequencies through.) Of course, when you don’t know who you might see, earplugs come in handy for other reasons…

Overall, the show didn't live up to the studio recordings, but was still entertaining and the potential for greatness is there. Gold sounded good on guitar and Pierre and Dave were a solid rhythm section. Todd put a lot of good energy into his show and did well given the tough sound conditions. I'd love to see them again in a place where they are using their own gear. But please, people, play "Misery"!