I decided to attend the LA show after all. I flew down from SF and got myself in line. The crowd lining up was enthusiastic, talkative, and more abundant than I think it had been at past shows. This carried into the venue, where people seemed to be in great spirits and there was a palpable sense of anticipation. The atmosphere was much more party-like than it had been in SF. (And special thanks to a man whose name I think was Chris who managed to carry shots through the crowd to the front row without spilling. Unfortunately, my recall of many of the details of the concert is impaired because of Chris's shots...)
Hypernova was even better in LA than they were the week before in SF. They really gave 100% and put on a great show. The crowd was largely impressed and complimentary and they were comparing them to Interpool and Joy Division. There was a lot of interest in hearing more from them.
People exploded properly when The Sisters of Mercy came on stage. Crash and Burn was awesome and each new song was greeted with waves of excitement and cheering. People just seemed happy and god knows life is more fun when you're around happy people. Giving Ground was a highlight for me, and Summer continues to be transporting, with the lights making you feel, see, and hear the music. We got On the Wire/Teachers which was very nice. This Corrosion and Vision Thing were a lot of fun with such a responsive group. The floods and Lucretia came through powerfully. Top Nite Out was another highlight, as it is such a cool song and it showcased Ben and Chris and gave people an opportunity to shout "Ben" and "Chris" in appreciation. And there was a lot of appreciation all around. After TOL, when it was clear that the show was over, no one around me really tried to move. I think they would have stayed and cheered for quite awhile if security hadn't ushered us all out. Overall, everyone banged out a great performance and the crowd responded.
Thanks to the kindness of Ben and some members of Hypernova, I had a nice alternative to sitting in a Denny's waiting for my 6am flight home. I got to talk to the very tall guy whose name I hesitate to type because I'm sure I'll butcher it. He was great fun, speaking directly and with no deference to ego or pretense. Yet another talented and gracious person from that band. I hope that they get all the sucess they want and that they like it.
I managed to sleep for a few minutes on the plane before coming home to rescue my mother-in-law from her babysitting duties. She snapped a photo of the set list, which I was lucky enough to get and will share. By 10am, I was at a playgroup meeting in a cafe, blearily leading four three year olds through Five Little Monkeys while my baby chomped on my arm with his new fangs. Back to reality, but the vacation from it was nice!
