Venue Review and Striking a Blow for Short Chicks

Friday night, I went to see Longwave at Rock n' Roll Hotel with Tim. The show? Very good. The venue? Not a fan.

This club involves a serious time investment. The first band doesn't go on until nine, then there are not one, not two, but THREE opening acts. So it's usually midnight before the headliner even goes on. By then, the crowd is in one of three places: home in their beds, blearily checking their watches in the crowd, or so wasted they might as well be anywhere. (Lest you write me off as an old fogey, even the underage kids with the Xes were yawning by the time Longwave went on. And what decent band would want to play to a sleepy room, anyway?)

I will say, at $10 cover, $2.50 a band is a pretty sweet deal. And the beer isn't ridiculously expensive, parking is easy, and bar service is very prompt (especially compared to the Black Cat, where there's always some snooty club kid who cuts in line and throws elbows).

But since I'm all sorts of cranky today, here's a note to tall guys. Yes, you. I'm down here! Hi! When the club is full, stand where you want. It's every man for himself. But in a half-empty room, why not show a little courtesy? I will never figure out why the tallest man in the room always stands right in front of the shortest woman (me, usually). Is there some sort of tall guy radar going on? It would be nice not to spend every show bobbing, weaving, adjusting, and nudging guys to move over a notch or two. As soon as I get settled in, another tall guy pops up. It's like a sick carnival game. Whack-a-Giant.

You're tall, and male. Statistically you earn more money, get more promotions, and are more likely to be President. So with all those advantages, throw a bone to the short chicks. Do you not look behind you before you settle into a location? Could you, perhaps?

PS - I would like to thank the group in front of us at the show Friday. A couple tall guys moved in front of me, the girl in their group noticed, and gave them a talking-to. Then for the rest of the night, I had their permission to just reach over and nudge them when they got in the way. Manhandling strangers AND a decent view? Rock show heaven.