The Rialto Theatre is hosting Rilo Kiley on Tuesday, Oct. 9. (That’s tomorrow in the way that you earthlings measure time.) I’ve been listening to them ever since someone slipped me a song called “More Adventurous” on a mix last summer. I totally dug the mix of a little bit country, a little bit rock ‘n’ roll; my heart breaks a little bit everytime I hear Jenny Lewis’ vocals. Find out for yourself tomorrow night. Opening acts: The Bird and The Bee and Grand Ole Party.
This article appears in Oct 4-10, 2007.
Is it just me, or is the sound system (and staff) at the Rialto the worst in the world? I saw Lavender Diamond there… three vocal mikes, electric piano, tiny drum kit, and an acoustic guitar, and the whole set was punctuated by squealing feedback, the drums were inaudible, the piano swung between mud and screechy, the guitar was giving that humming feedback… the band persistently made requests for alterations in the sound that went unanswered. And this is a super quiet band. It would be almost impossible to screw it up… It’s like they worked extra hard to make it sound awful. Perhaps I am spoiled by the sound at PLUSH, which is the best I’ve ever heard anywhere. Three cheers for PLUSH! Three Boos for the awful sound at the Rialto! Seriously, I could’ve done better with three 58s and a boombox… Rialto, you suck!
Sorry, dude, but it is, indeed, you. I didn’t see Lavender Diamond there, but I can assure you that your experience was an anomaly. On a good night (which is most nights) the sound at the Rialto is pretty damn great. The venue pumped in a lot of money to get it to the point it’s at currently. It sounds like you never went to a show there before the renovations. If you had written this post then, you would have a legit gripe. These days, not so much.
hey “Sprawn!” —
i remember you that night — you were that guy wearing a purple bike helmet, dressed like neil young on laundry day, right? in a”hannah montana” t-shirt and parachute pants? smelling like microwaved zombie poo? i remember your microsoft “zune” logo tattoo on your flabby shoulder. we had a good laugh about that in the office.
anyway, i’m glad you commented — you forgot your “hello kitty” backpack, which has a walkman with a steely dan “aja” cassette in it (also, there was a slightly used jar of vaseline, a couple of trojan condoms with “1-12-88” expiration dates, half a box of band-aids, a bus pass, a tickle-me-elmo with dead batteries, 38 pennies and lance bass n*sync trading card). can you come claim it? we only keep lost and found stuff for two weeks.
i tried to catch you as you left the theatre, but you were too quick getting into that guacamole-colored ford pinto with the “my other car is a dragon” bumper sticker that your mom was driving.
at least, i assumed that was your mom. it could have been your girlfriend, i suppose. but i think the odds that you have a girlfriend are pretty slim.
SS – I hope you are right. I know that anyone can have an off night. The Rialto is a beautiful place and deserves to have the best sound. Lavender Diamond was really screwed up though. I think it was that they were in the unfortunate position of being in between two bands that had totally different sounds. But I got the impression that the sound people just didn’t give a damn. Like they decided that they didn’t like the band, and just went out back to smoke a joint. This is not an unusual practice among bitter, angry sound guys who think that every band should sound like Metallica… or decide they want to punish a band for whatever reason. And it is not unusual for sound guys to go deaf either, or become deafened to the peculiar prominent feedback in a place they work frequently… or to try and saturate everything with reverb that they become immune too and thus keep turning up… But I mean… who knows what is going on on any particular night.
Curtis – Yes! That was me! you noticed! I was going to come over and snort some coke with you out of the wrinkles of the two fifty year old strippers you brought along as dates, but you looked so happy I didn’t want to interrupt. The pony tail is TOTALLY WORKING Dude! I completely cannot tell that you are bald because of it. And keep on rockin’ that Members Only jacket, the world needs more dedicated octogenarians such as yourself.
How was the Bird and the Bee? I love their album… Really one of the best of 2007 in my opinion.