I haven’t kept on my posts because who really cares. But here’s some pics and quick notes on three recent shows at Asheville’s Rabbit Rabbit venue. A venue I am not a fan of based on these experiences.
For The War on Drugs show last month I got an email hours before the show was set to start that they were moving up the start time. After scrambling to leave earlier than expected and get there we still missed the beginning of opener, Lo Moon. Apparently the show started even earlier than the email said. This night was bailed out though as The War on Drugs played a two hour set featuring songs from last year’s excellent I Don’t Live Here Anymore album plus plenty of older material.
The next show went better. Bon Iver and Bonny Light Horsemen. It was still an early start but I believe it started on time. (I missed the beginning of this one but that was because of work schedule). This was my first time seeing Bon Iver after being a fan for years. He was near the top of my list of bands to see and did not disappoint. There hasn’t been a new Bon Iver album in a few years so I wasn’t sure if there would be a host of new music. Turns out there wasn’t, but the songs from i,i were great live. We got some songs from his self titled album and one of my favorite songs of all time Blood Bank too. I left this one happy.
The last one was the Wildhearts tour, which is Angel Olsen, Sharon Van Etten, and Juilen Baker. For this one I once again got an email a couple of days before the show saying the start time was being move up, to 5:30. This was impossible for me to make but I figured I’d miss the opener and get the see the three I paid to see. Nope. Driving toward the venue at 6:30 I could hear that Juilen Baker was already playing. I parked as close as I could which meant paying $20 and then went to the entrance where I was delaying by a security guy as he literally insisted on checking in between the keys on my key ring for … who knows. The hand full of songs I heard sounded good but Juilen Baker was done before 7pm. Sharon Van Etten was next and was good but wrapped up her set at 45 minutes which was disappointing. I figured they must be giving extra time to Asheville resident Angel Olsen but that didn’t turn out to be the case either. Her set was an hour before and encore break when she returned with SVE for Like I Used To and a cover. The set was good, mostly her new album Big Time, along with the songs Sister and Shut Up Kiss Me. I’m fine with that, Big Time is another in a string of great albums from Angel. The disappointing thing was the short set times combined with the early start. If they weren’t going to play long why start the show at 4:30PM? I was literally back in my car headed home at 9:45. I would have liked to see all of Juilen Baker’s set and make it end 10:30 or something, which is still very early for a show.
So, yeah, I do not like this venue. Besides this the sound is bad and the stage is set so that the sun is going down directly in your line of set during those early start time.
I know no one gives a shit what I think. I’m sure they’ll continue to be successful, that’s cool, I wish them the best, I just won’t be there.
Also, and this probably has nothing to do with the venue, just society in general now, no one would shut the fuck up at any of these shows. Why someone pays $60 a ticket to ignore the music and yell at their friend about changing their passwords or that they wonder if hair dresser is a good job? I don’t know. (These are actual things random people yelled at each other during Angel Olsen’s headlining set.) If your friend can hear you over the music so can everyone else around you. Go to a bar and stop being an asshole. If it’s that important text it to your friend. Ugh.
Entreaty 