Saw Mastodon/Opeth last night in Charlotte

[Seedy]

And no one was fucking there. What is wrong with this city?

Mastodon was as good as expected, heavy as shit, covered mostly the latest record. I was really impressed by Opeth too. It's cleaner than most of the music I like but very musical. The sound at the Fillmore Charlotte was really good.

But back to attendance. I know its a Thursday, and the Fillmore is big, but it should have been packed to the rafters. I was out of town when the Melvins came through 2 weeks ago on a Tuesday, and I actually feel guilty that I didn't go because if Mastodon's show was so sparsely attended the Melvins gig probably looked like one of my own with fewer than 20 people. No wonder my drummer and I can't find a guitarist. This shit in Philly and New York would be out of control. Here, it was totally under control. Lame lame lame.

So how do awesome bands fare in your area?

[jfrey]

The Opeth / Mastodon / Ghost show here in Boston was actually pretty full, but usually bands like that play at tiny venues (bars mostly) where very few people go to see them.

[D.o.S.]

Yeah Portland had a pretty packed crowd as well. But I've also seen some really killer bands play to the ever-ubiquitous 20 or so people if its a weeknight or what have you.


Re: Boston, bands that play Middle East-type venues tend to draw a large-ish crowd.

[jfrey]

Re: Boston, bands that play Middle East-type venues tend to draw a large-ish crowd.

Yeah, but it's a very small number of bands - in metal at least - that play there. When Intronaut, Dysrhythmia, and Cynic played here, they performed at a small bar with maybe 40 people max. Probably less than that.

[D.o.S.]

Yeah, unless People-who-read-Pitchfork-but-won't-cop-to-reading-Pitchfork like your metal band (which means you're probably in Boris... or Torche), you're most likely going to be playing some dive in Allston.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[jfrey]

Yeah, unless People-who-read-Pitchfork-but-won't-cop-to-reading-Pitchfork like your metal band (which means you're probably in Boris... or Torche), you're most likely going to be playing some dive in Allston.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Yeah. I actually saw Boris with Russian Circles and Cave In at the Middleeast and it was packed. Even Torche though when I saw them played at a tiny place in Allston. Same thing with Revocation and Toxic Holocaust - which I couldn't believe...

[J-Fuzz]

Every time I've seen a show at that amphitheater it's always been packed, but those are always huge acts. Every time I go to a show that's actually in Charlotte it's like you said...empty. People in Charlotte just don't seem to care about bands that aren't mentioned in People.

[Wes Mantooth]

I have a friend who works at First Ave in downtown Minneapolis that got me on the list to see Meshuggah, Decapitated and Baroness this Sunday so I'm pysched! I haven't been to a metal show in years but the ones I used to go to fared pretty well as far as attendance goes. I'm hoping the show this Sunday will be just as packed.

[D.o.S.]

Yeah, unless People-who-read-Pitchfork-but-won't-cop-to-reading-Pitchfork like your metal band (which means you're probably in Boris... or Torche), you're most likely going to be playing some dive in Allston.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Yeah. I actually saw Boris with Russian Circles and Cave In at the Middleeast and it was packed. Even Torche though when I saw them played at a tiny place in Allston. Same thing with Revocation and Toxic Holocaust - which I couldn't believe...

That show was rad. And packed. Seriously packed.

Swans has played both, though I'm not sure they really count as "metal."

[WeHuntKings]

i would count swans as being godfathers to industrial metal. no swans, no godflesh.