God is an Astronaut @ Ottobar

thanks for bringing that up - good to know the TBA acts have been announced.

<img src="http://www.theottobar.com/images/images_flyers/god_web.jpg" alt=" - " />

no problem. i need to check out these bands and see if they are worth driving to baltimore early.

I just bought my ticket last night. This will be my first show at the Ottobar, believe it or not. I don't get to Baltimore much. Any tips on parking or what time to show up or whatever?

Anyone familiar with the opening acts?

Thanks,
Ed

sorry ed, never been to ottobar so can't help there.

and it looks like i won't be going any time soon either: work just informed me i need to be in chicago that week. DANG FRICKIN' @%#~$*&!!!

eff.

if anyone wants a pair of tickets to this show, please PM me. selling for face, i'll eat the $7 service fees.

looks like the late show at the knitting factory that is my last chance.

Originally posted by sweetcell:
ok, foremost i'd like to thank my girlfriend for her support, and the on-going loan of her jeans - baby, you always knew that i'd make it… into them.

100% true: I have an ex and when we were going out she had a pair of jeans that we both fit in. They were a tad tight on me but they were Versace so whatever. Oh, the days when I was still a 5/6…

Originally posted by Darth Ed:
Any tips on parking or what time to show up or whatever?
Ed

parking is available on the street, and behind the ottobar.

There is also a parking lot next to the club it is usually free. Don't park in front of the tire shop across the street.

Originally posted by azaghal1981:
The ottobar tends to run so fucking late sometimes.

Hopefully this won't be one of them.

every concert I've been to (sans the Pier Inner harbour shows) are late shows, I hate hate hate going to concerts in Baltimore.

The Panda Bear show there didn't end until almost 1 AM which caused me to miss the last train back to the dc area requiring me to take a cab from there to Germantown. Luckily, I was doing some work for a federal contractor earlier that day in Baltimore so I was able to chalk up that nearly $200 cab ride as part of my expenses. :)

Good ol' Uncle Sam picked up the tab with no questions asked.

ok, last time i post this, i swear:

2 tickets for God is an Astronaut in B'more for sale - best offer takes'em. they're print-at-home PDFs so i can e-mail them to whoever wants'em.

also have two tickets to Sons And Daughters/ Holy F*ck/ A Place To Bury Strangers at the RnR hotel the next night (wed 3/19). also best offer. physical tickets, i'm in silver spring (although at the club tonight for justice, i have the tickets with me).

PM me if interested in either pair (or even a single). i won't post this ad/offer/request again, i promise :)

I really wish I could take those GIAA tickets off your hands. If it was a weekend, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
Already have mine for APTBS.

Originally posted by azaghal1981:
Luckily, I was doing some work for a federal contractor earlier that day in Baltimore so I was able to chalk up that nearly $200 cab ride as part of my expenses. :)

Good ol' Uncle Sam picked up the tab with no questions asked.

I wouln't brag about that…sounds to me like you're just another prick pseudo-bureaucrat ripping off taxpayers to me. Fuck off with that shit.

ok, since i can't sell them - let's see if i can give them away.

anyone want a pair of tix to tomorrow's GiaA show, free? PM me. if you just need a single let me know, so i can give the other one to someone else. they're electronic print-at-home tickets, so i'll e-mail it/them to you.

Anyone familiar with the opening bands?

Don't know a thing about the openers but I will definitely be there for God.

Sorry Sweetcell but I'm guest listed. Hope some smart soul takes you up on your offer. Will you be able to see them in New York?

Who all is going? Everyone is always blown away by their live show. If you are just remotely thinking of going, do so! You have no idea if and when they may return. We are very lucky to get them in our territory as it is.

ill be there. this is going to be a great show.

I got to the Ottobar around 9:40pm, just in time to catch the penultimate band, Isthmus. They weren't too bad, I thought. Not great, but a decent opening band who put in a good effort. Mostly instrumental with some vocals for texture, not unlike God Is An Astronaut.

I wasn't too impressed with the Ottobar at first. It's basically a dive bar with a stage, but I warmed up to the place as the evening progressed. The stage is nice and high and the room is airy, with a quasi-balcony on one side. There's a pillar in the middle of the room and another one right in front of the stage, off to the side, thankfully. Once I found a spot where the pillars didn't obscure my view, it was fine. The sound for Isthmus wasn't all that great, but the mix for God Is An Astronaut was just about perfect, I thought. Oh, and a draft Newcastle was a whole dollar cheaper than the 9:30 Club. Nice. Anyway, I'd definitely go back again if there was a band I really wanted to see and they weren't playing a more convenient venue.

God Is An Astronaut put on a fantastic show! I suspect this show will ultimately be one of my favorite concerts of the year. Really solid performance by the whole band. The set list was perfect. They played all the songs you'd want to hear, from their first album right through to their last album. A video projector played video of nuclear blasts, astronauts, rockets, eclipses, tornados, soldiers, and the like on a screen behind the band. I was impressed at how well the video sync'ed with the music as they played, and it really added to the experience. The audience was small. but very enthusiastic, and the band suitably appreciative, playing a second (presumably unplanned) encore and then, after the show, shaking hands with nearly every fan who stayed around, chatting amiably, and signing autographs.

Speaking of which, one of the members of the band told me that they have a new album coming out by the end of the year. It will be a little more electronic than their recent albums. It'll probably be available only on their web site initially. They're negotiating with a label and, if successful, hope to get it distributed wider. He also told me they wanted their first tour of the U.S. to be a smaller and more intimate headlining effort so that they could get to know their fans first before trying to broaden their audience. He said their next U.S. tour will probably be opening for another, more established band. Supposedly, there are a couple of possibilities in that area coming up soon.

The concert ended a little after midnight, like 12:15am, I estimate. Not as bad as the 1:00am that I feared. Ghost Is An Astronaut started playing right at 10:45pm, by the way. The posted schedule only had two opening bands listed. I guess either one of the opening bands cancelled or was dropped.

Topping it off, I got to finally meet the esteemed Jaguar. It was a pleasure, Jaguar! A great evening.

Darth Ed, you just made me blush. :o I was very much hoping to get to meet you since we seem to be enjoying more and more of the same music lately. Was a pleasure! I'm only sorry I didn't get to meet others.

The God Is An Astronaut show was incredible! Yes, I know I'm biased but even putting that aside, these guys put on one damn fine show. They are just as tight live as on their albums but rock out more. All very fine gentlemen too. Super nice without any of the rock star ego crap that a lot of musicians fall victim to.

On a personal level, I got a nice surprise towards the end of the show. The band thanked me for some work I've done for them and dedicated a song to me. Was a real surprise and quite a nice honor.