atomicfront
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Best and Worst shows at new and old club
May 28, 2010 at 03:05 PM UTC
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Best and worst shows at new and old club:
Worst at old club:
Replacements (Let it be tour late 84 or early 85) - Most of the songs were unrecognizable. "I will dare" was so bad that I left half way through it. Week later I saw a band playing an electified wash board and electrified accoustic guitar do a perfect version at DC Space
Flipper - Basically them tuning their guitars over and over. And the crowd chanting "6 bucks! 6 Bucks!" - the price of admission
The Fall (1985) - Playing basically all new songs. Throwing their equipment around. Saying everytime they come here the place is always a disaster and saying they would never play the club again. Which turned out to be a lie.
Best at old Club
Jesus and Mary Chain 1985 - First DC show. They were known for putting on bad shows at the time but this one was perfect. With Bobby Gillepsie on drums (primal scream frontman)
Minutemen - I really wasnt into their music but they put on a great show and the crowd was having fun slam dancing even all the girls. Lead singer dude gave me an "US out of central America" bumpersticker.
Worst at new club
Sisters of Mercy - most recent appearance at the club. They sounded awful. There was so much fog you couldn't see the band.
Best at the new Club
Dresden Dolls - this band is great every time I see them.
Pulp
Best at WUST pre- 930 days-
Oasis
Suede/Cranberries
Dead Kenedys
StoneTheCrow
Joined: January 05, 2006 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 2297
Re: Best and Worst shows at new and old club
May 28, 2010 at 03:49 PM UTC
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I will only add that my biggest 930 Club disappointment was heading down to the old club in '86 to see the Replacements and finding out the show had been cancelled because Westerberg had allegedly broken his wrist in NYC a day or 2 earlier as a result of a stage dive. I thought I had later heard that the story was complete bullshit. Either way…..I never ended up seeing the original line-up.
eros
Joined: February 03, 2002 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 1111
Re: Best and Worst shows at new and old club
May 28, 2010 at 03:53 PM UTC
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This gives me another chance to tell my "worst show at the club ever" story.
Around 1997, a buddy of mine got tickets to the 930 edition of the "MGD Blind Date" shows that were going on at the time where you'd get to see some huge act play in a small venue. There were all sorts of rumors as to who it was going to be from Smashing Pumpkins to Foo Fighters to the Stones (who were just getting ready to start a tour).
We sat through some opener and the DJ from DC101 comes out and says "Get ready DC! Here they are! Seven Mary Three!!!!" Ugh. We left after 2 or 3 songs - at least it was free.
To this day I still believe there was a real headliner who backed out at the last second and they scrounged up these guys as a replacement. No one from the club has ever confirmed it of course.
JonathanEH
Joined: May 02, 2005 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 484
Re: Best and Worst shows at new and old club
May 28, 2010 at 04:12 PM UTC
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I haven't lived here very long (since 2005), but here are mine:
Best - Iggy and the Stooges, hands down.
Worst - The Patterson Hoodless Drive-By Truckers (Opening band played for over 90 minutes, putting the show way off schedule, then the Truckers were a train wreck that night).
bunnyman
Joined: November 19, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 5542
Re: Best and Worst shows at new and old club
May 28, 2010 at 04:32 PM UTC
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Wow, great thread.
Worst old club:
It wasn't the worst show I've ever seen, but the The Orb played and I think it was one of the times where they could have benefitted from a bigger venue. It was claustrophic and you couldn't see a thing.
Best old club:
The Jesus Lizard
Honorable Mentions:
Teenage Fanclub w/Yo La Tengo, Helmet w/Jawbox, Charlatans UK, Carter U.S.M.
Most Memorable:
Paw…they set their drums on fire and Grant (or was it Peter?) Fitch would put his guitar down to crowd surf. It was insane. Same thing with Pop Will Eat Itself. It was like the club turned into a giant blender of bodies, sweat, and beer.
Worst new club:
Zero 7 (from about 4 years ago…that sucked beyond words)
Best new club:
Social D (November 2001)
I've seen some great shows, but Mike Ness was in top form this night. It just stands out as being one of those incredible evenings that I'll never forget.
Honorable mentions:
the Chemical Brothers, Kraftwerk, Face to Face, Foo Fighters w/Supergrass, Elliott Smith, Catherine Wheel, PJ Harvey, Air, Queens of the Stone Age, Echo & the Bunnymen, Dismemberment Plan w/Death Cab, Bob Mould, X, Belle & Sebastian, Peaches, Fischerspooner
Most Memorable:
Aphex Twin…bar none
Pre-9:30 Club (when it was WUST):
Stone Roses, Smashing Pumpkins w/Swervedriver
sweetcell
Joined: July 18, 2006 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 22608
Re: Best and Worst shows at new and old club
May 28, 2010 at 04:36 PM UTC
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worse:
- stereolab - 2006? i had really high expectations for the show, and it just blew. sound was bad, band lacked energy.
- zero 7: great show, except when Sia took the stage. she killed it for me.
i'm sure i'm forgetting some.
best:
i've been to a LOT of shows over the past 5 years, and many have been awesome, but i think iggy and the stooges in 2007 stands out as the most mind-blowing.
chaz
Joined: December 09, 2002 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 5111
Re: Best and Worst shows at new and old club
May 28, 2010 at 04:59 PM UTC
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Best at old club - Bad Brains
Worst at old club…having a hard time on this one.
Best at new club - Stooges, Nick Cave, Spirtualized. Every time they've ever played for the latter 2.
Worst at new club - Bad Brains.
DeathFromAbove1979
Joined: November 29, 2006 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 5038
Re: Best and Worst shows at new and old club
May 28, 2010 at 05:51 PM UTC
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I only went to the new club, but the worst show was The National. Maybe I just wasn't into it….which I wasnt, but it seemed like the crowd was staring at a painting. Such a painful show to suffer through. It should have been seated because there was nothing else to do but stare at that boring god damn band.
Best show? I loved the last YYYs show, QOTSA in 2005 was amazing, Justice in 2008 was amazing, The Raconteurs on both nights were absolutely amazing, The Presets and Cut/Copy was a great show. I cant think of more, but Ive had amazing times at 930. The new one.
El Tee
Joined: October 09, 2003 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 3809
Re: Best and Worst shows at new and old club
May 28, 2010 at 05:53 PM UTC
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The Vines at new club (do I recall the right band name? I always forget…Redsock was there he may recall…there was a thread about worst at new club a couple of years ago. Many of us listed them.)
They either opened for someone or it was a triple bill. Nothing to do w/ the club or sound, the band just plain sucked that night.
I think the most hilarious is Ryan Adams' RNR show. You'll just have to ask someone on Monday.
JSBX on NYE w/ Cibo Matto (and Jesus Lizard, right?) was my first and one of my favorites at the new club - great performances and a fun night. '97
(I would like the framed commemorative poster willed to me, please, Seth.;))
I am also partial to the Dylan show at the new club - intimate space to hear him, everyone was so excited too.
My one and only show at the old 930 was Dillon Fence. But, somehow, in one night, I remember everything. (the pole, the phone booth - there was one right? Noticed the smell…and somehow can still remember, even if you only think of it. I know I sat on some car seats, unless I'm making this up. I was, uh, young that night. So fun.)
Despite them being somewhat Top 40 [now], Snow Patrol's first show (at new), was great. Lots of forumites were there and maybe about 65 people total? Blew a speaker and just put on a great rock show.
Relaxer
Joined: October 15, 2001 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 5410
Re: Best and Worst shows at new and old club
May 28, 2010 at 06:17 PM UTC
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The Verve in July 95 at the old club was amazing. I actually stumbled on a real rough recording of that show and it confirmed what an amazing night it was
Somehow got roped into seeing The Dude of Life a year or two later and it was by far the worst
As for the new one, the ones that stand out are Guided By Voices when Universal Cycles came out, the Datsuns for rocking a ~100-head crowd like it was Giants Stadium, Doves w/ Strokes opening, and Secret Machines after their second album.
I think Spoon might be the worst I've seen at the new one. Was almost loony at how boring they were.
sweetcell
Joined: July 18, 2006 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 22608
Re: Best and Worst shows at new and old club
May 28, 2010 at 06:25 PM UTC
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DeathFromAbove1979 wrote:
I only went to the new club, but the worst show was The National.
yeah, that was another dismal show. i spent it with brennser wondering how a band who gave us such brilliant albums could be so boring on stage.
oh, i got another one: the arctic monkeys blew chunks. y'all know me, i'm a concert addict. the arctic monkeys are the first band, ever, to make me say "i'd never go see them again". they somehow managed to be both pretentious and boring. if you're going to throw around that much attitude, you better have the performance to back it up. they didn't.
if we're going to throw out honorable mentions, how about: polyphonic spree, pink (yes, seriously), EITS, hot chip (all three shows), zz top, ben gibbard acoustic.
El Tee
Joined: October 09, 2003 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 3809
Re: Best and Worst shows at new and old club
May 28, 2010 at 06:27 PM UTC
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:) Thanks 930 for our modify button.
Monkey and kitten, sweetie for you:
killsaly
Joined: Unknown
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Re: Best and Worst shows at new and old club
May 28, 2010 at 06:38 PM UTC
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The best shows I have seen at the new club (I was a wee child in Louisiana for the old clubs run):
Polyphonic Spree for the Fragile Army tour (simply magical)
Low for Drums and Guns tour (small crowd, awesome sound and vibe)
Scissor Sisters for Ta Dah tour (just a whole lot of fun)
There are a bunch more, but those are the top three that jump out to me.
As for worst, I cant really think of any that were horrible.
sweetcell
Joined: July 18, 2006 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 22608
Re: Best and Worst shows at new and old club
May 28, 2010 at 06:39 PM UTC
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yeah, i caught that as soon as i hit "post" :)
JonathanEH
Joined: May 02, 2005 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 484
Re: Best and Worst shows at new and old club
May 28, 2010 at 07:25 PM UTC
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I had forgotten about the Bad Brains shows from election night in '08 until someone mentioned it. That is definitely the worst show for me.
HR didn't seem to even exist in the same time/space continuum as the band or anyone else.
I agree that Nick Cave and Spiritualized are contenders for best show.
Another one that sticks out for me as one of the best is the first of the recent Pogues tours in March of '06. It was the first date of their US tour, so the first US show with Shane in 18 years, and it was a late show and the band came on at midnight or 1 AM.
The "Fairytale of New York" encore with Shane waltzing with the woman he duetted with while fake snow fell from the ceiling is a moment I will never forget.
phillidan
Joined: September 17, 2004 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 292
Re: Best and Worst shows at new and old club
May 28, 2010 at 07:57 PM UTC
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Best at new location: Iggy and the Stooges or Arcade Fire (It looks silly to even type that, but that Arcade Fire show was really perfect. Maybe I was just really into it, so it could have just been perfect timing.)
Worst at new location: Kevin Drew with Broken Social Scene -
It might have been a decent show, but I didn't enjoy it at all.
Best on F St. - Feelies in 86, I guess? The Good Earth tour. One of my all-time favorite shows
Worst on F St. - Let's Active and Salem 66. I wanted to like it, but not much fun. Still love "Every Word Means No", though.
phillidan
Joined: September 17, 2004 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 292
Re: Best and Worst shows at new and old club
May 28, 2010 at 08:13 PM UTC
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atomicfront wrote:
phillidan wrote:
Worst at new location: Kevin Drew with Broken Social Scene -
It might have been a decent show, but I didn't enjoy it at all.
Worst on F St. - Let's Active and Salem 66. I wanted to like it, but not much fun. Still love "Every Word Means No", though.
Maybe it was just me, on both counts for worst shows. I am usually a pretty easy mark live if I like the band on disc (or vinyl, as it were).
I was at the Let's Active and Salem 66 show and loved Let's Active's set.
Broken Social Scene at Merriweather with Belle and Sebastian was amazing. But the new shows without the girls are pretty awful
DeathFromAbove1979
Joined: November 29, 2006 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 5038
Re: Best and Worst shows at new and old club
May 28, 2010 at 08:25 PM UTC
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sweetcell wrote:
DeathFromAbove1979 wrote:
I only went to the new club, but the worst show was The National.
oh, i got another one: the arctic monkeys blew chunks. y'all know me, i'm a concert addict. the arctic monkeys are the first band, ever, to make me say "i'd never go see them again". they somehow managed to be both pretentious and boring. if you're going to throw around that much attitude, you better have the performance to back it up. they didn't.
When did you see them? I've seen them 3 times, and I was never really taken aback by them they sort of just performed their songs and said shit in their indecipherable accents. But the last show the did at 930 was monstrous, they actually rocked.