Lollapalooza 2004

wow, i butchered definitive. looking back at the thread:
Originally posted by pollard:
I wish I had sold my ticket, as I stood in line I debated getting rid of it several times. Instead I went in as Dears ended, was rather bored by Stars, and left before BSS. But it was nice to see those who I saw and to talk to Sparks again.
http://www.930.com/cgi-bin/ubb-cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=006475;p=2
so…mark e. and the post panned it. actually much better than 50/50
hmmm - That first night looks pretty damn nice. I might actually consider going if they have it somewhere like Nissan or Merriweather. I don't have the patience to deal with the all-day-general-admission-festival-in-the-field thing. Gimme a decent reserved seat in the shade any day.
Ditto to first day….though I'd love to see Wheat and Elbow would be good, but that first day blows away the second, in my opinion.

While I agree with you, Skeeter, on loving the chance for a seat, PLEASE not Nissan. Though maybe for an all day event at least the traffic going in may not be so bad (?)

PS, I was mixed on the Broken Social Scene, but the misses were pretty big misses (not enough to make up for the hits overall).
Originally posted by Bags:
While I agree with you, Skeeter, on loving the chance for a seat, PLEASE not Nissan. Though maybe for an all day event at least the traffic going in may not be so bad (?)

PS, I was mixed on the Broken Social Scene, but the misses were pretty big misses (not enough to make up for the hits overall).
Believe me, I hate Nissan too. But for that lineup, I could deal with it. I'd be thrilled if it was at Merriweather. I love that place.

I guess I'm in the minority in that I really liked the BSS show.
Ditto on Merriweather. Everyone loves to slag on that place, but I would love to see every big concert there. The best shows I've ever seen were up there. And Radiohead last summer…the show was so good I forgot about the traffic jam getting in. Nissan is awful but it's better than Charlestown Racetrack. Those were long, painful days when Lolla was up there.


Originally posted by Skeeter:
Originally posted by Bags:
While I agree with you, Skeeter, on loving the chance for a seat, PLEASE not Nissan. Though maybe for an all day event at least the traffic going in may not be so bad (?)

PS, I was mixed on the Broken Social Scene, but the misses were pretty big misses (not enough to make up for the hits overall).
Believe me, I hate Nissan too. But for that lineup, I could deal with it. I'd be thrilled if it was at Merriweather. I love that place.

I guess I'm in the minority in that I really liked the BSS show.
remember when it was at Lake Fairfax in like 1992??
Originally posted by Lamb007:
[QB] Ditto on Merriweather. Everyone loves to slag on that place, but I would love to see every big concert there. The best shows I've ever seen were up there. And Radiohead last summer…the show was so good I forgot about the traffic jam getting in. Nissan is awful but it's better than Charlestown Racetrack. Those were long, painful days when Lolla was up there.




Merriweather is by far the best outdoor venue in this area.
Originally posted by Bollocks:

Merriweather is by far the best outdoor venue in this area.
Have they improved it recently?!?!?!

I saw a show there years ago - was only half way back on the lawn & couldn't even see the stage.
I personally can't stand Merriweather; unlike Wolftrap or Nissan, you can't see jack from the lawn and those screens are horrendously old.
never been to nissan, but no contest that wolftrap is better than merriweather (only been to the latter once)
wolftrap, and i've never been to the other two. can bring your own beer and food in. how can you beat that?
Wolftrap is by FAR the best, but the types of shows they bring in are not the overall typical fare discussed here. You won't get any of the shows we've been discussing as upcoming possibles for Nissan/Merriweather/Patriot there… But you do get Guster, Lyle Lovett and the B-52s (a first for the Bs).
Originally posted by Dandy01:
I personally can't stand Merriweather
well just wait til we're done with it

speaking of whichâ?¦any suggestions?
Originally posted by Seth Hurwitz:
Originally posted by Dandy01:
I personally can't stand Merriweather
well just wait til we're done with it

speaking of whichâ?¦any suggestions?
Tell the cops in the parking lot to lighten up.
Better sightlines from the lawn. It seems to be the only legitimate advantage of Nissan. Of course, this would probably require some major construction but you asked for suggestions not solutions. Those video screens are hurtin though. Maybe an upgrade there would help the folks on the grass.

As long as Merriweather continues to book interesting shows, and not the dinosaurs that infest Nissan, I think it'll be a great summer and hopefully beyond. When I remember all the great shows I've seen there over the years, I get nostalgic for that place the way some sports guys get weepy over certain old stadiums. Sugarcubes/PIL/New Order in '89 was one of the best triple bills to ever hit town.


Originally posted by Seth Hurwitz:
Originally posted by Dandy01:
I personally can't stand Merriweather
well just wait til we're done with it

speaking of whichâ?¦any suggestions?
woah…the dresden dolls? i love them and all..but playing in a stadium?? in the daylight? uhhh….
uly 14-15: Auburn, Wash. (White River Amphitheatre)
July 17-18: Mountain View, Calif. (Shoreline Amphitheatre)
July 26-27: Denver (Coors Amphitheatre)
July 29-30: Tinley Park, Ill. (Tweeter Center)
Aug. 2-3: Clarkston, Mich. (DTE Energy Music Theatre)
Aug. 5-6: Toronto (Molson Amphitheatre)
Aug. 9-10: Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio (Blossom Music Center)
Aug. 12-13: Columbia, Md. (Merriweather Post Pavilion)
Aug. 14-15: Mansfield, Mass. (Tweeter Center)
Aug. 18-19: Camden, N.J. (Tweeter Center)
Aug. 21-22: Atlanta (Turner Field)
Aug. 24-25: Dallas (Smirnoff Music Center)
Originally posted by Got Haggis?:

Aug. 24-25: Dallas (Smirnoff Music Center)
Wow, that sounds like a tasty tasty venue. What with Smirnoff, Smirnoff Ice, and the fruity-girly new Smirnoff I-Taste-Like-Kool-Aide-But-Get-You-Drunk malt beverages, it should be fun for the whole family!
Originally posted by Seth Hurwitz:
Originally posted by Dandy01:
I personally can't stand Merriweather
well just wait til we're done with it

speaking of whichâ?¦any suggestions?
Seat arms with cup holders. (Assuming we would be allowed to bring our drinks to our seats.) The kind that has enough holes at the bottoms to allow drainage for cleaning, rain, etc.. Or maybe build them into the backs of seats with the front row having them on the arms. Details could be worked out later.

Without considering cost effectiveness, some kind of portable awning for the lawn for crappy weather.

Those sound canceler speakers for outside the perimeters so the stuffy neighbors don't try to get your ass thrown out again.

Top knotch sound quality…but I'm sure you're already hard at work on that one. ;)

Pre and after party areas with tables, vendors, bathrooms and such for the patrons to assemble and party. Kind of like a tailgating kind of area. Not only will it be fun but it should help to alleviate a little of the concert traffic by staggering the arrivals and departures. Maybe even allow for group reservations of party areas. Again, may not be cost effective but might be worth looking into.

Equal peeable facilities for women as per men. In other words, if the men's room has 5 stalls and 3 urinals then the women's room should have 8 stalls.
Originally posted by Seth Hurwitz:
Originally posted by Dandy01:
I personally can't stand Merriweather
well just wait til we're done with it

speaking of whichâ?¦any suggestions?
As Jaguar said, when there is inclement weather, something for the hill and other parts of the "lawn". When it rains, it's hard to move on the hill, or lawn. One big mudslide. (In addition to any once dry, dirt patches off to the side of the hill).
By mid-show, especially when it rains, the bathrooms have a tendency to have an inch of standing water in them. The boards that are put down to walk on, don't seem to help much.
Lower beer/food prices?