spoon cancels so they can play with the shins at merriwe

Originally posted by MSI_Jeremy:
Some of us who are not happy about this are a long way from young and feeling entitled. Some of us work over 50 hours a week, live in the city, are over 30 years old, and need our sleep to perform our grown-up jobs. (I realize that the fact that I'm wasting a little time typing this from work throws into question my claim of a grown-up job, but bear with me…)

A club date to/from which we can walk or taxi after a full days work and still arrive home before midnight is INFINITELY preferable to having to leave work early, having to face commuter traffic to the Maryland burbs and then waiting in the parking lot after 11 at night throught the slow process of filing out and arriving home around 12:30 or so. The former is a fun evening out hearing a top-notch band, the latter is an expensive hassle followed by a poor night's sleep, with a little good entertainment sandwiched in the middle.

Agreed this is hardly the biggest problem in the world, but it certainly a sufficiently significant factor to change from a go to a no-go decision.

What makes you think that every aging working stiff lives within the DC Beltway or somewhere around NOVA? Believe me, there are plenty others who live well outside of the Beltway, in every direction, who must make these exact same concessions for every 9:30 Club show they want to attend. Often, they end up missing a lot of shows they would love to see but just can't work things out. It sucks but we can't all be of such a privileged class.

Smackie, I don't think birth year is what determines that entitlement mentality. In some cases, I think it's a DC thing. I know I'm pissing a lot of people off but I've seen this attitude way too often. Quite often by some of the same people who think nothing of flying off to another locale to see any given show but God forbid, on the odd occassion, they have to drive a couple extra miles outside of DC. Christ, it's not even up to Baltimore!

To be honest, the only ones I feel a bit sorry for are those well south of DC and those without cars. In either case, there are potentially workable options. If not, you can opt for a full refund, including service fees. No one is being screwed over. If anything, you are getting a bonus show on top of it all for your 'troubles'. Gesh! I'm not even much of a Shins fan but I'd sure stay to see them just because I'm getting an opportunity to see yet another okay band. I might even end up liking them! If not, flipping leave and get a good night's sleep so you can get your over-worked ass in to work on time and be all bright eyed and bushy tailed.

You guys are lucky it's only for Spoon who do get around here on occassion. Be happy it's not happening for someone like Bjork, Daft Punk or Radiohead whom you have to bend over and take what you can get.

just was curious - i dont know (recall) ticket.com's policy as far as refunds, but i know with ticketweb if a show is cancelled you get refunded ALL of your money. that includes service charges. ive never had a problem with this, so id imagine its the same policy with tickets.com, or is it not?? I'd like to think that Seth isn't forking out his own hard-earned money, because of a show being cancelled, although in this case i dont know if its considered a cancellation according to tickets.com.

and if they don't give back your service charge money - its a bit screwy of a system (although it really wouldnt surprise me). i did get back all my money for my moz tickets, which was ticketmaster.

Originally posted by xneverwherex:
just was curious - i dont know (recall) ticket.com's policy as far as refunds, but i know with ticketweb if a show is cancelled you get refunded ALL of your money. that includes service charges. ive never had a problem with this, so id imagine its the same policy with tickets.com, or is it not?? I'd like to think that Seth isn't forking out his own hard-earned money, because of a show being cancelled, although in this case i dont know if its considered a cancellation according to tickets.com.

Their stated policy (per their website) is that they retain fees even on cancelled events. The part about Seth paying the fees was pure conjecture by me, so I wouldn't put alot of stock in that.

I don't know who this vansmack is…

but I LIKE him

I think you just made his decade by posting that…

um, I think my question got lost in all of this arguing:

HOW DO I GET MY REFUND? I ordered online and I did not get the email announcing the cancellation. I cannot go to the Merriwether show. I just want to be sure to get all my money back. all of it :)

Originally posted by JohnnyBaconbitz:
I think you just made his decade by posting that…

Hayden Leslie Panettiere was born on August 21, 1989. That's all that matters to me today.

Spoon bonus!!! I love a good show at Merriwether, due to its close proximity at home. I was not a fan of spoon until recently. I checked out their music after this whole show fiasco, and I have to say, i cant wait to see them live!

The Shins at DAR were the worst show I have seen all year

i wasnt going to go to either show, as i have seen both before and its during the week, but for both? i am now considering it. and i live in reston

thanks seth!

Perhaps you could loan him one of your teenage daughters for his 34th birthday party. :D

Originally posted by Seth Hurwitz:
I don't know who this vansmack is…

but I LIKE him

Because I know you all were waiting on this… WaPo's own J Free's take on the Spoon Switcharoo, from today's chat.

"Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.: I don't know if you read them, but there has been a little flare up on the 930 Club message boards over Spoon's shows on the 22nd & 23rd of October being moved to playing with the Shins at Merriweather on the 22nd. Spoon will be opening, but playing a full set, those who bought a Spoon ticket before the changed was announced can use it for a lawn seat or upgrade to a assigned seat for $10 (or get a full refund). Some people are not happy with having to drive to Columbia to see the show, or seeing it at Merriweather when expecting to see it at 930.

Do you have an opinion on all this?

J. Freedom du Lac: On the one hand, yeah, it's a drag that they'll be in a siginificantly larger venue – and that those who live in or around DC will have to hit the road to see the show. On the other hand – you get to go outside and take in some fresh air. And let's face it, most indie-rock fans could stand to get out a little more. Producer David can, anyway.

Seriously, though – I don't have a particularly strong opinion about this. The pricing seems to be fair. And I do think Merriweather is a great venue as far as outdoor sheds go. We're lucky to have it.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Wednesday I get an e-mail that Spoon is playing 2 shows at the 9:30 Club 10/22 & 10/23. Fantastic, so I buy 6 for 10/23. Then I get an e-mail 4 days later that because Spoon will open for The Shins and Merriweather 10/22, BOTH DC shows are cancelled. Offers me a chance to upgrade to pit seats for the show, but I don't have much interest in seeing half a Spoon show or seeing the shins. Merriweather simply is not as good a venue either.

Sounds sloppy. Why can't they just honor the tickets for the 9:30 show the 23rd? Spoon was great at Sonar earlier this year, BTW

J. Freedom du Lac: Another vote against the bait-and-(venue) switch.
_______________________

Spoon Switcheroo, D.C.: Of course it's understandable that promoters don't want Spoon doing any shows in DC before playing MPP – that would dampen their audience.

But MPP vs. 9:30 is a big difference for those of us that live in the city. Even though MPP is nice, it is not even close to downtown, involves a much bigger time commitment, and overall hassle. So it's not as simple as the weather being nice.

Why can't DC have a big outdoor music venue in city limits, like so many other big metro areas? (Think Festival Pier in Philly, or Central Park Stage in NYC.) Having to drive well outside the beltway for summer concerts is no fun.

J. Freedom du Lac: Yeah, but then you'd have to live in Philadelphia.

I wouldn't mind the lack of summer venues inside the Beltway so much if I could get to Nissan or Merriweather Post without driving. Just one more thing to love about Wolf Trap. I can Metro to Falls Church West then hop the shuttle bus to the venue.

The fall out continues

http://dcist.com/2007/08/22/no_more_spoon_s.php#comments

I'm curious about this whole "doesn't make sense to have two different concerts" line of reasoning . . . does this mean that the 9:30 NEVER has a show on a night that there's a Merriweather concert? Seems like a fairly odd policy, if it is one. Or maybe it's just, "doesn't make sense to have two different concerts by bands playing vaguely similar styles of music"?

Actually, I think it's pretty clear that it "doesn't make sense to have two different concerts on the same night when one them has no prayer of selling out and I can use the enthusiasm for the other show to gin up enthusiasum for the underselling one." It's simply a business decision, and has nothing to do with musical logic or providing greater "value" to the customer.

Unfortunately, no one wants to go to an outdoor show at the end of October, and The Shins are a decidedly underwhelming live band. It may be true that no one was "screwed" by this switch, but it's still pretty lousy for those of us who WERE excited to see Spoon, and now will definitely not be doing so.

How much were Spoon tickets? And buy adding $10 you get to not only see a full Spoon set and be just as close as you would be at 9:30, but you also get a headlining Shins set, plus an opening band if you manage to get there early enough?

I think the Shins and Spoon are pretty bland live, but that deal makes me wish I had bought Spoon tix. Anyone want to sell a set of Spoon tickets for face value?

Originally posted by nkotb:
How much were Spoon tickets?

$20.

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes,Japanese Golfer:
Perhaps you could loan him one of your teenage daughters for his 34th birthday party. :D

Originally posted by Seth Hurwitz:
I don't know who this vansmack is…

but I LIKE him

totally creepy.

So for $30 you get Spoon playing a full set, the Shins playing a full set, and an opening set from Vetiver, all no more than 30 feet from the stage?

You all are crybabies.

Originally posted by Bombay Chutney:

Originally posted by nkotb:
How much were Spoon tickets?

$20.

Originally posted by nkotb:
So for $30 you get Spoon playing a full set, the Shins playing a full set, and an opening set from Vetiver, all no more than 30 feet from the stage?

You all are crybabies.

Originally posted by Bombay Chutney:

Originally posted by nkotb:
How much were Spoon tickets?

$20.

I would agree with you if this was taking place at the club. However, the change of venue is the big problem for many, including myself. Simply not practical for me to go to MPP.

Well no shit. There isn't a single person who WOULD bitch about that.

Is it a matter of no car or of time not working out for you? The second I can understand, but if it's the first, there are tons of options. Carpool if need be.

Originally posted by Fadger:
I would agree with you if this was taking place at the club. However, the change of venue is the big problem for many, including myself. Simply not practical for me to go to MPP.