Mika
2.08.2008 by Colee
I finally did something worth writing about!!!
So tonight, Monica and I decided we wanted to go to the sold out Mika concert. Well, depending on where you looked for tickets, about half the places said it was sold out. We got home around 4 and decided we would run to the SmithTix that was closest to the Venue and see if we could still get tickets there. The line was SOOO long, and the cashier was SOOOO slow. When we get there we realize they do have tickets, but it's cash only. So we went through the check out, bought our gum and tried to get cash back. There is a huge sign that says to limit cash back to $20, but we need 4 tickets, and they are $30 a piece, so we conveniently ignored the sign. The self help cashier lady was NOT pleased with us. We won the battle, she gave us our cash, and we finally got our tickets from the other super slow cashier.
So, we drive back to the Venue (yes, this is the name of a place, not just the venue as in the location of the concert). Monica drops me off to go find a place in line. The concert is general admission and we were determined to get fabulous seats (I use the term "seats" loosely). When I finally figure out which end of the line is the end I am supposed to be in, it turned out there were only about 50 people in front of us. Not bad when you know they sold 1500 tickets. So, we waited. The concert was supposed to start at 7, with doors opening at 6. We figured we were good. We had coats and gloves, and it was a rather mild day for Salt Lake City in February. 6 o'clock came and went. We were still standing, now in the dark, and getting colder. 7 o'clock came and went. We were still standing, now very much frozen. Sometime, ask me to tell you about the amusement we got from the people we were standing near in line.
7:30- they finally start letting us in the door. Yes, you did the math correctly. We waited outside in the cold for 3 hours. Apparently, Mika's production was stuck in Wyoming, along with the opening band. Instead of cancelling the concert, they decided to rent some equipment and do an accoustic show. They offered everyone a chance to get their money back - I don't think anyone took it, or if you still wanted to come to the show, you just got $10 back instead. ANYWAY... 9:00, they finally start the show. Our place in line had scored us the seats we desired, the venue is general admission - STANDING ROOM ONLY. 1500 people crammed so tightly into a room that when a person moved, the whole room swayed. We managed to go through the 21 and older area and score a spot on the catwalk that overlooks the room and stage. We were probably 30-40 feet away. It was totally worth all the drama.
Mika was AWESOME. The songs all sounded a little different than we're used to, but truth be told, I think they were even better live and accoustic, which is not something most musicians can pull off these days. The crowd was so loud (speaking of the crowd, remind me sometime to tell you about the guy I ended up standing next too... very very very drunk, completely amusing). I honestly don't think it would have been any better if the production equipment had showed up. He mentioned a couple of times that he had thought it was going to be a disaster. He also promised to come back to SLC again. If the crowd was that excited, and most of them had been standing outside in the cold for over 2 hours, they deserve a show where they can get in without the dramatics ;) The band was great; the drummer was awesome; the guitarist was amusing; the bongo dude was random; and the bassist,well, he played the bass. I haven't been to a concert in far too long. I am going to have to figure out a remedy to that ;)
If I can figure out how to get pictures from my new blackberry to my computer, I'll post them...Oh yes, I have a new phone. It's pretty, but that's a story for another day.
So tonight, Monica and I decided we wanted to go to the sold out Mika concert. Well, depending on where you looked for tickets, about half the places said it was sold out. We got home around 4 and decided we would run to the SmithTix that was closest to the Venue and see if we could still get tickets there. The line was SOOO long, and the cashier was SOOOO slow. When we get there we realize they do have tickets, but it's cash only. So we went through the check out, bought our gum and tried to get cash back. There is a huge sign that says to limit cash back to $20, but we need 4 tickets, and they are $30 a piece, so we conveniently ignored the sign. The self help cashier lady was NOT pleased with us. We won the battle, she gave us our cash, and we finally got our tickets from the other super slow cashier.
So, we drive back to the Venue (yes, this is the name of a place, not just the venue as in the location of the concert). Monica drops me off to go find a place in line. The concert is general admission and we were determined to get fabulous seats (I use the term "seats" loosely). When I finally figure out which end of the line is the end I am supposed to be in, it turned out there were only about 50 people in front of us. Not bad when you know they sold 1500 tickets. So, we waited. The concert was supposed to start at 7, with doors opening at 6. We figured we were good. We had coats and gloves, and it was a rather mild day for Salt Lake City in February. 6 o'clock came and went. We were still standing, now in the dark, and getting colder. 7 o'clock came and went. We were still standing, now very much frozen. Sometime, ask me to tell you about the amusement we got from the people we were standing near in line.
7:30- they finally start letting us in the door. Yes, you did the math correctly. We waited outside in the cold for 3 hours. Apparently, Mika's production was stuck in Wyoming, along with the opening band. Instead of cancelling the concert, they decided to rent some equipment and do an accoustic show. They offered everyone a chance to get their money back - I don't think anyone took it, or if you still wanted to come to the show, you just got $10 back instead. ANYWAY... 9:00, they finally start the show. Our place in line had scored us the seats we desired, the venue is general admission - STANDING ROOM ONLY. 1500 people crammed so tightly into a room that when a person moved, the whole room swayed. We managed to go through the 21 and older area and score a spot on the catwalk that overlooks the room and stage. We were probably 30-40 feet away. It was totally worth all the drama.
Mika was AWESOME. The songs all sounded a little different than we're used to, but truth be told, I think they were even better live and accoustic, which is not something most musicians can pull off these days. The crowd was so loud (speaking of the crowd, remind me sometime to tell you about the guy I ended up standing next too... very very very drunk, completely amusing). I honestly don't think it would have been any better if the production equipment had showed up. He mentioned a couple of times that he had thought it was going to be a disaster. He also promised to come back to SLC again. If the crowd was that excited, and most of them had been standing outside in the cold for over 2 hours, they deserve a show where they can get in without the dramatics ;) The band was great; the drummer was awesome; the guitarist was amusing; the bongo dude was random; and the bassist,well, he played the bass. I haven't been to a concert in far too long. I am going to have to figure out a remedy to that ;)
If I can figure out how to get pictures from my new blackberry to my computer, I'll post them...Oh yes, I have a new phone. It's pretty, but that's a story for another day.
