Does anyone else think that this venue sucked? I have been to many concerts at many locations and this has to be the worst one that I have ever been to.
First of all, the 11/9 show in Chicago must have been sold out because the line was huge. Some waited in line for over an hour in the cold. The show started at 6:15 and by 6:00, the line stretched across the overpass and was almost as long as a city block. Now, I don't mind waiting in line to see a great band like Hypocrisy...so the length of the line is not the issue. The problem is that the line was really slow moving because of all the security (we had to show our I.D.'s twice before we even got through the doors) and by the time most people got into the building, Hypocrisy HAD ALREADY PLAYED AND LEFT! Someone told me that they didn't even open the doors until a few minutes before the band went on. A lot of people had to listen to them from outside the building while standing in line! I won't even go into the obsurdity of having Hypo open up for mediocre bands like Children of Bodom. I thought that if they weren't headlining, then they would at least play right before the headliner. Not so. We missed them completely. Shouldn't the venue have opened the doors a lot sooner to accomodate all the paying customers waiting to get in?
Also, a word of advice for anyone going to the House of Blues: BRING YOUR I.D. If you're driving on a ticket (i.e. you had your license confiscated for speeding), they will not accept the ticket as proof of age. And trust me, you'll need it. As I said, we had to show our I.D.'s twice while waiting in line in order to get an "over 21" wristband. The wristband is completely pointless because no one in the venue even recognizes it's validity. I got carded 3 times when I went for a beer. Once to get in the room where they serve beer, once by a bouncer standing in the middle of the room between the door and the bar, and then by the bartender. I showed my wristband, but they insisted on seeing my driver's license every time. If you like to double-fist it (drink two at once), then forget it because you need one I.D. per drink. In other words, you can't buy two drinks at once without showing I.D.'s for two people. I didn't even want to TRY to get a pitcher...they probably would have wanted my fingerprints and three references! Not to mention the fact that a can of their cheapest beer (PBR) is $3.
You also need your I.D. to get on the balcony because it is OVER 21 ONLY.
This may not seem like a big deal to some people, but after missing the world's greatest band, I seriously needed a drink! I just hope that this will not be one of the stops for "The Arrival" tour because I might want to see the opening act!
First of all, the 11/9 show in Chicago must have been sold out because the line was huge. Some waited in line for over an hour in the cold. The show started at 6:15 and by 6:00, the line stretched across the overpass and was almost as long as a city block. Now, I don't mind waiting in line to see a great band like Hypocrisy...so the length of the line is not the issue. The problem is that the line was really slow moving because of all the security (we had to show our I.D.'s twice before we even got through the doors) and by the time most people got into the building, Hypocrisy HAD ALREADY PLAYED AND LEFT! Someone told me that they didn't even open the doors until a few minutes before the band went on. A lot of people had to listen to them from outside the building while standing in line! I won't even go into the obsurdity of having Hypo open up for mediocre bands like Children of Bodom. I thought that if they weren't headlining, then they would at least play right before the headliner. Not so. We missed them completely. Shouldn't the venue have opened the doors a lot sooner to accomodate all the paying customers waiting to get in?
Also, a word of advice for anyone going to the House of Blues: BRING YOUR I.D. If you're driving on a ticket (i.e. you had your license confiscated for speeding), they will not accept the ticket as proof of age. And trust me, you'll need it. As I said, we had to show our I.D.'s twice while waiting in line in order to get an "over 21" wristband. The wristband is completely pointless because no one in the venue even recognizes it's validity. I got carded 3 times when I went for a beer. Once to get in the room where they serve beer, once by a bouncer standing in the middle of the room between the door and the bar, and then by the bartender. I showed my wristband, but they insisted on seeing my driver's license every time. If you like to double-fist it (drink two at once), then forget it because you need one I.D. per drink. In other words, you can't buy two drinks at once without showing I.D.'s for two people. I didn't even want to TRY to get a pitcher...they probably would have wanted my fingerprints and three references! Not to mention the fact that a can of their cheapest beer (PBR) is $3.
You also need your I.D. to get on the balcony because it is OVER 21 ONLY.
This may not seem like a big deal to some people, but after missing the world's greatest band, I seriously needed a drink! I just hope that this will not be one of the stops for "The Arrival" tour because I might want to see the opening act!
