Battle of the Venues

I used to think that if you were seeing an artist or band in concert, it didn't matter where you saw them. Small venue, large venue, or somewhere in the middle: they'd be the same anywhere.

Boy oh boy was I wrong. Last Thursday I had the opportunity to see Brooks & Dunn at San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino. The bingo hall doubles as a concert venue, and while the seats weren't terrible (we were all the way on the side, but in the second section from the stage) the concert was just…ok. I love Brooks & Dunn, and have seen them before, so I thought maybe it was just my assessment of the show. Turns out Donald didn't think it was all that great either. They weren't bad, just not all that great. If that had been the first time I'd seen them, I might not have gone back.

Then Sunday night I go to see them at Gibson Amphitheater with my mom and sister and they were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! They were so full of energy that it was hard to believe they were the same two guys I'd seen three days earlier. They told stories and jokes and really seemed like they were having a great time. They brought out Reba to sing a song with them (have I mentioned my intense love for her? I cannot wait to see her on Saturday!) and they also had Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top come out and play guitar for them. It was a phenomenal show, and so very different from Thursday's that I can hardly believe it. Jason Michael Carroll opened for them, and he was great too. I didn't realize how many songs of his there were that I liked. (I'm sure there was a more grammatically correct way to phrase that.) My favorite song of his is "I Can Sleep When I'm Dead" and I highly suggest everyone give it a listen. Gloriana performed before JMC, and while I'd never heard of them, I really enjoyed their singing. They just got started being played on the radio out here, and I can't wait to hear more from them.

So, the moral of the story: Don't go see a band in a bingo hall. Splurge on a real venue, and you'll see a MUCH better show!