***Official Irvine 2016 Thread***

[javierm27]

The flow on the set list was a little tough, but I gotta say, I heard some of the best versions of songs for me so far, especially Proudest Monkey, and I got my first Halloween!!!

[javierm27]

Does anyone have the actual setlist from that night, I wonder if they cut any songs out or made some changes. I didn't expect them to go over the curfew for as long as they did. It happened at the Hollywood Bowl at a show I was at too.

[TwoStep01]

Originally Posted by waterboy100

I had heard that the curfew was moved to 11:30 this year, dont know how reliable that information is.

Pretty sure it's still 11. Irvine has never been known for doing anything that might actually allow people to enjoy themselves more.

Plus, Dave even made a comment about how they "came back out anyway" when taking the stage for the encore at 11:15.

[Lee3691]

We haven't even mentioned the Irvine PD all over the lots to prevent people from parking where they want. 100+ venues, 40+ states, and that was a first for me.

[whodat]

Originally Posted by Lee3691

We haven't even mentioned the Irvine PD all over the lots to prevent people from parking where they want. 100+ venues, 40+ states, and that was a first for me.

I pulled in late to the show and was shocked at how 'all the little ants' were just blindly following the attendants to park were told. I busted out of line and headed to the exit area to park as I know you want to be as far from the box office as possible to park. A couple of other cars followed me, then the attendants started chasing cars down to 'get back in line and park were instructed.' yeah... no.

Was out of the lot in less then 20 min because I knew were to park and was not about to get stuck up the lot and in crap traffic getting out.

[whodat]

Question for anyone in the pit/orch... what was the reaction to songs like Samurai Cop, Break Free and the Two Step>Halloween encore? Up in the Loge, most of those songs and moments seemed 'lost' on people around me, and people were streaming out after Jimi and during Two Step. We did have WH members around us that were into it, but even most of them seemed more stoked for Crash, Crush, Jimi then anything else. I tend to think that if the encore was Sister>Granny>Ants or Sister>Granny>Billies, it would have garnered a more enthusiastic reaction.

[TwoStep01]

Originally Posted by whodat

Question for anyone in the pit/orch... what was the reaction to songs like Samurai Cop, Break Free and the Two Step>Halloween encore? Up in the Loge, most of those songs and moments seemed 'lost' on people around me, and people were streaming out after Jimi and during Two Step. We did have WH members around us that were into it, but even most of them seemed more stoked for Crash, Crush, Jimi then anything else. I tend to think that if the encore was Sister>Granny>Ants or Sister>Granny>Billies, it would have garnered a more enthusiastic reaction.

Honestly, just chalk it up to California fans. When it comes down to it, people just aren't as expressive about anything out here. Also, much of the fan base is getting older and may not be as inclined to stand the whole time. Just cause they're sitting doesn't mean they aren't enjoying it.

I will say this much. I was up in Terrace so I could see the parking lot and I remarked to my wife how relatively few people were leaving early relative to any other event in SoCal. Hardly any cars left before the encore break. That's huge for Orange County. Go to an Angels game and you'll see the compulsive traffic beaters start filing out in the 7th. Way fewer people left Irvine early than did at Chula the night before.

[whodat]

Originally Posted by TwoStep01

Honestly, just chalk it up to California fans. When it comes down to it, people just aren't as expressive about anything out here. Also, much of the fan base is getting older and may not be as inclined to stand the whole time. Just cause they're sitting doesn't mean they aren't enjoying it.

I will say this much. I was up in Terrace so I could see the parking lot and I remarked to my wife how relatively few people were leaving early relative to any other event in SoCal. Hardly any cars left before the encore break. That's huge for Orange County. Go to an Angels game and you'll see the compulsive traffic beaters start filing out in the 7th. Way fewer people left Irvine early than did at Chula the night before.

Very true statements and observations. From 1995-2011, all but 1 of my DMB shows were in California. I was very used to that reaction and crowd expression but I guess since moving out east I have seen a new, more exuberant, reaction at shows from fans. That is for not only concerts, but any event, especially sporting events (no one leaves early, ever).

My observation about people leaving was from the people I could see heading up the aisles, the empty rows in my section and the people exiting the orch area. I was much closer to the stage at Chula, so did not notice anyone leaving so my observation on that is different.

I think I have just gotten to a new normal after 4+ years of not attending events in Southern California, after doing it for all of my life up until that point. Lifelong Angel fan and your comment about their fans and heading out early is spot on.

[dmbetc]

Originally Posted by whodat

Question for anyone in the pit/orch... what was the reaction to songs like Samurai Cop, Break Free and the Two Step>Halloween encore? Up in the Loge, most of those songs and moments seemed 'lost' on people around me, and people were streaming out after Jimi and during Two Step. We did have WH members around us that were into it, but even most of them seemed more stoked for Crash, Crush, Jimi then anything else. I tend to think that if the encore was Sister>Granny>Ants or Sister>Granny>Billies, it would have garnered a more enthusiastic reaction.

Coming from upstate NY where SPAC was my home venue, the reactions to songs in CA always pale in comparison. Two Step - Halloween got huge reactions around me though. DDTW also had a notable pop, Jimi too.

[dmbetc]

Also the first 3 rows emptied out during Jimi, I think that was just people getting out. Saw a few people leaving the pit before the encore as well.

[whodat]

Originally Posted by dmbetc

Coming from upstate NY where SPAC was my home venue, the reactions to songs in CA always pale in comparison. Two Step - Halloween got huge reactions around me though. DDTW also had a notable pop, Jimi too.

And SPAC is now my home venue so that is what I compare things to, after 15+ years of doing just California shows. The reaction to Two Step>Halloween at SPAC this year was crazy, the roar on the segue was chilling. While the reaction in Irvine was good, it was a far cry from what I heard just a few weeks back in Saratoga. I posted this funny story in the SPAC thread about Jimi...

Dude next to my son and I at Irvine was impressed with O calling out all the songs before they started and kept telling O that he was waiting for Jimi. O told him he was hoping we would not get 'Jimi'd'. The second Jimi started, dude turned, looked at O, with this ear to ear smile... O just shook his head and sat down. Dude just threw his head back and laughed. Classic.

[dmbetc]

Originally Posted by whodat

And SPAC is now my home venue so that is what I compare things to, after 15+ years of doing just California shows. The reaction to Two Step>Halloween at SPAC this year was crazy, the roar on the segue was chilling. While the reaction in Irvine was good, it was a far cry from what I heard just a few weeks back in Saratoga. I posted this funny story in the SPAC thread about Jimi...

Dude next to my son and I at Irvine was impressed with O calling out all the songs before they started and kept telling O that he was waiting for Jimi. O told him he was hoping we would not get 'Jimi'd'. The second Jimi started, dude turned, looked at O, with this ear to ear smile... O just shook his head and sat down. Dude just threw his head back and laughed. Classic.

nice.

Yeah there's a special energy at SPAC (and other "big" venues).

[DMBBeav]

Originally Posted by Timebomb07

Definitely a pretty good group of highlights but it lacked any sort of flow, which is okay for some, but I'd prefer it over a handful of great songs.

Essentially my opinion of the show.

Chula had a similar problem but wasn't as profound (the highs were higher here and the lows lower).

[JimiThang1]

Originally Posted by TwoStep01

Pretty sure it's still 11. Irvine has never been known for doing anything that might actually allow people to enjoy themselves more.

Plus, Dave even made a comment about how they "came back out anyway" when taking the stage for the encore at 11:15.

Curfew was 11:30. Security guy in front of me in the pit showed me the schedule for the night and 11:30 was the hard out.

As for my one and only show this year, I had a great time. Given the state of the band and the sets this year I think we got very lucky with the set we got Saturday.

[Yield151]

Originally Posted by whodat

Question for anyone in the pit/orch... what was the reaction to songs like Samurai Cop, Break Free and the Two Step>Halloween encore? Up in the Loge, most of those songs and moments seemed 'lost' on people around me, and people were streaming out after Jimi and during Two Step. We did have WH members around us that were into it, but even most of them seemed more stoked for Crash, Crush, Jimi then anything else. I tend to think that if the encore was Sister>Granny>Ants or Sister>Granny>Billies, it would have garnered a more enthusiastic reaction.

I was in the pit and thought overall the reactions were mellow. Of course, songs like Crash and Crush had people showing interest. I felt like my wife and I were the only ones singing to Break Free. I was at the back of the pit so my wife could sit on the back rail (she has a small fracture in her lower back). It was my first time pit for the band and it was well worth it at Irvine.

[JimiThang1]

Originally Posted by Yield151

I was in the pit and thought overall the reactions were mellow. Of course, songs like Crash and Crush had people showing interest. I felt like my wife and I were the only ones singing to Break Free. I was at the back of the pit so my wife could sit on the back rail (she has a small fracture in her lower back). It was my first time pit for the band and it was well worth it at Irvine.

I also commented to my wife that the pit was very laid back and mellow which I very much enjoyed for a change due to some bad experiences in the past from various people being idiots in the pit. It made me enjoy the show so much more not having to worry about people around me. I'm also glad they didn't oversell the space either. Plenty of room for everyone to move around.

[dmbetc]

My seat was at one of the entrances to the pit. It was comical to watch dumbasses try to sneak by security. Most people just gave up and left but there were a few real winners who irked me.

[dmbetc]

Originally Posted by JimiThang1

I also commented to my wife that the pit was very laid back and mellow which I very much enjoyed for a change due to some bad experiences in the past from various people being idiots in the pit. It made me enjoy the show so much more not having to worry about people around me. I'm also glad they didn't oversell the space either. Plenty of room for everyone to move around.

Hey man, I live in Burbank too!

[JimiThang1]

Originally Posted by dmbetc

Hey man, I live in Burbank too!

Neato, I actually live in Encino now but still work in Burbank.

[MouphMadness]

Best part about the 2 night SoCal stand....dave forgot his piano! All in all I thought it was a phenomenal 2 nights.

[Timebomb07]

Will say, love the reactions from everyone in this thread. Had this set appeared at Hartford, SPAC, etc... we'd be reading 10 pages of hate mail.

It's all perspective - and I think I gained a little being out West for shows for the first time. Felt the people around me were very appreciative, maybe because they don't see as many shows, or are just 'better fans' (in the sense of being more receptive). It definitely ranks a little lower on my list of shows, probably 7/7 for this year, but it's refreshing to see positive reactions.

[deco]

Love that there were no repeats from prior night in Chula aside from Samurai Cop (expected cuz it's new). Having said that, the overall flow of the set was shot to hell but the surprises (break free, typical, recently, funny the way it is, two step > Halloween) redeemed the show for me by the end of the night. Always harder being in loge after pit the night before. Chula set was one for the ages for me after 50+ shows going back to 1997...both song selection, performance, the night just kept building. Overall, enjoyed 2016!

[TwoStep01]

Originally Posted by deco

Love that there were no repeats from prior night in Chula aside from Samurai Cop (expected cuz it's new). Having said that, the overall flow of the set was shot to hell but the surprises (break free, typical, recently, funny the way it is, two step > Halloween) redeemed the show for me by the end of the night. Always harder being in loge after pit the night before. Chula set was one for the ages for me after 50+ shows going back to 1997...both song selection, performance, the night just kept building. Overall, enjoyed 2016!

They've done pretty well at treating Chula/Irvine as a de-facto 2 night stand. I was hoping for a Last Stop in there but kinda knew it wouldn't happen. Also was hoping to see Bob Law over Samurai Cop since I'd seen it the night before. But other than that I thoroughly enjoyed this set. Two Step>Halloween was on my wish list and Crush and Typical Situation alone were worth the price of admission.

[DMBBeav]

Originally Posted by Timebomb07

Will say, love the reactions from everyone in this thread. Had this set appeared at Hartford, SPAC, etc... we'd be reading 10 pages of hate mail.

It's all perspective - and I think I gained a little being out West for shows for the first time. Felt the people around me were very appreciative, maybe because they don't see as many shows, or are just 'better fans' (in the sense of being more receptive). It definitely ranks a little lower on my list of shows, probably 7/7 for this year, but it's refreshing to see positive reactions.

It's life in So-Cal vs. life in the Northeast and it is something you will slowly get used to.

People out here are just more laid back. The joke is because 'there is so much to do' and, sure, that feels like the truth. The other way to look at it is people out here are 'less passionate' which, again, feels like the truth

The negatives are you will never, ever see a crowd react to DMB out here like they do at SPAC, Camden, Hartford, etc...Ever. And that goes for most concerts, to be honest, and the same can be said for most sporting events.

Having said that, the positives are what you are appreciating; there is so much to do in life it seems ridiculous to wrap yourself up in how good/bad a DMB concert was. Or whether or not the Dodgers will ever get to the World Series (could you imagine if Kershaw kept choking in the postseason in NY? They would be running him out of town).

[Timebomb07]

That sums up Cal life pretty nicely. Can't wait to be able to move out...

But to your point, I don't plan on ever reaching to see another DMB show in California as long as I'm on the East Coast. It was convenient this year - and something I wanted to do - but it absolutely is a different experience and do a certain degree, a lesser experience.

[dmbetc]

Just got to thinking about the Irvine show randomly. It was such a Rashawn centric show. Which makes sense because he has a lot of people here, as he has said before. I kept thinking "Another rashawn solo?" when I usually don't even notice him.

[dmbetc]

Originally Posted by DMBBeav

It's life in So-Cal vs. life in the Northeast and it is something you will slowly get used to.

People out here are just more laid back. The joke is because 'there is so much to do' and, sure, that feels like the truth. The other way to look at it is people out here are 'less passionate' which, again, feels like the truth

This is so true. I moved out here from upstate NY and man, seeing how people just skate through with no ambition. I remember going on a job interview when I first came out here and the interviewer asked me where I was from and I told her upstate NY and she said how she could tell because I had actual motivation and that I cared.

[Sabres914]

Originally Posted by dmbetc

This is so true. I moved out here from upstate NY and man, seeing how people just skate through with no ambition. I remember going on a job interview when I first came out here and the interviewer asked me where I was from and I told her upstate NY and she said how she could tell because I had actual motivation and that I cared.

Moved from New York as well, specifically Buffalo. 3 years exactly in San Diego and Santa Barbara ever since. I love the vibe out here more than anything and the people are just so great. The mentality compared to the east coast is so different in a positive way, in my opinion. I can walk the streets of NYC when I visit my sister and everyone has head phones plugged in or stares at the sidewalk when you walk by keeping to themselves. I know it's the biggest city, but... c'mon. On the west coast, people are more friendly and welcoming, they say hello.

I do think people have ambition out here though, and plenty of it. Lazy is not the right word to describe the west coast, especially SoCal, although it's a very popular way to describe the area. The west coast mentality is more laid back, which is not meant to say we are lazy, don't care about things and lack ambition. With my new job out here, I've never been surrounded with a smarter group of people in my life. Everyone has ambition and is doing great things.

As far as the DMB crowds, I just don't think there are as many die-hards out here. We don't get as many shows so there aren't that many opportunities to see the guys. Irvine has always been a corporate heavy show with the majority of people in lowers there owning seasons through a company or their daddy gave them tickets. I think that has a major impact on the vibe closer to the stage.

[dmbetc]

Yeah I don't think that everyone out here lacks ambition and is lazy but I think there are a lot of people that are those things, so it's more noticeable when you have someone that isn't those things. I don't know anything about San Diego or Santa Barbara but being in LA I definitely see that "laziness" persona a lot. Or maybe it's not lazy and it's just the entitled, elitist people

But yes, EVERYONE is so nice! I also remember saying to friends after I moved out here "Even the cashier at Game Stop was so friendly!". I wasn't used to that. I wasn't used to strangers wanting to have an actual conversation with me.

[DMBBeav]

To be clear, I'm not commenting on anyone's ambition, talent, drive, etc...I actually think if you don't have those things in LA you will be chewed up and spit out back from where you came.

I understand people may seem lazy but that's not quite it. Chris Rock, in some interview (I THINK in his episode of "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" BUT I could be wrong) said "the difference between Vegas and Los Angeles is people in Las Vegas know when they busted out." I think that is more to the point.

But I do think when it comes to most concerts/sporting events (big venue, small venue, it doesn't matter) people just get less excited than a lot of areas of the country.