Manchester Orchestra - The Million Masks of God (April 30, 2021) Album • Page 280

Who here is going to the Stuffing? Travelin from south Florida for the show

 

Driving up from Orlando with a squad

 

Finally I can say me! Always wanted to go but it being the day before Thanksgiving before made it impossible so I'm so happy it's the week before this time. Coming from the Tampa area, still haven't decided if I'm gonna fly or drive yet.

 

Enjoyed the hell out of the last two nights. MO, Foxing, and Slothrust were all great in both Boston and Portland.

The crowd was larger in Boston, but substantially better in Portland. I've done back to backs at these venues one other time (Taking Back Sunday in 2012) and the experience was similar - larger crowd in Boston, better crowd in Portland. Boston seemed entirely preoccupied with keeping up with the Red Sox score on Monday. I get it. It's the ALCS, they're right across the street, they have a huge lead, it's exciting. But it got to the point where they were chanting "Red Sox" after almost every song. Andy eventually, seemingly begrudgingly acknowledged it with a meager "let's go Red Sox, eh?" deep in the set. He didn't really seem otherwise bothered by it, but it was unfortunate. There were also tons of people talking throughout all of the MMOG songs. General displeasure with the set was pretty evident in Boston.

Portland, on the other hand, was fully engaged and really into the new stuff. I heard audible cheers at the start of "Dinosaur" and "Telepath", which was a really cool surprise. Andy remarked that it was nice to see a good crowd, since the last time they played in Maine, there were 35 people there. I don't think he was very far off with that number. It was ten years ago on a Honda Civic Tour off-date at the same venue.

We had VIP in Portland and it was run incredibly smoothly. They opened coat check early for us to check our tote bags and held doors for a minute or two to make sure everyone with VIP got in, got their stuff checked if they wanted to, and got settled in to wherever they wanted to watch the show from. Really classy all the way around.

I got the Limousine package and my girlfriend got the Keel. Couple of neat things - I assumed the drum stick would just be a fresh one, signed. It's definitely a show used stick. Even cooler, when I saw that we'd get a signed lyric sheet, I assumed it would be a copy. It is actually a handwritten sheet with a personalized note from Andy. Excited to get that framed.

 

May I ask what song was the handwritten signed lyric sheet? I purchased 3 limousine packages for myself, my girlfriend, and my friend and it will be awkward if it's the same song on all 3, all signed for me. Would be really rad if it was three different songs.

 

Mine was Telepath. I talked to a few other people with VIP packages while we were corralled in the merch area before they let us in, and no one else had Limousine, so I can't comment if he switches it up at all. There weren't a lot of VIPs last night - about 15 in all, and I only saw one other drum stick in the bin at merch. We were the first people to the merch booth, so I think there was only one other person with that package.

 

Nice to hear the band sold you a good experience. I think that’s one thing this band seems to excel at from people’s feedback.

I also don’t get fans talking though sets. You pay to hear the music so don’t chat or try and pursing a band.

 

Wrong thread, but I don’t think I’ll get over how respectful the crowd was at the Ruston Kelly show I was at the other night. Even for the boring ass opener, it was quieter than a fucking library. Respectful cheers and sing alongs for Ruston, but the crowd was 100% there for the experience and i need more of that.

 

Fans at MO shows are always the worst/loudest and rudest crowds.

 

I remember going to Straylight Run show and being blown away by the talking over the music. Unfortunately that style of music can’t drown out the people who got to shows to just chat with friends.

 

In my experience, it usually depends on the opener. Any MO show that had Front Bottoms opening was wretched. The last few I've gone to without them were very respectful and enjoyable.

 

Meh, pretty much every single MO/RAGC/Andy show I've been to has had people hooting and hollering during the quiet parts, no matter who the opener.

 

Phoebes crowd was by far the worst crowd I’ve experienced lately

 

I saw Andy on the RAGC 2012 tour in Akron stop mid song to tell all the people at the bar to shut the fuck up.

It actually worked too.

 

That can go one of two directions. Glad that scenario (which should never happen) worked out like it should have. It really puts the artist/band/performer in an awkward place.

 

The worst show, within this group of bands, I was at by far was the Andy Hull solo show stop in Dallas. That crowd was so drunk he had to say something to a group of people.

 

The Richmond show last week was the first indoor concert for a lot of attendees and it showed. It was like people forgot how to be cordial to each other and there were many conversations going on behind me.

That, and Andy did say "Well, this was ALMOST a perfect show" when a drunk person had to be pulled from the crowd for being too belligerent.

 

It's hard when a band has a lot of quiet parts in songs, you notice it a bit more. Out of 2,000 people, there is bound to be one drunk asshole, and that's all it really takes. Other bands that are just loud the entire time or at bigger venues you never really notice it.

One of my worst experiences though was at a Bon Iver amphitheater show where the pit was just full of loud drunk people. At a Bon Iver show. Just yelling and touching and slurring and getting in people's faces.

But once again, fuck most of The Front Bottoms fans at the MO shows. Always loud, high, drunk, obnoxious, and talk the entire MO set.

 

I think I’ve fixed this for you.

 

I was there.

 

I’ve only seen MO twice but both times the crowds were great. You could hear a pin drop during the quieter parts. The only time I distinctly remember a lot of crowd noise was during one of the shows when Kevin Devine came out to play 42 with Andy. People went pretty nuts for that

 

I think this is true of a lot of MO/Andy shows for us haha

 

The first time I got mad at people who wouldn't shut up during a concert was Sturgill Simpson at a seated theatre. It was all older frat bros that acted like they were just there to drink and music was playing in the background. I hated it.

 

When I saw The Antlers on the Hospice 10 year tour these two women in the back next to me would not shut up (it was a seated show) and it was so annoying. They were so loud and obnoxious at an otherwise quiet show that a staff member had to come over and tell them to be quiet/stop. One of them actually fell asleep during part of the set. They ended up leaving early and I still have no idea what they were doing at the show.