Something Squirrelly this Way Comes

This past Saturday I went to a concert at a coffee shop/club/venue in Vienna, Virginia. The Nields were performing and I was very excited as they are one of my favorite groups. This show was the second half of my birthday gift to myself. First half was seeing Girlyman, coincidentally at the same venue. Total cost of both shows was $30 - I figured it was meant to be.

I went to the Nields' show with two people, getting there an hour before the show started. We snagged seats at the back as others who got there before us were saving seats closer to the front (irritating but not unexpected). Show was to start at 7, so we had time to kill. The line to get food and/or drink was obscenely long and people were pouring in, so we all opted to remain with our seats - so as not to have someone just take them without asking (it was happening).

It's after 7, no indication that show is going to start... 7:10, nothing. Finally at 7:20 we see signs of activity on the stage and at about 7:25, the show starts. First couple of songs were great except for the feedback that everyone but the sound guy could hear. I think the guy needs to have his hearing checked.

There is a group of people to my right that has been drinking heavily and have continued their ..boisterous conversation despite the concert starting. Much cackling by a loud, drunken female. Several people hushed them and THEY were offended. What the heck?? A guy in the group says "We'll just go back HERE where we can TALK without being interrupted!!" Whatever, you crackhead! Leave now and shut the hell up!

Throughout the show I am shoved and poked from the people standing behind me and from people walking down the aisle on my right. The people are seriously crowding forward, I don't know why. They couldn't possibly get any closer unless they suddenly became me. They should've arrived before 7 if they wanted a seat. Guy standing behind my friend was moaning to his friends, "I can't believe we didn't get a seat! We got here at 7!" What does he expect??? If he had bothered to call and reserve his ticket he'd have known that the Nields draw a large crowd and that he should arrive early. Did he think we got there at 6 because we had nothing better to do?!

Nields leave the stage at 8:30 (yeah, barely an hour long) and we stand and applaud, expecting an encore. They come back out and say "We'd love to do an encore but the fire marshal is here and is kicking us off the stage." Much booing. "We'll go outside and continue out there, just go on out and as soon as we get unhooked, we'll be out there."

I look back and all you see is people. The occupancy of the place is 180 max. There were well over 200 people in there, not counting the four or five police officers and the two guys wearing Fire Marshal vests. My friends and I, vacate our seats and head outside. The fire marshal at the door glares at us as we leave. I wanted to ask him what his problem was. It's not our fault the stupid owners over sold the show and let all the people inside. We reserved our tickets over a week in advance and arrived early enough to get a seat - easily before 3/4 of the people there.

So we wait around outside.. five minutes, then ten. Twenty minutes pass and the Nields haven't made it outside yet. One person in my little group of three was whining and fussing about it being cold. I wanted to tell her to go wait in the car but I had only met her that night. She was a friend of B (coworker and friend of mine). B drove, so I didn't feel I had any say in whether we stayed or left. I wanted to stay but whiney got her way and we left.

What a disappointment. I've emailed the venue and the Nields to let them know my thoughts and feelings of what happened Saturday. I actually received a reply from the Nields' manager (I had emailed their booking agent and apparently she forwarded it on to their manager) in a couple of hours. She agreed with me and said that they plan to talk to the manager before they play their again. So we'll see. Chances are high that I won't go back to that venue.