Regina Spektor Concert, Part 2: The Conclusioning

Now, I don't think any of those present would let me get away with only highlighting the excellent part of Ms. Spektor's concert last night. Make no mistake: she was phenomenal. Everything else, though...

1. The crowd was idiotic. Whooping and screaming and going "Yeaaaaaah!" in the middle of a song for no reason is horrendously obnoxious whenever it happens, but when it gets to the point where the performer has to stop and ask you to shut up, you know it's bad.
2. Bonus points to the guy standing a few feet behind me, who got good and plastered well before the show started. He sang along, at the top of his lungs, to every single song. Nice to see you're a fan, buddy, but shut the fuck up. When the performer has to stop -- in the middle of a song -- and tell you, personally, to shut the hell up and go away, you've reached a new level.
3. The opening act. Oh, sweet fancy Moses, the opening act. Boring folk songs, with refrigerator-magnet poetry lyrics, and a backing band that consisted of his iPod. "This is my iPod," he said, pointing to where it sat on a stool. "It has something to say." He pressed play, and proceeded to engage in a scripted conversation with his own voice on his iPod. Your Junior High Talent Show called, they want their gimmick back.
4. Am I the only one bothered by all the people who chose to watch most of the concert on the video screens of their digital cameras?
5. The interminable wait for the doors to open, the interminable wait for the opening act to start, the interminable wait for the opening act to stop, and the interminable wait for Regina to come out. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't been locked in a battle royale for floor position with drunk idiots who felt entitled to a closer spot. But I did, so it sucked.

So, yeah: it was far from perfect. But you know what? She got this look on her face as she sang the vocal run on the chorus to "Fidelity." The slight curve of a smile, a shining look in her eyes. Without all the other instruments, the song is even bouncier, even more fun. Under those lights, singing that wonderful song, with that look...

Everything else was worth that. So says I.

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Now playing: Jim Rome - Wed, November 7th, 2007 Hour 3
via FoxyTunes