The Comet's Flame

Okay, so it wasn’t that bad, but it certainly wasn’t too good. I am, of course, referring to tonight’s Evanescence concert in Moline, IL.

Most of the fans were fairly well-behaved, but unfortunately there was a large group of teenage girls immediately to my left who became increasingly rowdy as the night progressed. First, it was an attempt at moshing (fortunately, they gave up on that when it became apparent the rest of us were very annoyed). Then, when Amy Lee hit the stage, they became frenzied and animal-like as they pushed and clawed their way to the front (they were trying to videotape the start of the show — totally against the rules, by the way). I had arrived at the venue more than an hour early to stake out a fairly good spot (main floor, center stage, about 3 rows back), and I had no desire to relinquish my territory. But after a few minutes of literally wrestling with them in an attempt to hold my ground (as they screamed in my face), I said “forget this” and gave them my spot.

They totally ruined the show for me. I can only hope I returned the favor to some extent (they were so busy pushing me that they missed the start of the show! Also, our little “scuffle” attracted a lot of attention from security, making it a bit more difficult for them to do their videotaping). I know that’s not exactly a Christlike attitude on my part, but I am just in disbelief at the rudeness of some people. If they wanted a good spot, why didn’t they just show up early like everyone else?!?

Sigh….

Rude fans aside, Evanescence’s act was still pretty disappointing. Amy had a sore throat or something, and was having difficulty hitting the high notes. Most of the Evanescence crew who played on their recent album (The Open Door) were fired earlier this year, so there were a bunch of unfamiliar people on stage.

There were a few good things about the concert, though. The first opening band (Julien-K) had an incredible stage setup (towering drum pedestal with a jet-black drumset, futuristic-looking synthesizers and microphone stands, etc.). They had a very heavy and ominous techno type sound (pounding beats and lots of synthesizer), which was pretty cool. The band members were very VERY weird though.

The second opening band (Sick Puppies) was pretty odd (I can’t even describe what genre they were, because they played everything from metal to pop/rock), and the lead singer was very “confident.” He singled out an audience member who wasn’t “getting into” the music enough. Then at the end of their set, he tried to crowd surf (it didn’t work too well).

Evanescence’s stage setup was also pretty cool. Amy’s grand piano was hidden most of the time, but on songs like “My Immortal”, it would rise from beneath the stage (very cool)!

Amy had on a very “interesting” outfit. It consisted of a black tank-top, a frilly pink skirt, and black calf-length leather boots (they were like military boots, with heels). Not exactly the most fashionable attire.

This is probably the last time I will see a “mainstream” artist in concert. It was really sick to see crazed fans worshiping the lead singer (especially in a way that prevents others from enjoying the show). This chaotic event gave me a new level of appreciation for the lower-profile concerts I have been to, such as Bright Eyes and TMBG. I could tell that those guys really loved their job… I can’t say the same about the artists at tonight’s concert (they didn’t seem too thrilled to be there… but I’m sure they were pretty thrilled to collect the profits at the end of the show!!!)