CONCERT REVIEW: Sonic Youth @ Henry Fonda

I hate it when you pay good money to go to a show & they treat you like crap. We arrived at the Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre around 9:30 & were surprised to see a long line trailing from the venue around the block--we were even more surprised to find out that the line was the will call line. The line to buy tickets was incredibly short, and those people didn't have to wait at all. We waited in the stupid line for at least a half hour. We had come late so we wouldn't have to endure the opening band, Wolf Eyes. They were still playing when we walked up to the line, but had finished while we waited to get inside & I was getting anxious that we may miss the whole damn show. The whole time in line various people were shouting at us to go in different lines if you already had your ticket or if you wanted to buy a ticket & to get our id's out--shut up already! We're not stupid. We finally acquired our tickets & went into the security line. Luckily I didn't bring my purse & was wearing a pocketless skirt & t-shirt so they didn't really have to pat me down. Oli wasn't so lucky & came very close to getting a cavity search & was accused of concealing a "dime-bag" in his pocket. Such bullshit! A guy who looked like he could have been my dad had to throw away his key chain because it posed a threat. Grrrrr!! The average age of a concert-goer that night was about 32 and the general nerdiness quotient was high. I can't even imagine what circumstances could lead up to a knife fight--or a keychain fight, rather--maybe an argument about dark matter in the universe? or about which Sonic Youth album rocked the hardest?

After spending $14 on a margarita and a jack & coke we nestled in to a nice spot on the floor & waited for the band to start while an excited audience hooted and hollared. Sonic Youth was great. They've been around for hundreds of years and have played millions of shows but they still had a great enthusiasm. They played a lot of new stuff from their latest album intercut with Thurston's pretentious ramblings about Aaaahrnold & the suburbs.

Sonic Youth: Recommended.
Henry Fonda: Sucks.