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May 25, 2008
Adele at The Roxy, 5/21/08
Adele played a sold out show at The Roxy last Wednesday, and if it had been anywhere else, it probably would've been a fantastic night. Don't get me wrong, it was a great show, but my ticket and that of the girl next to me in line said doors were at 8pm, and we stood outside in the wind in a massive line until 9:30. Then we were finally let in, only to have the band not come on until almost 10, which I had decided was my cut-off point for walking out, (as I stood there with my $10 crappy Tanqueray and tonic that tasted suspiciously like house gin), if nothing had happened by then!
(Before standing in line, I was also forced to sit in my car and dig for change even though I was only one dollar short for the parking lot across the street, after which the guy made me reverse into my parking spot, and then reprimanded me for not parking exactly between the lines, and made me do it again!) By the way, a bottle of water at The Roxy is $4.50. Discuss.
But the curtains did finally go up right before 10 o'clock, and Adele's backing band played a little warm-up groove before she came out, to deafening cheering, looking quite adorable in a peasant-style blouse and her hair grown out longer since the music videos.
They launched into "Right As Rain" and it sounded really good - Adele's vocals are just as impressive live and her delivery is so sophisticated, it can make you forget she's only 19. Until she talked between songs, that is, and commenced giggling, over-apologizing, and claiming that she can't hear her vocals. But she still managed to exude charm, and make everyone laugh, with quips like "Normally we have a string section up here with us, but I'm not big enough here yet, so we can't afford it, frankly…Maybe next time!". She scored big points with me right away for apologizing for the long wait, blaming a difficult soundcheck, but then she did bely that excuse by repeatedly requesting changes in the monitor mix, so that I had to wonder if there were really technical difficulties or if she is just a tad picky.
She played the acoustic guitar unaccompanied on "Daydreamer", 19's opening track, and held her own on the stage without the band. (Although she stopped in the first line and asked them to turn the snare off, which appeared to piss off her drummer.) She owned "Melt My Heart To Stone", defying my reference to it as a droopy ballad, and "Time" was fantastic. "Hometown Glory" brought a sing-a-long from the crowd on the chorus: "(It) shows that we ain't gonna stand shit, shows that we are united, shows that we ain't gonna take it". Adele first broke into a grin at this and then a big laugh, mid lyric, which was infectious; she told us afterwards that it was better than any singing from the crowd that she'd heard in London.
The crowd was a considerable mix of age groups and styles, and everyone seemed to be quite familiar with the album, so it is obvious she's doing well over here already. (Also made obvious by the length of the line outside.) The album is available on iTunes, but it will also be in stores in the U.S. next month so look out for it!
Hopefully, when she comes back to town, they'll book her at the Troubadour.
Image from a different show by Overview, courtesy of Adele's myspace
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Drinks at the Roxy are ridiculously overpriced for what you get. I think I spent $9 on a double shot of vodka.
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I am an avid and vocal supporter of the LAist for over a year now and read it on a daily basis( as well as listing it on our links section of our site as one of our favorites). I'm not one to comment on sites much or to get in a tit for tat with writers/reviewers because I believe their job is to independently write what they see and feel about their experiences wether good or bad. As the owner of The Roxy, I use reviews and comments I read to grow our business and to make a better experience at the club. I have to say, reading this review actually got me upset enough to not keep quiet and to speak my mind. From the first line, it felt that you had something out for the club. To me, it was a biased review. It did not read like someone who had a non-biased opinion of The Roxy.
Over the last 35 years, The Roxy has had its ups and downs. We have gone through times where we have treated our costumers and bands with less respect then they derserved, I can admit this whole heartedly. Over the last 8 years, and more recently and aggressively, over the last two, we have strived to change this everyday and with every show. I can now say that hands down, everyone who works at The Roxy from the door to floor to the sound to the office, all love what we do here and get excited to come to work everyday. We try respect every single person that comes through our door. Saying that, I would like to "discuss", on behalf of everyone who works at the club, point by point, the things said in this review. I will try my best to do this with facts and keep emotion out of it.
"my ticket and that of the girl next to me in line said doors were at 8pm"
You are 100% correct. Doors were at 8p. Load in for this show was at 3p, that gave Adele 5 hours to load in the gear and sound check. This was the first show of her tour, all the equipment was rented from SIR and she used brand new in-ear monitors, straight out of the box. Meaning, The band and Adele needed as much time as possible to get comfortable with the unfamiliar gear. 8p comes around and she is still not happy with her sound. 9p comes around and they were still not ready. Finally its 930p and we were allowed to open doors. The Roxy has NO control over the artist. We buy the show from the agent/manager and we are at the mercy of the act, when they say they are ready, we open. no sooner, no later. This is not something that happens often at the club but sometimes it does. Im not a liberty to say anything about this artist but i will refer to what you said in your review. "...I had to wonder if there were really technical difficulties or if she is just a tad picky.". It was probably a little of both.
"Then we were finally let in, only to have the band not come on until almost 10."
As you said the doors opened at 9:30, there was 500 people in line. It takes at least 30 minutes to get 500 people into The Roxy. (btw, that is 3.6 seconds per person. I don't know any other club that can do that). We only think it's fair to make sure that everyone with a ticket standing in line gets in before the artist goes on.
"I stood there with my $10 crappy Tanqueray and tonic that tasted suspiciously like house gin."
First, I take offense to this, for what reason would I sell you house gin if thats not what you ordered. I want nothing more then for you enjoy your time at the club, writer, artist, fan or whomever. I would not try to take away from that by giving you something other then what you ordered. I, too love a good drink(Patron) and grew up my whole life in the bar business and think it would be unacceptable to cheat you by sneeking you a house gin when you ordered a Tanqueray. Second, lets "discuss" the price of the drink. I would ask you to take a look at an article that i found on your website, (http://laist.com/2007/07/16/la_drinking_wil.php) which states the average cost of a drink in Los Angeles is $10(this article is over a year old). With more research, I found that a Jack and Coke at the Avalon is $10, at the El Rey its $9, at the Greek its $12, at the troubadour its $10, at the House of Blues is $12. And you are correct, at The Roxy, it is $10(with a generous pour).
"By the way, a bottle of water at The Roxy is $4.50. Discuss."
I can admit and agree that $4.50 is expensive for water. But at the end of the day this is a business, and we need to make money to make pay the rent and pay the bills, just like any other business. Being an all age venue we have shows where its 90% kids and the bar makes nothing. And sometimes we have adults and kids, that come to the venue and maybe only buy one water or sometimes nothing at all. The artist receives 70% of the ticket and the other 30% goes into hospitality, production, advertising and promotion. This leaves us with the bar to pay for everything else(which is a lot). We survive on our bar sales, thats why we are able to stay open.
"I was also forced to sit in my car and dig for change even though I was only one dollar short for the parking lot across the street"
Although the entire world thinks that parking on the strip is ridiculously overpriced, i have to disagree. Part of the reason for this, is what is said above. You make it seem that the parking was some outrageous amount, but in actuality it was $5. During the week it's $5 and on the weekend it's $7. Yes, there is $10 parking, and $15 parking and, believe it or not, there is $25 parking on the strip. But at The Roxy and the 3 lots surrounding us, its between $5-$10(including valet). Not bad for LA, especially Hollywood.
"the guy made me reverse into my parking spot, and then reprimanded me for not parking exactly between the lines, and made me do it again!"
Im sorry but this just makes you sound snobby. Im sorry for saying that, but so what. You had to reverse into the spot and park between the lines. That's life. I don't know why you would have to do that, but assume it was so they could fit as many cars in the lot as possible.
"Hopefully, when she comes back to town, they'll book her at the Troubadour"
Again, I'm sorry, but this just seems biased and rude. Even though I own the roxy, i too love seeing shows at the troub(looking forward to seeing The Black Angels) and at most clubs around LA. But lets be clear, it cost the same to park at the troub, to drink at the troub, it would have taken just as long to wait in line, if the artist wasn't ready to open doors at the Troub. So im not sure what your point is other than you prefer the troub more than the roxy(which is fine, i have friends who like seeing show there more than at The Roxy). If this is true, what you should have said is "Hopefully, when she comes back to town, they'll book her at the Troubadou because i just like it better than The Roxy" and not make it sound that the reason why is the parking or drinks or how long you had to wait.
I want to end my comment(rant, to some) by saying, I'm ready to take any and all suggestions, ideas and criticisms that will make the time spent at The Roxy better for everyone. Wether it takes sitting down and discussing over lunch, on the phone, by email, or by reading reviews on the web. I just ask for all to be honest in your criticism and your praise, I want the truth. This is the only way we will be able to make real changes at the club and continue bringing you sold out shows like Adele. Simone, I appreciate and respect what you do and value your opinion, if you would ever like to sit down and "discuss" you are always welcome to give me a call and we can meet up for a Tanqueray. That goes for all of you. Thanks for your time and I'll see you at the club. - Nic A - www.theroxyonsunset.com
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I think it's cool that Nic from the Roxy wrote this response in a public forum. I agree with most of Nic's points - the Roxy is a great venue and it offers great value and has good parking, etc. $4.50 water is ridiculous though, find a radio station or other corp to sponsor water for the night - everyone should be allowed to get cold, drinkable water in your venue for free. Staying hydrated in your club should not break the bank.
Also, Nic, I find it a little hard to belive that you would have no control over how long a band takes to sound check. After playing in a band all over the state for years, if a venue had soundcheck it was during very specific times. If we didn't make it to sound check tough shit, if we were an opening band and the headliner missed sound check, tough shit - they had to wait until we were done or even do a soundcheck when the doors were opened.
This has happened at your club. When I saw Jerry Harrison and the Casual Gods at the Roxy in 1988, they were still doing soundcheck when the doors opened, on time I might add, and the audience was let in. I remember this beacause it's how I got to have a conversation with the incredible Bernie Worrell.
This happened again a year later when I saw Tin Machine play at the Roxy. True, David Bowie was not on stage doing sound check but the rest of the band was, then they left and puit their flashy dress suits on.
In summary: love the Roxy, continue to love the Roxy, it's the best place to see great music close-up. But please find a way to provide free or underwritten water to the audience and open the doors closer to on time regardless of artist shenanigans. Thanks for writing to us at LAist
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Thanks Tom and I hear you, underwriting bottled water is a great idea and something I will definitely look into. It could be a way for corp america to give back to the fans. FYI, so everyone knows, a glass of good old fashion water is FREE at The Roxy, only the bottled water is $4.50. As far as headlining bands, it is tough to tell them that they have to end sound check to open doors especially if they are not happy with their sound. These days, if were paying them, we are at their mercy. I wish it was different and it didn't affect the fans but it's really up to them. Like I said above it rarely happens. I would just like to reiterate, I really feel it's time to create a open dialogue with our bands, fans, and employees here at the club. Anyone and everyone, please reach out to us and let's get it right.
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It's very refreshing to see Nic's comments and passion about gauging and enhancing fans' and Roxy-goers experience based on blog posts and message boards, etc. I agree, the Sunset Strip scene can seem overpriced, overcrowded, and disturbing but I find it very optimistic to see an instant and honest rebuttal from the club owner (and not purely defensive -- I've had similarly draggin' experiences at the key club, roxy, and the Troub -- where bottled water also goes in the $5 range).
I'd love to see more club-owners man (or woman) up and stick their noses into blog discussions, especially with the kind of "it's time to create a open dialogue..." sentiment that Nic expressed above, even on a day in which it appears that the circus is in town (based on recent posts at the Roxy blog).
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...Um, someone only just alerted me to these comments today. In short, if most of the shows I go to are at venues where I can find free parking and cocktails that are usually about $6, then I have a right to complain about any place where it just ain't so. Thanks for taking the time to respond though, Nic! Let's work on those water prices. :)