Broken Social Scene at Element… No, Club 9One9… No, Alix Goolden Hall

Tuesday night was the culmination of a 6-7 month wait. I honestly can’t remember when exactly I bought my ticket for Broken Social Scene, but it was so long ago, the night club the concert was supposed to be at no longer exists. My ticket says Element Night Club, but the club’s name changed to Club 9One9 recently. The venue changed all together when they decided to move the show to Alix Goolden Hall due to “overwhelming demand.”

After attending a concert at the former church for the second time, I have come to the personal conclusion that I hate Alix Goolden Hall as a rock concert venue. It literally sucks the life out of a crowd. I don’t know if the problem is the lack of alcohol, the anal retentive rules preventing anyone from standing in the aisles or the area directly in front of the stage, or just the fact that it’s an old church… The audience is just flat. How lame must it feel to be a band who likes to rock out and seeing a few hundred people sitting in seats doing nothing? Stand up! Bob your head! Dance! Broken Social Scene are on stage putting on an amazing set and half the venue’s just sitting there.

The band even mentioned the confusion the audience had in the venue about whether or not to stand up. The same problem happened when I saw Jon & Roy and Sarah Harmer at the venue for Rifflandia. Security stopped anyone who attempted to go up to the front to dance. They preventing anyone from dancing in the aisles and half the audience seemed confused whether they were even allowed to stand up at their seats.

From my recording/videographer standpoint Alix Goolden Hall is less than ideal because there’s so much echo and the lack of a good lighting setup is bad for video.

From a music standpoint, Broken Social Scene were wonderful. The banter was fun. The interaction with the audience was cool. Just wish the show had been at a more rock friendly venue.

Here’s video from the show…

Texico Bitches & 7/4 (Shoreline)

Forced to Love