Blue October Boston Concert reviews
House of Blues disappointed
Been to several Blue October concerts, this may have been my last. Hear me out... I love so much of Blue October's music, have the CDs, merch, been to many shows, etc. but this night was sadly a fail for me. I blame the majority of it on the dilapidated, overcrowded venue. Not sure how the fire department allows them to pack over 2,000 people in like sardines, standing on worn-through floor boards with exactly zero paths to walk through. Literally people falling over each other, even causing fights to break out a couple times - even the fantastic opening act stopped the first song of their set to call for security to intervene. But that's its own issue. No more HOB for me, live + learn.
Justin, I love you, but... I mean this in love, so please take it at face value. Your audience just stood outside in Florida humidity for 90+ minutes waiting to get funneled into their 6" square standing area, where they've been awkwardly balancing for 3+ hours, unable to even see the band due to crowds and an only-backlit stage. If the songs weren't familiar (luckily they were), we'd be unable to decipher lyrics with the horrible sound. So while the spurts of love and appreciation for all of us who really wanted to be there were appreciated, your frustration due to a perceived lack of hype was what left the bitter aftertaste Friday night. After your repeated shouts at the audience to "Wake the F UP!" these discouraged loyal fans set out on our quest to the Exit.
Yes, I may be alone in this assessment. I know touring is a sacrifice. I also know most of us did not get chauffeured to the venue hours ahead of the show in comfort, relaxing up until curtain. We worked full workdays, crawled through Orlando traffic for hours, eagerly anticipating a fun night ahead. To stand for 5 hours, wondering if we'd get trampled to death should anymore mayhem break out, unable to trek to a restroom without falling down unseen floor hazards, only to then be viewed as a disappointment and yelled at.