Nighthawk

@stoger wrote:

Good, accurate setlist, Nigthawk: a happy show for Lucinda.

Thanks. And yeah, I thought so too.

At the risk of seeming a “curmudgeon,” however, I must qualify your praise of the venue and its patrons, to some degree. It is certainly new, as you say: the fresh paint was pungent throughout, and when I showed up for will call around 5, a couple of electrician types were finishing up some wiring just off the main entrance.

Well, I did say it just opened this month. Hehe. Like last week this month. But, yeah. Still some work to do. The point though is that its in a good central location, and pretty neat and clean, albeit somewhat of an industrial feel to the place. But compared to other local venues, like the Orpheum (saw Bonnie Raitt there a while back and though it was a good show, it is one of those old grand opera gilt age refurbished places, and while the acoustics are very good, it is kinda tough to let it all hang out sitting in your chair), the New Daisy (on Beale- and if you think the crowd at Minglewood was a bit rowdy, try Beale Street on a Mardi Gras nigtht), a couple of open air amphitheatres (nice, but a litte on the chill side in mid-Feb), or some of the huge venues like the basketball arena – sorry just not made for this sort of thing, or the performing arts center (again, good acoustics, but who wants theatre seating for this sort of show), it fit the bill very well indeed and is a welcome addition of the local scene.

Later, the venue offered free drinks throughout the show, which seemed to be some Customer Appreciation gesture–but Security set me straight: the caterer had just lost his license, so the Minglewood kitchen could serve no food and thus could not sell drinks without food sales. Still, free drinks.

Gulp! I confess, I had a NY style hot-dog before the show, and it was OK. And, so far, no ill effects. But free beer?? Yea, free draft Miller Lite and PBR, if you want to call that beer.

Butch gave a shout-out to merch person Susannah, which corrects my misunderstanding of her name (probably still not spelled right). Chet managed four syllables after a fine Buick 6 set: “Thanks a lot, y’all.”

Susan Marshall (‘homegirl”) joined Lu for the last two encore numbers. It was great to hear the tour debuts of “Plan to Marry,” “Are You Down,” and “Memphis Pearl.”

OK, I have to continue my venue rant. I was surrounded by some pretty rough trade, though I thought first “row,” hand on stage, would be great. Lots of jostling for position, some accusing others of taking up their previous space. People throwing Mardi gras beads on stage during songs (harmless enough I guess), but also one chick begging Lu to accept her beads personally, this speech happening at full volume while Lu was introducing a song. Once I was tapped on the shoulder during a slow song and told to pass a note to the stage, handed it in fact. Then there was that slurred request at one point for the old Lu standby “Just in Time.” Periodic cacklings from Sorority Row on my left flank were annoying too. What I’m saying here is that these were not the folks you’d meet in the same spot of First Ave. Minn. or Fillmore West, put it that way. When the techs peeled the setlists off the floor at end, elbows were being thrown to claim them. The woman from the local CBS affiliate to my right couldn’t take all this and left after about a dozen songs–can’t blame her. I realize people were still in a Fat Tuesday mood (so was Lu), but I was much more in an Ash Wednesday frame of mind by evening’s end, wishing I had hung back or to the side as in other recent shows. Or, to put it more positively and to look ahead, yearning for a reserved seat venue a la Alabama Theatre. As Scott Miller sings, “there ain’t no ‘ham/like the Birmingham.” Onward ho.

Thanks to tOverby also for New Orleans setlist.

Ageed to all of that.

But then, having gotten a chuckle out of the sign at the entrance that listed the places no-nos (no moshing, no crowd surfing… .)and having some experience with the open air Beale Street Music Festival held by the river each May, I was mindful that most of the local concert goers who like it up close, like it rowdy… and muddy, … and, preferably, sloshing in free beer, and even if it is PBR, so much the better.

I found a nice out of the way spot with good sight lines on stage left, to the back of some of the tables and chairs and in front of the railing for the line to the bar. Pretty much out of harms way in front and back and still good acoustics. I noticed a lot of older couples around me, one in particular was what looked to be a late 50’s balding chunky guy in an oxford cloth button down and bow tie with what appeared to be his bride of 30+ years, a short stout red-head with a beauty parlor do, having the time of their lives, dancing, doing what looked like the shag and the lindy hop (if you know NC beach music).

So yea, a different world a few feet away from the edge of the stage.

I think you’re right, next time, go with what worked in the past, step back and get some breathing room.

NH