Giles

Here in DC I go to concerts at the 9:30 and Black Cat.

Now... let me vent.

I can sometimes get a car to drive down to the 9:30, but I find it incredulous that sometimes the headliners play past the 11:45pm 'last subway' of the night. Which, if I don't have a car, I have to factor in another ten dollars to get home by cab. The 9:30 is also really lame in that doors open a full hour (at the least) before the first band starts their set. If it's three or more bands you're in for a long night.

The Black Cat is far worse (and I personally loathe), every headlining band gets onstage 10:30-11'ish.

What's it like in other cities and venues, what time do the headliners get onstage? I love London and New York cause one, they have far superior public transportation system and reasonable cab prices, and when I have gone to other smaller cities/towns venues - shows tend to end by 11 (is this really the case?).

London is the best city in the world to see bands, cause one, the bookers and club managers now that the punters (i.e, the concertgoers) like to see numerous concerts and start and end their shows on with more reasonable times and try to make concertgoing less tiring and time consuming.

All in all, I personally can't stand the music scene here in DC, when I have to worry about the latter end of the night and figure out how to get back home after a concert.

woofman

My favorite local venues are probably the Newport Music Hall (1800 indoor) & PromoWest Pavillion ( 3000 indoor or outdoor). Showtimes vary depending on how many acts are scheduled. Usually the headliner goes on between 9 & 10PM. I like some of the smaller local venues too like Little Brothers, but many times the headliner doesn't go on until well after 11PM!!! On a weeknight that's kind of rough.

wendersfan

The Newport's great, now that they installed AC... I've seen a bunch of bands there - Deathcab For Cutie, Gomez, The Flaming Lips, etc. The only act I've ever seen at PromoWest was The White Stripes. All of these bands must have started early because I'm an old man and my bedtime is around 10:00 these days.

I've played more gigs at Little Brothers than I've attended. Not a great place to see bands, but it's fun to play there.

Rypro 525

recher in towson, the opening acts always start an hour after the doors open. the main act is usually on stage by 10:15 pm, and usually ends around 1130 or midnight at latest.
giles, if you go on 930.com, you can see the start times or each act on the day of the show, os if your interested, check that out.

Poink

My personal favorite is the Empty Bottle in Chicago. Shows start at 9:30 p.m since it's a bar, I guess. Sometimes they'll have a 7 p.m show if they deiced to have two seperate headlining shows (or often the same band twice). Shows are usually over before midnight though.

Their later start times (compared to other places) is what's helped make them pretty much the only place I'll go see a show at. I like having time to come home from work and have a few hours to wind down before going out. Trying to go to a show at 7 p.m is too much hassle to me since I live in the South suburbs. To each his own, I suppose.

BDB

I'm surprised to hear that from Giles, something that annoys me is all the folks who leave a show early to get the bus/train home etc.

and I dislike curfews. my namesake BDB plays for about 2-3 hours, and each time I have seen him, he has blown past the 11pm curfews at either the fillmore or bimbo's in SF.

Last night I saw the frames, and they put on a great show at Great American Music Hall, and it had the makings of a great session, but again the 11pm bell was tolling, and bands have to get out.

last night opening act was 8pm, he was off at 8:45. then the frames at 9:10 and they played till 10:55

I have seen bdb play from 9 thru 11:55

funkyryno

I think venues that serve alcohol prefer to stretch the shoes out later into the evening to increase drink sales. That's fine with me.

Rypro 525

recher is interesting because some shows (probably with cover bands like several species the ultimate pink floyd expierence), they let shows go as long as they want. the ss show went until 145 in the morning (they performed the wall in its entirety and then some), show started at 10.

Giles

sorry to burst your bubble Badlydrawnboy, but I don't like to have a concert going experience turn into a marathon event. Interestingly I thought my favourite BDB performance was his 45min slot at the Reading Music Festival - quick, to the point and it didn't meander.

mndtrp

If I'm paying upwards of $45 to see a band, I'd like them to play as long as possible. I make an event out of it, since that's what it is. If it is a group that comes around all the time, fine, play a 45 min set. If you only come around once every 5 years (see: Nine Inch Nails), play for 2 hrs, and end at midnight.

I'm not sure what is making you get there an hour before the doors open. If you don't want to see the opening bands, don't go for them.

woofman

No kidding, what's your band's name?

wendersfan

I don't have a band at the moment, but I think most of the times I've played at Little Brothers were for benefits with hastily assembled 'pick-up' bands.

nodeerforamonth

Some clubs I go to have the headlining band start at 12:30am or even 1am on the weekends. Others have the headlining band start at 10pm so they can get the crowd out of there fast so they can open up the club as a disco later on.