The Prinzo Report: Radiohead Show Review
(Ed. note: Ouch! Looks like Stephanie Bolling wasn't the only one unenamoured with the accoustics at Ford Ampitheater.)
Show: Great. Venue: Shitty.
One of the best things a Radiohead show is the amazing vibe they give off. Warm and hypnotic, it envelops the crowd. Clapping in unison emanates organically without cues or direction at last Tuesday’s show with songs like "Everything" and the finale, "House of Cards." These moments at Ford Ampitheater felt like a festival and not a single show. Part of the reason for criticism about the sedate crowd was not so much because of apathy on the part of the audience but because they were entranced by the captivating music and stellar light show. Nine Inch Nails and to a lesser extent the Smashing Pumpkins were the last amazing light shows I witnessed. Radiohead blew them all away. It was a visual spectacle throughout the show but I think 40 people simultaneously had a seizure during the LED light vortex that was "National Anthem."
That being said, the venue sucks. I sat in the last row of chairs to the far right (maybe several rows behind Stephanie). First off, it is the quietest venue I've ever been to. Only there does one not have to compete with the music to have a conversation. Conversation itself actually drowns out the music. Good thing the audience was mostly captivated. And, this being Tampa, a burned-out drunk chick next to me, forever stuck in the early 90's complained incessantly that they were not playing old stuff. She then continued to belt out verses which are almost impossible for the average person to sing out loud ("Yesterday, I woke up suckin' a lemon"), albeit in a scratchy Pat Benatar way.
On top of that, directly behind this side of the seats, a giant, stadium flood light poured into our section altering the experience immensely. The same area on the opposite side was veiled in darkness. In a final effort to shield the citizens that populate the area around Ford Ampitheatre from the four hours of music a month they might barely hear, a wall was built to mute sound outside. By the way, this wall also serves as a giant echo chamber bouncing delayed sound back at the audience muddling the mix.
I know Radiohead isn't Slayer or AC/DC, so ear-shattering volume is not a priority. I've now seen them at Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lakewood, West Palm, but Ford was by far the quietest. Lame.
photo: Kevin Westenberg
Ed. note 2: Here is one of Prinzo's videos. I guess I would be upset with the venue too if this is what I heard:
ryan
i've got to disagree w/ T; i've done the lawn at FA, and while it IS a chill atmosphere, don't expect to actually hear the band you paid to see
posted May 12th, 10:11