I am a very big Chance The Rapper fan, I’ve only seen him live on stage once but it was at Governors Ball and I was very near the stage and it was simply a masterful piece of work. Chance himself called it the best show he had ever put on, that was two years ago, and I bet he has gotten better since then.
He is playing two shows in the New York area, and not only am I not going, I didn’t make even the slightest attempt to get a ticket. Not the slightest intention. And the reason is simple: he is performing at Terminal 5 and I am not paying money to watch a show on monitors IF I’M LUCKY. This huge musical abattoir destroys the concert going experience, I hate it with a loathing beyond my ability to put into words (well… not beyond).
This is what I wrote about the Sleater Kinney gig at T5 last February (the last and final time I’ve been there): “It is the fault of a disgraceful venue that leaves half of the audience unable to see a damn thing. I arrive half an hour before the opening act, the excellent rapper, singer Minneapolis’ Lizzo hit the stage (“Black lives matter” -yup) , and it didn’t help in the slightest. Wanna know about Corin Tucker “wailing, flipping her hair, claiming the stage”? Read Jon Pareles in the New York Times, I didn’t see it. Wanna read about about half of Carrie Brownstein buckling at the legs while she throws up sheets of white noise notes slipping in between Corin more melodic guitar, well that’s as close as I got to the stage.”
I can’t do it anymore, it is infuriating to show up at 730pm for a band hitting the stage at 9pm and still see nothing whatsoever. It is disastrous to pay $50 for a ticket for nothing but to be moved, harassed, get your sitelines blocked, have fucked up security hastle you and wander around three floors of absolutely nothing.
I won’t do it. It is as simple as that.
Terminal Five have destroyed their last concert for me and forever. Next.