What a great show! I've seen Dream Theater at every visit to So. Cal. since I & W. I even saw them once at a very small place, way before that. I had a friend that worked for a recording studio. His name was Mark Windling, I lost track of him, I wish I could find him again. Anyway, his job was to go to venues and watch start up bands and report back to his boss. I didn't know who they were, but I remember that I liked them. I can't remember where we saw them, it was a long time ago. Then a couple years later I heard Pull Me Under on the radio. It got a lot of radio play back then. I was forever hooked on DT. Iv'e seen them so many times, that I can't even count them all. I have to say, I think last night was the best performance that I have ever seen from them or anybody!! They seem to be happy and at peace with MP gone.
The L.A. Brewing Company, not so great. After asking four people and waiting 30 minutes to pay my bill, and not wanting to miss the DT opening, I had enough. But, they had my card. So, I called my credit card company and told them the situation. She told me, "we'll just call it a stolen card and they won't be able to charge anything to it, just leave". So, dinner, three beers and a female UFC fight were on the LABC, and I won't be going back. I just had enough time to take a leak and get to my seat.
When planning this concert, I read some reviews on The Orpheum Theater. I read a few reviews about people who were hassled by this black chic for taking video. Well, sure enough, she shined her flashlight on me and I just shrugged my shoulders, like WTF. A few minutes later, she comes in and yanks me out for taking video. I told her that I wasn't taking video. I even showed her the pictures to prove that was taking pictures. Her supervisor came and I showed him the pictures that I had taken and I showed him that there were no vids. I told him, "this is complete BS that I'm getting hassled by her and now missing the concert, when everyone around me has their phones and their cameras up taking pictures and/or vids. I told him that I have read on the reviews that this chick or another black chick has been hassling people. He seemed surprised by that. He said, "no, it's her and we get a lot of complaints about her, it's going to be her last night here, I'm not putting up with any more complaints".
So, in the end, it was an eventful night in the big city, where I don't feel that comfortable. But, I'd do it again and again for DT! And now I have a couple thousand pictures to go through and remind me of the evening. I even got one of the black chic all pissed off. Oh, and I recorded the whole thing! Sshh, don't tell anyone.