Wednesday, December 26, 2007

FM 94/9 2007 Holiday Hootenanny

You might recall that I was looking for a "plus one" to go with me to the Hootenanny. I had VIP passes and was looking for someone who'd be willing to drive to UCSD. I was glad that my friend Adam responded, had I known he wanted to go I would've just asked him. We made sure to arrive early because we didn't want to miss out on the grub like I always seem to do for events. We got there as the gates opened walked right in. We made our way to the outdoor tent area and grabbed a couple beers while we chatted with the bartender and some random people who were confused about some things. FM 94/9 had a promotion during the last week before the show that anyone who bought a ticket at designated spots got a free lift ticket but a few people seemed to think they got one just for going to the show. Once we straightened that out, it was time to chill out, have a burger, and enjoy the show.

Adam used to work for 94/9, so he was chatting with friends when I went to watch Reeve Oliver, and O asked over the mic if I'd found a date. Thank god I don't embarass easily.






The field was set up like last year, with a full beer garden and plasma screens all over, so we ended up watching Rogue Wave from outside, though I'm hoping to catch the show at the Belly Up in January. We went into the venue for Mute Math and they were so entertaining, jumping all over the stage. Like an idiot, my battery for my camera was running low, so I was pretty conservative taking pictures, but I was able to snap a few throughout the night.





At one point the drummer dove into the crowd, then had his drum passed into the crowd, which somehow he managed to play as he and his drum were passed over the crowd. Pretty great showmanship, if you ask me, and it made their performance stand out above the others of the night.



Between bands we went outside once again, hanging with friends for a short while until it was time to catch The Kooks. I thought they sounded great, though they seemed to be pretty pissed, talking shit to the sound guys, but clarifying that they loved the crowd despite the technical difficulties.





After having seen Louis XIV and Pinback more than a few times this year, we opted to hang out in the VIP area which was packed with people for the remainder of the night. We went in for a little at the end of Pinback's set and somehow I managed to get a band pass, so I was in the dressing room area for a little while and then helped Rob Crow carry some gear to their van. Would you believe the guys are still unloading their own gear?



I'd never seen Queens of The Stone Age, and never really considered myself a fan, but I was really blown away by their energy onstage, and I guess I didn't realize that I am familiar with most of their material, so that was kinda cool. I managed to grab a couple setlists, too.


Queens of the Stone Age setlist, 12/15/07

After they finished we said our quick goodbyes and found our way to the parking garage and managed to get out with relative ease, though we did have to bust a u-turn to get out via Gennessee. The Hootenanny was a great night, and not just because of the bands playing, but to see so many old friends and to meet new ones, made for a nice holiday party. FM 94/9 took plenty of pictures of the night, too, which you can see here. For us, it was off to the Tower Bar.

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