OT--The PIT and the Pandemonium
Probably my all-time favorite band is Green Day. I've loved them ever since I took my kids to see them in 2002 (Pop Disaster tour) when kiddos were 13 and 15. Seen them live four times previously (as well as seeing American Idiot on Broadway twice--once when Billie Joe performed).
This year they are doing a small-venue tour--all the others were in big stadiums/arenas. So I was poised to buy tickets the second they went on sale. I was really only looking for one ticket, and there was a two-ticket limit, so I grabbed the first balcony seat offered and continued to try. A few minutes later I scored a PIT ticket, which is what I was going for.
I posted the balcony seat on Craigslist and immediately found a buyer--young woman (turned out to be a doctor) who hoped to put together a couple of other friends to go. All the tickets were General Admission, so logistics were critical. The tickets were will-call, and they would be released only to the buyer. They opened the ticket office yesterday at 10, but my Craigslist partner agreed to get there early and stand in line (note that it rained ALL DAY yesterday). I met her there at 10, but it was 11 before I had our tickets.
Now, I had called the venue a couple days before to confirm that there would be only ONE line to get in (regardless of where you were sitting), once we had tickets. My Craigslist buyer was going to hold our place in line so I could work and get there right when the doors opened. Come to find out, once tickets in hand, that there would be SEPARATE lines for entry, so she couldn't hold both places (her friends weren't getting there till later in the day). I was explaining my problem to one of the staff, who suggested I see if the people in line for the pit would hold a place for me. The people there said THEY didn't have a problem with it, but they suspected security staff wouldn't let me go in. So one of the guys working for Live Nation gave me his name and said to have security staff consult him and he'd make sure I got in front.
When I got there that evening shortly before door time, sure enough, the security person wouldn't let me up front and the line went WAY down the alley. I was telling her to check with Andy from LN, and she came up, took me by the arm, and quietly walked me back just a little ways from the front and planted me there. So that part worked out.
Staked out a spot right in the center, behind two rows of people. Figured it would be pretty decent. Then, of course, a couple of people had to get ejected for shoving, etc. I made friends with this awesome posse of five or so girls in front of me, who clearly were looking out for the old lady who was in over her head.
Speaking of over her head, once Green Day came out on stage, I found out what a pit really MEANS. I've been in the pit area for several concerts, but never for a band as big as Green Day in a venue as small as this one. The shoving got harder and uglier, and one of the girls in front of me grabbed my hand and sort of pulled me up closer to her. For a few minutes it was pretty OK, if a bit uncomfortable. Then it started getting painful. Had to keep arms up in front of me to keep breathing with the crush behind me. Sweating buckets from the bodies. Drunk guy screaming/singing (very BADLY) in my ear to the point where I couldn't hear the band. Got kicked in the head by a crowd-surfer who partially knocked off my glasses.
After about 5-6 songs, I tapped the shoulder of the young woman in front of me, telling her I was ready to throw in the towel, but thanking her for being so nice (along with her friends). I squeezed my way to the far side of the stage, where I was able to stand almost at the rail and had room to breathe and could hear the band. Mike Dirnt was directly in front of me for much of the show, and BJ was, of course, all over the stage.
I can't say I was able to appreciate the music so much, but I was viewing this show more as an "experience" than as a concert--I've heard them enough times to really enjoy the music, but never got to be down in the thick of things before.
So. I don't think I'll be repeating this particular experiment again, but I'm glad I gave it a shot. I think they should have a section for us old people (maybe call it the Dinosaur Pit), lol.
Still rockin',