Berkeley vs. L.A. (A Tale of Two Greeks)

[walterfredo]

I just got back from two great nights of MMJ, Berkeley>L.A.  Did anyone else make both shows?  If so, how did you feel about Berkeley vs. L.A.?  I cannot get over the discrepancy in energy of both the crowd and the band....it was like night and day.  In Berkeley the crowd was going absolutely nutso pretty much the entire show.  Jim and the rest of the band were feeding of this energy and giving it right back to the crowd.  The whole place was on their feet the entire show...rocking out hard.  Jim was all over the stage all night...running side to side, playing with the crowd...feeding off the crowd and the energy level was just through the roof (if the Berkeley Greek were to have a roof).  Then came L.A., (which I will say again was indeed a fantastic show), but holy shit it was like night and day between the two.  Over half of the L.A. Greek (well over half) were sitting in the chairs the entire night, which to me is just appalling.   Maybe it's just L.A. and the complacency of the area, but there was definitely a distinct difference in energy levels.  People in Berkeley were rocking out hard!!  People in L.A. were sitting, chatting, and appeared to be enjoying the show, but the energy that was in Berkeley was no where to be found in L.A. and you could really see this in how Jim and the band interacted throughout the night. I was fairly close in L.A., and folks up front seemed a bit more energetic, but about half way back from section A...and all the way up to the top, most folks were sitting on their touches.  I thought the L.A. crowd was soft to say the least.  Berkeley absolutely killed it!!!!

[Nectar502001]

LA crowds generally suck.

Sports, concerts, etc.

It doesn't surprise me one bit that the band brought it where the fans did....in Berkeley.

Glad you enjoyed yourself.

:o

[elzar]

huh....i was in sec A row B in LA, Bo's side - everyone around us looked pretty excited except a few - I never really looked too far back, but I thought the crowd was OK.

And i guess it might depend on where you were sitting, cuz in berkeley, we had good seats at first but had to move to top center, one of the reasons was because of so many chatters - especially the non-fan noob toker chicks who didnt even know what was going on the entire time

[walterfredo]

I did say that the folks up front (where it sounds like you were) seemed to be into it more.  I was in Sec. B row B, pretty good seats, and most folks behind me all the way up B and C were sitting, as well as a good chunk of folks in the back of Sec. A.  I was on the back part of the floor in Berk, just before the walkway that separates the floor and the cement bleachers, dead center directly in front of the soundboard, the place was going nuts.  The difference in energy level was very evident.  Good times were had at both shows, but Berkeley was definitely the one to be at out of the two.  

Love this Band! Cannot wait until NYE.