LA Greek Sound - A Total Joke

[LAshowguy]

 >:(

I can't believe that I left The Greek MMJ show early last night, but I did.  I have never in my life heard such horrible WEAK muddied sound at The Greek or at any show EVER.  I love the band more than 99.9% of other bands out there, but this was a travesty.  I really wanted my $$ back.  I was dead center in the back of Section A, where sound should be perfect...unfortunately it was anything but.

The band also seemed a bit off to me and the flow of the show was pretty strange.  The last MMJ show there in 2008 was a complete shred fest and the crowd went nuts.  When I think of MMJ I think of hammers, thunder and lightning. Last night I thought of drizzle.  I have been seeing the band since 2003 and I have no plans on stopping any time soon, but last night was not one I want to remember.  

[rincon]

Last night was my first MMJ show. Overall I agree with your assessment. Poor sound, lacking in thunder. Still better than most anything out there.

[dstunbound]

Unfortunately I totally agree with the original poster. The sound was a huge issue and it detracted from the show and the energy, and the band reacted in kind to the crowd's lack of enthusiasm. Not up to par for either MMJ or the Greek. Last time I saw them there is was rocking, but not last night. I was 4th row for a little while which should have been blowing my ears off, but we were able to talk over the music without raising our voices too much. I did notice during one of the first few songs (It Beats maybe) for a few seconds the guitar got much louder, and then went back down.

I also was bummed that they cut Steam Engine and Off the Record from the setlist too because of curfew, but I understand that.

/rant

Aside from that I enjoyed it, but it was the most mellow of the 7 shows I've seen them play. I was happy to see War Begun finally.

[Weeks Go by Like Days]

The Greek has a strict decibel limit which is annoying. 95 db limit at soundboard. Some venues just aren't conducive to the full on rock experience. The San Diego was like night and day compared to the Greek in volume...
:o

[LAshowguy]

It was easily twice as loud there in 2008, no exaggeration.  Is this some new rule?  If so, I am never going back there.   :-/

[Weeks Go by Like Days]

 Hmm... 190 db. in 08'.. incorrect. 95 at FOH and always has been. If the engineer goes over and continues to do so, the band can be fined. ;)

[LAshowguy]

Then seeing 345345 shows has made me deaf I guess. Tons of the same complaints amongst my friends though about last night.  Better luck next time.  

[Sticky Icky Green Stuff]

I'm still laughing your n00b ass walked out of the show.  Do you go to shows and stand there with your arms crossed if they don't play songs you want them to?  

I'm going back to the thread where people are talking about how much fun they had this thread blows.

[dstunbound]

It's without a doubt the quietest show Ive ever seen at the Greek. Much quieter than 2008.

[joey_rogo]

this thread is a bummer. i remember when i saw them at radio city and i thought it was too quiet. they didnt really jack it up until the encore.

then i saw them in philly a couple months later and got my balls blown off.

go see them again!

[mahg33ta]

Hmm... 190 db. in 08'.. incorrect.

The guy said it was twice as loud in '08.   A sound twice as loud as 95 dB is 105 dB, not 190 dB.    190 dB is instant ruptured eardrums.

Geek time over.  

[Weeks Go by Like Days]

I don't know how you get 105 db out LAshowguy's comment about it being twice as loud. I was only joking based on his exaggeration about the volume difference in 08'. You all are certainly entitled to your opinion, however facts are facts and the Greek has always had the same db limit.
People on this forum should be more aware of the many venues that have sound ordinances. it's a bummer but it's not in any way the band or it's personnel's fault.

[arhubs]

what got me was the persistence of the sound issues. 1+hrs into it  and still don't have it dialed in fully? that and the low volume detracted from an otherwise tight set.
maybe the lower sound was a result of the mixing issues?

people around us were screaming to "turn it up" for the first half of the show.

SDSU had excellent sound quality and volume I thought. still coulda been a little louder...

[Sticky Icky Green Stuff]

what got me was the persistence of the sound issues. 1+hrs into it  and still don't have it dialed in fully? that and the low volume detracted from an otherwise tight set.
maybe the lower sound was a result of the mixing issues?

people around us were screaming to "turn it up" for the first half of the show.

SDSU had excellent sound quality and volume I thought. still coulda been a little louder...

It'd probably help if 80 percent of the fans talking and yelling to "turn it up" would shut up.  that really is all it is, a bunch of people talking during chill songs.  if you want to hear the music tell people to be quiet.  I don't trust this thread at all, there isn't nearly enough reliable MMJ fans in here.  2 or 3 posts and you guys want to start saying a show sounded like shit?  maybe it did, but what a horrible way to introduce yourself.  

[LAshowguy]

Just because its my first post here doesn't mean I am a NOOB.  Or if a show is sucking on multiple levels, I don't need to stick around and be frustrated. They played plenty of songs I wanted to hear and I was happy with all of the old material being played, but it would have been nice if I could actually HEAR it. Like I said before, I have been seeing the band since 2003....at Bonnaroo, ACL, Coachella, NYE in SF and NYC, etc, etc.  I consider myself a mega fan of the band, but I just don't have time to sit around and chat on forums all day.  Sorry if my first post was a negative one, but I just call it like I see it.  Does this mean I am done with MMJ?  Absolutely not.  But there is no excuse for the sound being THAT bad last night.  

[rincon]

what got me was the persistence of the sound issues. 1+hrs into it  and still don't have it dialed in fully? that and the low volume detracted from an otherwise tight set.
maybe the lower sound was a result of the mixing issues?

people around us were screaming to "turn it up" for the first half of the show.

SDSU had excellent sound quality and volume I thought. still coulda been a little louder...

It'd probably help if 80 percent of the fans talking and yelling to "turn it up" would shut up.  that really is all it is, a bunch of people talking during chill songs.  if you want to hear the music tell people to be quiet.  I don't trust this thread at all, there isn't nearly enough reliable MMJ fans in here.  2 or 3 posts and you guys want to start saying a show sounded like shit?  maybe it did, but what a horrible way to introduce yourself.  

I am 49 years old. I have been to hundreds of shows since the 70's, including most of the "Classic" bands of that era, Springsteen, U2, REM, The Who, The Stones, Pixies, Los Lobos, Roxy Music, Neil Young, etc. The fact that I have 3 prior posts on an MMJ board is irrelevant. I discovered the magic just several months ago. That does not diminish my ability to determine that the show was under volumed, and muddily mixed. The intensity was much lower than the DVD Okonokos. It was still a great effin show, but everything is relative, and based on potential, this one could have been improved. As a veteran of many Santa Barbara Bowl shows, I know that with any outdoor venue that has mega-rich neighbors, expect poor sound quality.

[almina]

The sound was AWFUL.

I thought it was just where I was sitting.  I was fourth row center and I couldn't hear JJ, and the drums, especially the snare, sounded like they weren't even mic'd.  Carl's guitar solos were not existent and JJ's guitar on I'm Amazed wasn't even turned on during the opening.  I was thinking maybe I was too close to the stage, but apparently it was bad all over.  Last time I was at the Greek was for Monsters of Folk and the sound was loud and flawless.

It was great to see them, but when you have to strain to hear jim singing and the music isn't even loud enough drown out the dipshits who choose to talk during the entire show, something is wrong.

Maybe we should start LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN to get them back here for another show with a sound man who isn't deaf.  I think the Greek owes us something, no?  When we buy tickets, it's implied that they'll supply professional sound.

On the bright side, the set was good and a bad MMJ show is better than a great (fill in the blank) show.

[mahg33ta]

I don't know how you get 105 db out LAshowguy's comment about it being twice as loud.

I get that this is a discussion about the venue's sound, not a science lesson.   However, if you are really asking me to explain my comment.... a 10 dB increase is roughly a doubling of perceived sound level, so 105 dB sounds about twice as loud as 95 dB.  

http://www.conradaskland.com/blog/2008/10/decibel-levels-and-perceived-volume-change/
http://trace.wisc.edu/docs/2004-About-dB/

[Ruckus]

I don't know how you get 105 db out LAshowguy's comment about it being twice as loud. I was only joking based on his exaggeration about the volume difference in 08'. You all are certainly entitled to your opinion, however facts are facts and the Greek has always had the same db limit.
[highlight]People on this forum should be more aware of the many venues that have sound ordinances.[/highlight] it's a bummer but it's not in any way the band or it's personnel's fault.

Perhaps a thread is needed on this topic.  I feel for the fans who felt they got sonically shorted in LA.  I was unaware of the sound ordinance in Raleigh and definitely would not have purchased a ticket had I known how bad it would be.  That experience taught me to do some more research on sound restrictions.  

I think it's a shame though that the band continues to book these venues.  Jim complains about the restriction in Raleigh then proceeded to thank the following evening's Merriweather crowd for being so enthusiastic.  It was also three times as frickin' loud.  I just think it's unfair to call out a crowd, directly or indirectly when their only option was to go see them in a db capped venue.  I recall being one off the rail in the middle during the finale of Gideon in Raleigh and I could easily decipher soft conversations in the background.

This thread only reinforced my need to do my due diligence prior to blindly purchasing tickets.

[Tracy 3000]

>:(
I can't believe that I left The Greek MMJ show early last night, but I did.  

I can't believe you left the show either. How long were you there?

Some say the show was great, others say it sucked. But you left? I mean, what did you do after you left? I've never left a show early, so I can't imagine what I would do; especially if you hold MMJ over "99.9%" of all the other bands out there. Isn't "bad" MMJ worth sticking around for?

Seriously, what did you do that you considered to be a better choice for the rest of your evening rather than be subjected to a sub-par Jacket show?