Hamilton

[uglyredhonda]

Anyone else making it?

 

Open question to Torontonians: has anyone made the trip to Hamilton via GO train, and is it worth doing that instead of driving?

 

I couldn't help but notice that the venue is like two blocks from the Hamilton GO Centre, and it seems like taking the train might be preferable to sitting on the QEW on a Friday afternoon. (The one big downside being having to take the bus back to Toronto afterward.)

 

And does anyone know how easy/hard it is to get a camera into Hamilton Place Theatre?

[here is no why]

I've seen matt a few times there, you should be able to get a camera into the venue pretty easily.

 

As for the train, I would think it would be smarter to do that than drive. But just like you said, you'd have to take the bus back... is it worth it? Not sure. The drive home won't be hard on a friday night just the ride to Hamilton.

 

I'd stick with the car even though the traffic won't be great, just give yourself plenty of time in the afternoon, hang out in hamilton for a bit if need be.

[Ravenous megin-sane]

the last train/bus from hamilton to toronto is at like 11, so you'd be cutting it pretty close

[Gomo]

I was looking to see if it'd be possible for me to go to any of the remaining shows on the tour. I looked into Hamilton but it'd cost me like, $1100 to fly there. Yeesh.

[uglyredhonda]

Yeah, I'm waffling a little on it - I have a feeling I won't be able to leave Toronto until 4pm at the earliest (5pm is more realistic), which would put me smack in the middle of that disaster on the QEW. I'm toying with doing what I sometimes do on Fridays in Atlanta - leaving at 7pm and just expecting to be late. (And/or watching the webcams and leave as early as traffic starts to lighten up.)

 

I was looking to see if it'd be possible for me to go to any of the remaining shows on the tour.  I looked into Hamilton but it'd cost me like, $1100 to fly there.  Yeesh.

Might be too late, but if you've got the means, I highly recommend the "fly to Buffalo and rent a car" trip.

[Gomo]

Unfortunately I'm an asshole and don't have a driver's license. Chalk it up to laziness, I guess.

 

But then, I don't feel like an asshole when I avoid paying for gas ;)

[tino]

Ill be there.

 

Sec OR3L

 

Row K 41 & 43

 

Expecting great things ;) !!!

[MorningMaker]

Hamilton set list:

 

Giant

Hello Time Bomb

Single Explosion

Odette

Born Losers

The Devil

[uglyredhonda]

 

Again, courtesy the guy who scored it (not me). Unlike last night (see the megathread), the hand here was optional. (I stuck it to the stage before snapping the pic.) I think the guy thought I was going to grab it and take off.

 

Of the two shows (vs last night in Kitchener), I think I give the edge to this one. Completely different vibes (which matched the varying setlists), but I think the crowd sold me on this show. The enthusiasm was fantastic (though part of me wished people weren't so enthusiastic during the quiet songs). Plus, the one-two start of "Giant" and "Time Bomb" was amazing. It really got the crowd into it early.

 

Not that it matters, but I ended up driving. I knew I couldn't get away early enough to take the train, and, in hindsight, it'd have taken longer - when I checked the traffic cams about 5:30pm, the QEW was pretty much open. I got there with only one minor delay (where 427 meets the QEW).

 

I was originally thinking about going to Saturday's show in Oshawa, but something about that venue (read: their website) makes it seem sketchy. It sounds like it might end up being a spectacle, but I doubt that would be more enjoyable than the last two nights.

 

I wish I'd had the courage to snap more pics / take more video early in the show in Hamilton. I was spooked by the "no cameras" signs around the venue (and that I had a burly security dude five feet to my left). I did take some shots - if they end up any good, I'll upload a few next week.

[adrianf74]

I was originally thinking about going to Saturday's show in Oshawa, but something about that venue (read: their website) makes it seem sketchy. It sounds like it might end up being a spectacle, but I doubt that would be more enjoyable than the last two nights.

Hey, what's wrong with The 'shwa (besides a lot of things). ;)

 

What's sketchy about the venue, really, when you get down to it? Night clubs are night clubs when it comes down to it? I remember going to the Dard, in Wasaga Beach, many a time to see The Tea PArty, despite a crap website. Matt's also playing at The Roxx in Barrie in a couple of days; I've been there before - again, pretty much middle of the road. I think it's great that he's playing all these shows because the smaller clubs can often lead to a better gig.

 

As I pretty much live in Pickering, it made last night's Hamilton show an impossibility because of a killer drive - especially on a Friday night. I also wanted to go to the Toronto Show @ Massey Hall but was working that night and couldn't book it off.

 

Either way, I'm sure the show will be good. I'll post my feedback on the show tomorrow at some point.

[adrianf74]

Okay, Le Skratch was quite an interesting venue. They wouldn't allow my wife to bring BLISTER SEALED back medication in as they have a ZERO PILL policy. Nor could she bring in a BIC ROLLER pen! I mean, she might stab somebody with it.

 

I was in the bathroom when she saw somebody literally dragged out in a choke-hold by security and the Durham Cops.

 

As far as the set list, it was pretty standard. I've posted it in the MEGA THREAD (somebody actually beat me to it but I was able to get a picture of it regardless).

 

That said, it was a a very energetic show and he really seemed back into it unlike the last couple of times we'd seen him in 2004; however, we both found the bass-player, although technically good, looked liked he was bored and would've rather have been somewhere else.

 

Managed to get a handful of pictures (most of them didn't turn out as the lighting at the club was pretty horrendous).

 

Audio problems galore for the opening act. Matt's audio was better but still not fantastic.

[uglyredhonda]

Late in saying so - but that was kind of what I was afraid of. The Kitchener and Hamilton shows were so good - beautiful venues and fantastic sound - that I think anything less than perfect would have annoyed me. And I was so exhausted from trying to do everything during my trip that I was glad to have taken Saturday night off.

 

Having said that, I would have liked to have seen "Alert Status Red". And usually I'm all about the club shows.

 

I'd have to say I'm with you on Milos (the bass player). During one of the shows, he looked so out of it that I wondered if he'd toked up before the show. By comparison, the drummer looked like he was having an absolute blast during both shows.