House of Blues at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas is a horrible venue

[tigerwoodKhorns]

My wife and I went to see Aaron Lewis of Staind perform an accoustic show last night at the House of Blues in Las Vegas (Mandalay Bay). If you don't know who he is, Staind was an alternative rock band that did an MTV unplugged show. The unplugged show was so good that Aaron Lewis now does a solo tour. Just him and an accoustic guitar. I was really excited to go and bought floor seats (about the 12th row).

The sound system was fine, not too loud and you should have been able to hear every note. The House of Blues had opened bars during the show. After he did his first song he asked the crowd if he was interrupting their conversations. He tried to explain that this was supposed to be an intimate setting. Instead of being quiet they responded f--- you and booed. Now, I paid to see him perform but apparently about 1/2 of the people were there to drink and talk and try to gey laid while some guy on the stage with a guitar played.

It was just plain painful. He tried to play with emotion and the talking just didn't stop. Remember, this was a guy with an accoustic guitar. I could barely hear his singing over the talking. He was singing a song about his little girl that was soft and mellow and durring the whole song every drunk trashy Las Vegas skank kept yelling "whoh hoo" over and over, plus the constant talking in the background. Aaron Lewis then commented that the crowd was "testy." You could see that the man enjoyed the emotion and connection of the accoustic show and that it just wasn't happening. He just kept plowing forward painfully. Every once in a while you could hear somneone in the crowd yell "Shut the f--- up to the people who were talking.

My wife and I finally walked out. We just could not hear the music at all. I complained to someone in security and she said "someone is talking on the floor?" This was on the way out where we could not even hear the music at all, just the trashy crowd talking and yelling. My response was "You can't hear the crowd talking?" I spoke to someone at the box office who directed me to the "boss" who explained "man, we got him here and got him to sing, we can do nothing about the crowd. That's all you get" I guess I bothered her, I'm sure that she needed to do something important like another line of coke.

I bought tickets to James Taylor that are also up really close. I was excited to go until yesterday. It is at a different venue at the Mandalay Bay. I really hope that they do not screw this one up too.

In case any of you are not familiar with out fair city, Las Vegas is a disguisting combination of desert wasteland and heat that is full of trashy people. Everyone here is financed up to their eyeballs to drive a fancy car and afford plastic surgery. But then again, if you don't live in a $1,000,000 house you live in a scary neighborhood, and even then, once you leave the gates of your neighborhood, you are back in the wasteland of drug addicts and trash. Last night was the last straw. We have to leave. We went hiking a few weeks ago in the one nice place here, Mount Charleston, and someone left beer cans and bottles at the end of the trail and spray painted the canyon walls with graffitti. Sorry to ramble but I have lived here for 17 years and it hurts that I know that I have to leave.

[colterphoto1]

Man, that's a sad state of affairs all around. It's always been a struggle with the mob mentality at concerts. Sad about the environment too. There aren't any quiet places left any more. (ok, maybe the desert)

I had a wonderful experience last year watching Steve Howe of Yes perform a solo show at a moderate sized nightclub in Indianapolis. There was hardly any drinking or smoking, everyone sat quietly and applauded like we were at a chamber music recital. It was completely hushed as Steve told stories about being onstage with Yes and about his car and guitar collections.

Don't give up on the music, man.

Michael

[oldbuckster]

Sorry to hear that...............Everyone try's to get me to Las Vegas..........I think not......that's trouble just waiting for me !!!! Better Luck with JT..........

[oldtimer]

Didn't the House of Blues take Muddy Waters' shack from its historic spot and put it in one of their clubs? I don't think i could ever patronize such an outfit...

[Coytee]

. There aren't any quiet places left any more. (ok, maybe the desert)

Now we're getting LaScalas out THERE too.....

[jacksonbart]

Was there a 2 drink minimum?

[Arky]

I have that Staind MTV DVD & was surprised at how good it is as I wasn't familiar with their music.

I also had a similar experience at that venue. Tourists seem to have a "no holes barred mentality" when visiting LV & the advertising campaigns may perpetuate it; what happens in Vegas...

I go out 2 or 3 times a year & never venture off the strip except for golf. I think before they cleaned up downtown a lot of the undesirables did their partying there, that place was wild. More likely, LV is just growing too fast & some humans just don't give a *%#@! Bugsy should have been shot before he envisioned the Flamingo.

Go build a house in Lake LV next door to Natalie Gulbis. []

[tigerwoodKhorns]

Man, that's a sad state of affairs all around. It's always been a struggle with the mob mentality at concerts. Sad about the environment too. There aren't any quiet places left any more. (ok, maybe the desert)

I had a wonderful experience last year watching Steve Howe of Yes perform a solo show at a moderate sized nightclub in Indianapolis. There was hardly any drinking or smoking, everyone sat quietly and applauded like we were at a chamber music recital. It was completely hushed as Steve told stories about being onstage with Yes and about his car and guitar collections.

Don't give up on the music, man.

Michael

I thought that this would be like the Yes show. It got to the point that between songs he just looked up, shook his head, and then played the next song. It was somehting like $140 or $150 for the tickets. What a waste of time and money. We are working on our exit strategy. This city is not worth it anymore.

[TheEvan]

TWK, it isn't just Vegas. I'd like to get my fingers around the throat of the twit that has allowed this policy to exist in an ostensibly live music venue. Same thing happened to us when we went to see Guy Clark (accompanied by his son on bass) at House of Blues in New Orleans. He's doing his very touching song about his dad's pocketknife when those ignoramus twits thow the doors open from the bar side. In stream all the after-hours restaurant staff youths from around the Quarter, neither knowing of or caring anything about Clark. In 30 seconds you couldn't hear Guy above the din. He stopped the song and pleaded with the crowd to shut up or get out. It only got worse. Guy flipped them off and walked off stage. A large scale riot nearly ensued.

I'll never go back.

Jerks.

[Islander]

Seeing a band member perform a solo acoustic set can be disappointing, even in an ideal setting. I'm a big Al Stewart fan, but when I saw him at Ontario Place in Toronto in 1994 with just his guitar, it was a real letdown. He played and sang well, but many of his songs are much better with a full band. When he played Convocation Hall at the University of Toronto in 1977 with his band, it was really great and among the best concerts I've ever attended.

[IB Slammin]

Was there a 2 drink minimum?

Who cares about the drink minimum, when there is commercial carpet to die for.[]

tc

[Daddy Dee]

that is a sad situation.

[IB Slammin]

TWK, it isn't just Vegas. I'd like to get my fingers around the throat of the twit that has allowed this policy to exist in an ostensibly live music venue. Same thing happened to us when we went to see Guy Clark (accompanied by his son on bass) at House of Blues in New Orleans. He's doing his very touching song about his dad's pocketknife when those ignoramus twits thow the doors open from the bar side. In stream all the after-hours restaurant staff youths from around the Quarter, neither knowing of or caring anything about Clark. In 30 seconds you couldn't hear Guy above the din. He stopped the song and pleaded with the crowd to shut up or get out. It only got worse. Guy flipped them off and walked off stage. A large scale riot nearly ensued.

I'll never go back.

Jerks.

Guys, with all due respect, could the prob be in the musical venue that you selected to listen to in such places?

House of Blues in New Orleans, is not a huge place. I listened to Jeff Healey Band about two table rows back. Four double Marshall cabs on stage through a respectable PA. system. The crowd noise was not a factor.[]

tc

[Hunt]

Tis a sad situation, indeed. And that is exactly why there is HD and kickass HT for your viewing pleasure at home. (with Klipsch speakers, of course). In fact, I'm watching Elvis Costello jam with Fiona Apple on the MOJO HD station. Not that anyone really cares, but the beads of sweat are so lifelike on Elvis, well it makes looking at Fiona all the better. My point is this - it can now be so life-like in your own home, it's almost better than live. With a good HT system, the sound is for you only - you don't have to deal with rude, obnoxious people. Now don't get me wrong, I know how powerful a live performance can be. I remember seeing Melissa Ethridge live at the Vogue (small theater in Indy), sometime in the mid-80's before she had any hits. Her raw energy was just off the charts, and it wasn't but a few years later and she was pretty well known. I'll never forget that live performance because it was just so powerful. I'm a big Staind fan, and I can only imagine the disappointment you must have experienced missing out on the accoustic set, due to the rude bar patrons. Do the next best thing - get the DVD.

[tigerwoodKhorns]

Seeing a band member perform a solo acoustic set can be disappointing, even in an ideal setting. I'm a big Al Stewart fan, but when I saw him at Ontario Place in Toronto in 1994 with just his guitar, it was a real letdown. He played and sang well, but many of his songs are much better with a full band. When he played Convocation Hall at the University of Toronto in 1977 with his band, it was really great and among the best concerts I've ever attended.

Aaron Lewis has a great voice and can play. The solo act is outstanding if the trash would have just shut up. We had such good seats too. It was painful.

[WopOnTour]

That's too bad those a-holes ruined the show. I personally would've loved to hear Lewis do "Outside" unplugged & live. I have the Family Values Tour CD where he and Fred Durst do an unplugged duet of that song. Powerful stuff

WOT

[ClaudeJ1]

Man, that's a sad state of affairs all around. It's always been a struggle with the mob mentality at concerts. Sad about the environment too. There aren't any quiet places left any more. (ok, maybe the desert)

I had a wonderful experience last year watching Steve Howe of Yes perform a solo show at a moderate sized nightclub in Indianapolis. There was hardly any drinking or smoking, everyone sat quietly and applauded like we were at a chamber music recital. It was completely hushed as Steve told stories about being onstage with Yes and about his car and guitar collections.

Don't give up on the music, man.

Michael

I saw Steve Howe with Yes many times in the 70's. He has more guitars than Ted Nugent. Steve Howe was an amazing player, I can only imagine what he's doing now.

[Macho Nacho]

Man, I thought what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Ted Nugent Rocks. Cat Scratch Fever! Dog Eat Dog!! Wang Dang Sweet Poontang!!! Yeah!!!! He is this generation's Shakespear.

[GRB]

Sorry to hear about your experience. Hate to say it but it's...Vegas. I have been there many times and I swear that they must make some people check their brains at the airport. Some folks seem to feel that they have to go crazy in Vegas or they don't get their money's worth. I mean when you see people obviously intoxicated at 9:00 am...I have also been to the House of Blues in Manadalay Bay and had a similar experience. It is just not a good venue for live music, particularly an acoustic set. I took my family to see Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello last night at the Merriweather Pavillion in Columbia, Maryland and it was outstanding. The crowd was, as you might imagine, a mixed bag from college kids to old geezers like me. They were obviously there for the music. Elvis did a complete acoustic set with only a guitar and the crowd was never a problem. The only crowd "issue" was when Dylan came on, everyone got on their feet and really never sat back down, but that is to be expected. Great show at a great outdoor venue. Too bad about the show in Vegas, there will be other shows to see.