Terminal 5 Ruins Perfectly Good Ween Concert
Saturday nights sold out Ween concert at the new Terminal 5, should have been one of the best concerts of the year. With no mediocre opener to sit through, everyone was there for Ween, and thats exactly what they got. For the 2nd straight night, Dean and Gene along with backing back, played for over 2-1/2 hours, hitting upon the best songs from throughout their extensive catalog. This should have been everything a long time Ween fanatic could have ever wanted, but once I exited the photo pit, the concert became harder and harder to enjoy. The crowd on the floor was packed tight like sardines, making it a frustrating trip towards the back and to the bar. With the floor as uncomfortably crowded as it was, my girlfriend and I traveled up to the 1st of 2 balconies. On the second level, we were greeted with open space, but there was no clear view of the stage left open. The 3rd floor was no better than the first, leaving us with the realization that we had 2 options 1. Sacrifice comfort and squeeze onto the main floor, or 2. Give up on seeing the band anymore and relax on one of the balconies, where the sound was incredibly muddy. Neither option sounded good, but comfort won out. The band sounded good, but going to a concert is supposed to be visual as well, and without that half of it, it became incredibly disappointing.
Ween has established themselves as one of the most versatile bands in music, but Terminal 5 ruined Saturday nights performance, and has made it hard to recommend this venue to anyone else.
Great sightlines and sound from everywhere is part of what has made Bowery Presents other venues the best in the city. However, at Terminal 5, youll be lucky to see the band or stand comfortably, unless you arrive ridiculously early. When you pay over $40 for tickets, you should be able to see the band and not just the back of someones headno matter how late you show up.
For those of you who were there, but had the same luck that I had (after I left the photo pit), maybe these pictures will give you a better idea of what you missed.
Photos by [Jonny-Leather]