Living in Los Angeles has many advantages, depending on how one looks at things. From my vantage point, we are incredibly lucky, seeing as I've been able to see so many bands perform in our fair city these last few weeks. This latest and greatest of shows was one of the most sought-after tickets (after the Radiohead tickets, of course) by all the hipsters and scenesters, and many of the other people wearing ironic sunglasses and moustaches. This show of course, was Jack White and Brendan Benson's co-op, the Raconteurs.
I like to consider the Wiltern (or the LG Wiltern, as they like to call themselves these days) my all-time favorite medium-small-sized venue. There's plenty of standing room to be had on the floor and the theater is always a raucously loud show. This also lends to some negative aspects, but I'll get to that in a second. The Raconteurs, they really did an awesome job capitalizing on the level of intimacy the location imparts between band and audience. Not only were they intensely loud, but the energy dispensed with each song grew and grew to almost death-defying levels. Opening up with "Intimate Secretary" and playing through a few cover songs really doesn't describe what type of performance they put on. It would have been great to see the entire thing.
This is where I complain. First off, the show itself started quite late, with the opening act (!) kicking things off close to 9:15. Not only that, but the second act goes on at 10, leaving the Raconteurs enough time to get onstage roughly close to 10:45. If anyone's doing the math at home, a person who needs to be at work close to 6 o'clock in the morning will be getting quite cranky. Myself, I don't mind too much, but the lateness made me quite antsy. Coupled with the fact that I wasn't too familiar with the opening acts (both solid performances) made for an unhappy waiting game.
If we were only waiting, it would have been better, but we did have to contend with more issues with personal space. I don't know what it is with certain people at shows, but some really have no concept of maintaining a comfortable distance with those around them. Poor grace had some crazy couple practically making out on top of her. If it weren't for these two factors, I think we would have been able to catch the entire show from start to finish.
Unfortunately, with the abbreviated attendance, I can't make a fair call on the entire performance, but from what I saw, I was duly impressed. I still love the Wiltern, but from now on, I'm going to make more of an effort to watch who it is I stand near.
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