chase the light

Good planning and a bit of odd luck landed me a crazily cool night. Every Tuesday I get my little Flavorpill email about events going on in Los Angeles for the week. I got the last one on the day I got home from holiday last week. So I quickly scanned over it and what’dya know a show by Sierra Swan at the Viper Room. Oh cool, been meaning to catch her live at some point. Right below that is a trivia question to win tickets to the show! Hell ya bring it on… The question: “The Whooper Swan is the national bird of which country?” Well, of course it’s Finland. I mean, who doesn’t know that, right? So I send off my answer and the next day… Winner! Sweet, free tickets to Sierra Swan!

Oh shit, wait a minute I have Pearl Jam that night too! Oh no, ha ha, ok… gotta figure this out. Well it says Sierra doesn’t go on until 11pm so that’s my break right there. Ok, I’ll leave work at normal time, get to The Forum for Pearl Jam and just hang out before going in because I don’t really like Sonic Youth. Then at the encores I’ll leave and jet across town to The Viper Room to see Sierra Swan. Hopefully she’s running a little late.

First off Pearl Jam, this is the 4th time I’ve seen them so it’s not really a huge deal but when I bought my ticket I got blocked out of the first show on Sunday and while I was fiddling around with Ticketmaster a second show was added right under me. So I nabbed a seat for that one but only had a vague idea where my seat was. Somewhere next to the mixing console, which to me is the best seat in the house because that’s where you get the best sound. Anyway, I get to the Forum and go through security and all and wait for Sonic Youth to stop being boring and once the lights are up I head to my seat. As I get down to the floor the guy thinks I’m in the wrong section and motions for me to follow him. ??? We keep walking and walking and pretty soon I’M SITTING IN THE FRONT ROW?! I shit you not! I’m totally cracking up because I know this isn’t right and he’s even put a mark on my hand to indicate I’m in the right area. Ha ha ha, ok whatever! One of the front stage security guards can see I’m totally confused but thinks I didn’t realize I had such good seats, so he’s kinda laughing at me. So I’m hanging out a bit and I finally just ask the guy who was laughing at me and he looks at the ticket and confirms that I’m supposed to be back by the mixing board, but he didn’t care and was totally cool and just let me chill. Even Dennis Rodman is sitting BEHIND me. Funny. So finally the lights go out and holy shit I’m in the front row at Pearl Jam! Ah ha ha! Nice! It was great but really I just wanted to hang out and watch the show and everybody in the front is going apeshit. So finally 3 songs in some other higher level security guy just randomly asks for my ticket and I show him the mark on my hand but he realizes something got f’d up. He was cool though and just asked to show me to my real seat. Which was actually fine too since I had to leave by encores anyway. So really I got the best of both worlds, I got to see the band blast out on stage for the opening three songs and then enjoy the rest at a comfortable distance with great sound! Awesome!

At some point I up and bailed and got to my car and was out of the parking lot in record time. I flew down La Brea to Wilshire, to San Vicente, to Sunset and bam I’m there! 24 minutes all the way across town! I get parked and walk up to the doorman and tell him I’m on the list, he cheacks and lets me in and 3-4 minutes later Sierra Swan comes on and does a great show! Hilarious! I actually enjoyed Sierra more than Pearl Jam because I’m kinda burnt on them.

Sierra ends her set and since I’m only 6 minutes from The Viper Room I’m able to get home before midnight and into bed I go! Whew, crazy busy for a school night.