Not So Silent Night Tickets

Not So Silent Night last night left a lot to be desired. I went because I really like My Chemical Romance and Broken Bells, and I'd always wanted to see Smashing Pumpkins live. The other bands in the line-up were Black Keys and Phoenix. I suppose part of the issue is the night before the event, I got an email from Live105 stating that everything had been moved down an hour so the show was going to start at 6, instead of 7. This wouldn't be a problem, except that this was on a Friday night in Downtown San Jose at the peak of rush hour, and we were coming from Fremont. Also, the one band I really wanted to see was first onstage. Because of the traffic on 680, we ended up missing Broken Bells. I managed to catch the final 10 seconds of their performance from the outside of the venue. Once inside, the view was pretty good; we were up in the tier closest to the stage. The Quick n' Dirty Reviews Black Keys While I'm not a huge fan of their music, it's reasonably well-done and bluesy. I have to give them props for being the only blues band on an alternative radio station. The trouble with this band and, indeed, all the other bands at the show, is the sound quality was terrible. Whoever ran the sound needs a serious flogging with Roman whips; the kind with the metal tips at the ends of the thongs. It was difficult to tell which song was which because the distortion was so rampant. I could kind of make out their one big hit on the radio, but most frustrating was I couldn't make out any words because the vocals were too low. Phoenix It's clear the teen-aged girls think the lead singer is cute, but I have to use the one word I don't want to use here. This band SUCKS. Again, the sound quality was atrocious, which wasn't the fault of the band, but the flat notes and the off-key singing was like having someone chew aluminum foil at you. I have to give these guys some credit for acting as if they were the headlining act. They did *try*. But. . .they sucked horribly. Their performance was bad enough to prompt me to send a text to the radio station to let them know Phoenix was making my ears bleed. My Chemical Romance They made the best of a bad situation better than any of the other bands. They overcame amazing handicaps to put on a good show. It was clear the lead singer was not happy, but he was enthusiastic until the very end. The songs did feel rushed, and because the sound was so muddy on the vocals it was hard to tell what he was singing. They powered through Na Na Na, which I'm sure was a contractual obligation for the show. The Black Parade was recognizable, and he put on a great performance in spite of the poor sound quality. Teenagers was a fun anthem, as well. Smashing Pumpkins I'm glad I put up with all of the frustrations of a poor sounding show, because the Pumpkins rocked the house. It was clear that Billy Corgan was not happy about something. My guess is the poor sound quality, coupled with the possibility that he was told what to play, and having to wait until 10:30 to start, that this just put him into a foul mood. The rest of the band seemed checked out in terms of their facial expression, but their body mechanics and their playing were fantastic. They were real pros making the best of a bad situation. I might be biased because I really do like this band, but I can't help thinking they were the highlight of the show. A day later, I felt disappointed. There were a lot of good songs and interesting melodies that I couldn't hear during the show. I don't think I'll take it for granted when I go to shows that are well produced and sound great. Recent examples include: Roger Waters: The Wall, The Cure, Silversun Pickups, Blondie, B-52's, and Muse. My lesson is learned. The next time I want to see a particular band, I will simply get tickets to see Just Them. I would not go to another Not So Silent Night.

Phoenix was amazing. there is no doubt that they alone were worth the money. Smashing Pumpkins was okay, but they were at the very end and played for a really long time, so it became monotonous for me. The rest of the bands were great and I would go again.

We bought the tickets to see Broken Bells, and then the line-up was changed to 30 minutes earlier, so that after leaving work early, and sitting in traffic for two hours, we missed all but one song of their show, but it was great! I was very disappointed to miss most of their show as I had so been looking forward to it. They are so talented and I now want to go see Broken Bells wherever they play in 2011! We stuck around for The Black Keys, also very good, and Phoenix, who put on a great show. But My Chemical Romance? Oh lord, we left after two songs. I would gladly sit in traffic for two hours to see Broken Bells. I would love to see The Black Keys again and Phoenix rocks. Bring them back without My Chemical Romance, and I'll pay up.

Pumpkins rocked the rested sucked ass. Big screen went out after 2 sucky bands so it was not on during the pumpkins at all

Loved the line-up and was really looking forward to hearing some great music. The bands that I saw did not disappoint - Smashing Pumpkins, My Chemical Romance, Phoenix, and most of The Black Keys. All the bands had great energy and although Billy Corgan was a bit hoarse (and may have lost some of his upper range?) I still loved him. Technically, the crews did a great job setting up each new band and their equipment quickly. What was disappointing was the last-minute change (day before) of the show start time from 7pm to 6pm, which meant I missed the local band, Broken Bells (whom I did not catch at the Fox and really wanted to see), and the beginning of The Black Keys as I couldn't make last-minute changes to my schedule to accommodate the earlier start time. I was surprised and disappointed that the significant extra money I spent on VIP tickets landed me and my guest with a mostly obscured view. Watched most of the performances on a screen to my side, which took away from the experience and was also limited (you only see what/whom the cameraman is focused on from moment to moment). Despite loving the bands, I would be unlikely to attend future NSSNs.

This is my third or fourth NSSN. This by far was the best venue. We always buy the floor tickets to get the best views and sound from the show. Last year at oracle we had to use a separate entrance and could not go to the upper levels during the show. This year it was perfect, we could freely move around the stadium and if we needed a rest there were plenty of places to grab a seat! If I'm paying $70 a ticket that's what I want, the best of both. Floor access and seats. Apart from the venue. I thought the opener Finish Ticket performed very well, they had a quick technical malfunction and took it in stride. Broken Bells warmed up the crowd and the Black Keys really rocked! Phoenix really did it up, they were great. I was actually surprised by MCR the only played a couple new songs, lots of older stuff, I really enjoyed them. Smashing Pumpkins are back!

Are you kidding me??? changing the time of a concert for a FRIDAY NIGHT!! I bought the tickets to see the black keys weeks ago, and because of the start time changing saw... NOTHING. I just bought your tickets to see them and you all ruined it. I will not be coming to more of these events!! I didn't have enough time to rearrange m schedule for this last minute change. And yes I know, they say it in the fine print that they have the right to change the times and blah blah blah, but who starts a friday night concert at 6??? seriously, they are not taking the fans into consideration at all.

While the line up was great, the $150 VIP seats in section 116 didn't have a few of the stage. All you could see was the speakers/light system. Everyone keep moving their seats over to the right, trying to find an open seat with a view of the stage. What a waste of money. Never fall for the VIP seats!