The fake Beatles, buddy rock and Buju Banton

So this past Saturday night Copper Thieves, Big Mess and Allan James & the Cold Wave played in the new Majestic Café venue at the Majestic Industrial Complex. According to the venue web site, doors for this show were at 8pm. I have been trying for years now to figure out the science to door time versus start time. I don’t think it is unreasonable for venues to stick to a rule of door time = one hour before first band plays. But despite how great this would be, it is typically not the case at every venue. And even if you ask a real live person point blank the day before a scheduled show, they still can't give you a straight answer. I do my best to take these opportunities as chances to heighten my tolerance for ambiguity.

But when we got there at 9pm, Allan James was explaining to a few other people who had just arrived, that, due to the fact a Beatles tribute band was currently playing in the Majestic Theater, the show in the Café couldn’t start until they were done. So we waited. And waited. And we couldn’t wait in the Café – we had to wait in the Garden Bowl bar. Which is fine, but does the music in there really have to be that loud? I had to yell to be heard by the person sitting right across from me because somebody there thinks CSS and Berlin being played at full volume make everything that much better. It doesn't. The same thing goes for the Alley Deck. The deck is such a great space – why does it have to blast music as loud as the bands playing inside the Stick? People step out there to get away from the din for a bit and socialize. They don’t go out there because they’re hoping to be pummeled by a horribly loud array of 70’s rock classics. They can do that at home in their own garages as they tinker with their classic Camaros.

Anyway, where was I. Oh, yes. Waiting. Also the bands sat around and waited too, which seemed a little disrespectful of their time to me. I mean, maybe musicians thrive on having to cut their sets short in order to fit all three bands on the bill in before 1am and they love having to sit around and wait for the fake Beatles to end. This may be the case. What I don’t understand is it’s not like this Beatles tribute band was some kind of last minute addition to the Majestic Schedule. Somebody should’ve known they were playing and that music at the same time in the Café might not work so well. It also would’ve been helpful to me, the person going to the show to know I didn’t have to get there at 9pm. My girlfriend was being a good lesbian and building us a bookshelf with her bare hands for goodness sakes! She could’ve done that for another whole hour before we had to leave. Then maybe there would be less books all over our floor right now.

Overall, the show was fun, and Copper Thieves, in an effort to make up for the screwed up start time stuff, even gave away copies of their 7" which has a download to their whole album for free (and if you have not checked their album out yet, please do). What annoys me, is I checked the Majestic Facebook page right before we left the house. This would’ve been a perfect place to put an update about the Copper Thieves show start time changing. But their last post (at 3:43pm Sat. afternoon) is about Saturday's Black Devil Disco Club event that was taking place upstairs in the Magic Stick. Their last status update was posted a little after 4pm on Friday. It says, “DEATH. Tonight. Stick.” As of 2:00pm this afternoon, it STILL said this. My point is, Majestic, you’ve done well with this social marketing thing – now use the tools to your (and your patrons) advantage. Please.

Also – while I’m bitching, the sound guy was chewing tobacco and spitting into a clear plastic water bottle he was carrying around with him. Fucking sick.

Despite my frustrations, I'll call it even. Why? Because the Majestic DID cancel the Buju Banton show planned for this coming Wednesday. Though I was not a part of the organized effort to stop the show, I was really disappointed to see him on their upcoming show schedule, and applaud the owners for taking a financial hit to cancel the event. Apparently there's some sort of LGBT celebration concert going on Wednesday night instead? I guess no line up is yet confirmed, but I DID find this:

Any musicians interested in playing pro-bono for the show should contact Kathleen LaTosch at 248-398-7105 or klatosch@goaffirmations.org.

I hope there will also be drag queens. Because Buju Banton probably hates drag queens.