jourhadique

I must say, the security was really, over the top, off the hook, crazy. I was 6 rows back, on the floor, in front of Justin. I was actually kind of worried before the show cause I'm getting a little old (almost 30) to be jumping around in a mosh pit, but pretty much anyone exhibiting a response any more emphatic than a \m/ got a flashlight in the face or worse. The chairs on the floor level were all zip-tied together, making it pretty well impossible for them to be folded up.

I saw APC at the AJ Palumbo center a few years back, and I gotta say that the Petersen has vastly better sound that either Palumbo or Mellon Arena. I read tour reviews from earlier shows so I knew this show was going to be super loud, so I brought ear plugs. I took them out for a second at one point and it was absolutely piercingly loud. They could have come back a bit on the PA volume, if you asked me. Although, I'll admit, the volume on the low frequency was truly impressive; there were a few moments when you could really really feel it shaking around your innards.

Overall, the highlight for me was Lateralus. The tightness of the band seemed to come up over the course of the show (miscued vocals aside) and that 'encore' of Lateralus, Vicarious and AEnima is really a great finisher.

I never thought I'd be saying this, but I just really wish things were a little more fluid on the floor. I could probably live without all-out moshing, but the level of imposed restraint and security really killed the vibe. People around me were clearly very into it, but everyone was also clearly afraid to leave their designated box lest they draw the ire of the veritable army of security and ushers. So when people say that the crowd didn't seem alive, you've gotta understand, a lot of that was imposed by 'the man.' It's hard to throw a good party on the front porch of a police station.

Overall though, what a show!