Beyond Absolution

The show was sick. I got a chance to see several artist who I have wanted to see for a long time. My problem was with the venue itself. First of all the parking was terrible. We had to walk for about a mile from where we parked to get to the arena. Then when the show was out, they routed all the cars from my parking lot through another parking lot instead of using the road to the highway. This added to the congestion and led to us having to wait for over an hour to exit. My next problem was with the security at the gate. They made me throw away a newly opened pack of cigarettes. I have never heard of a venue that made the rule that all cigarettes must be sealed in order to get through the gate. When I got in, I had to wait in line to get from the vending/ merchandise area to the actual concert area. This didn't bother me until I had to go to the bathroom or get another beer. I feel like I missed more of the show than was necessary because of the ridiculousness of the venue. The last and worst part about my experience was the gigantic gap between the pit and the general admission seats. The fence that divided the two was about 400 feet from the stage. The security guards explained that more people were going to show up, but at its fullest point, there was still a gap of at least 150 feet. I understand a venue wanting to make money by selling pit passes, but this was like having two different crowds. The security guards were blatantly asking to be "greased" in order to allow people to get closer. The price was $50 a person and some of the people that paid got kicked out anyways because they didn't have a pit pass wrist band. It would have to be a pretty dope show for me to attend this venue again. As much as I hated this spot, I'm still a fan of good music. Ha

Snoop Lion always puts on a great show! Second time to see him at the Arizona State Fair!

Great show should be done every year! I enjoyed every bit of the show even though headlining artist couldn't show up but it was made up and I could say the show was everything

This band does not disappoint. I have seen then them several times and have gone to many shows at this venue. Sound was perfect, band came out and blew the roof off the Pony. Very special night for me to see one of my favorite bands at one of my favorite legendary bars. This show is in my top 5 overall and I go to many shows . Do not miss them if they roll into town anywhere near you.

It was a great concept that also served as a charitable event. Having the models come out during the band sets added a nice element to both performances. The only unfortunate aspect of the whole evening was that it was not very well attended. I'm not sure if that was due to marketing or the timing of the event. It would have been more "electric" if the crowd was bigger.

I️ was very disappointed. Very expensive for the amount of beer and food I️ actually received. It was very unorganized and a lot of vendors ran out of supplies very early on.

Gwen just keeps getting better and better. Her stage presence, energy level, engagement of the audience and devotion to her small town roots makes her an endearing and valued artist.

I have seen Pete Yorn play a three times with a different backing band each time. Generally speaking, each of the shows still had a similar rock feel. That being said, The Olms is not Pete Yorn. It is a band with a completely different sound thanks to Yorn's collaboration with JD King. King looks like he walked out of the 1960s and has that general vibe. This was my favorite thing about this collaboration. It was interesting, and the songwriting/performance was great. The show was a lot more low key than a usual PY show, but the energy fit the music. King is a multi-instrumentalist, and blends his time between keys, acoustic guitar, and even the flute for the song Another Daydream. PY spends the entire show on acoustic guitar. I really enjoyed the show, would recommend it to any PY fan, and will definitely keep an eye out for The Olms in the future!

I've been a Big Phat Band fan for years so their kick-a__ performance was just what I was expecting. But this was the first time that I heard Sara Gazarek live, and I thought she was fantastic. She has impressive musical underpinnings which, ahem, match those great looking legs. I thought her command of complex/demanding rhythmic structures was particularly impressive. Gordon Goodwin may want to consider her for a couple songs on a future CD. I'd go for it.

The Hockeytown BrewHaHa was pretty cool. Six food stands, plus Cheli's Chili and twenty breweries made for a pretty endless possibility of combinations. I made it my personal goal to use my six beer tokens entirely on beers I had never tried before. I had some excellent beers and a couple of not so good. The food was good, all sample sized but I still ended up full. Ned's grass-fed cattle burger makes me want to seek their trailer out this summer and El Guapo's adobo chicken taco was fabulous. The arena floor was pretty crowded but the lines seemed to move fairly quickly. The tours were disorganized and rushed though. Especially bice was the tie-in with Motor City Casino Hotel, complete with shuttle.