House of Blues (price, floor, night club)

[altlover85]

I'm thinking of seeing Interpol here on 8/5 and I was wondering what everyone thought of the venue. I am also wondering how it compares to The Paradise Rock Club, which I have been to.

Any and all experiences/reviews are welcome.

[MassTwingles]

I unfortunately haven't been to The Paradise (shame I know and apparently they are remodeling it now to be open again in the fall) but I have been to the House of Blues. It's an okay venue, nothing out of the ordinary to me. Bar on the ground floor all along the left wall, and another one on the right. I'm short (5'2") so going to those general admission-standing room only-type affairs are a pain as I end up seeing the back of a tall guys' back/neck/head.

This is me at a show The DL Staff-The DL - Annoying Fan Behavior, Tall Guy - AOL Video

I've recently seen Martin Sexton there in April and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals in May and they were good shows. Martin Sexton was sold out and crowded but the sound is very good at this venue. I showed up early to the GPN show as I wanted to hear the opener, Anais Mitchell, and there was hardly anybody there yet. Got a birds' eye view of GPN up front near the stage. If you go, make sure you get there early to snag a spot. The second floor along the railings looked like a good spot to stand but our tickets were for GA first floor though I think you can go up there too (not sure.)

I prefer seeing artists at more intimate venues but the House of Blues is a fine experience nonetheless.

[NG1284]

I much prefer the Middle East, but the HOB is a pretty solid venue. It's gotten somewhat better since it became the HOB rather than the Avalon. It's still (mostly) set up as a night club, so it is a little awkward. So far my experiences have been good, and it's also a little more accessible by public transit than the Middle East which is a bonus.

Contrasting it to some of the other big venues in other cities, it's fairly small. There's spots where you can relax outside of the crowd and still get a good view of the show. Anyways, have fun! Interpol's a great band.

[altlover85]

Thanks for your input everyone! I'm short too (5'4'') and will probably get sitting tickets. I'm assuming that's not a bad idea. I don't really like to be right near the speakers as I have sensitive ears.

[Lowerdeck]

Originally Posted by altlover85

I don't really like to be right near the speakers as I have sensitive ears.

Ditto. And it can get very very loud in there, most times I end up leaving with ringing ears until the next morning.

Usually I'm off in the back or way off on the right side near the merch tables and the emergency exits to Landsdowne St.

And yes, it is a bit small for the bands they do actually draw there. It's easily bigger than Paradise, but still should ideally hold about 1k more people than it actually does.

[altlover85]

Thanks for the size information Lowerdeck!

[shiver]

I actually saw Interpol there when it was still Avalon and I saw the Dropkicks at HOB a year or two ago. Ah, the memories Anyway, HOB probably fits 2000+ people while the Paradise capacity is well under 1000 (think it's like 700). The Paradise is a much smaller and more intimate space.

HOB is fine for shows. It's a good time. People get there early to stake out a good spot. It's just a lot bigger than Paradise.

[mojopin]

The Dise is actually closed for the summer for major renovations -- I believe capacity will be increased to around 1000 when it re-opens in the fall, so it will still be smaller than HOB...

[altlover85]

Thanks to everyone who responded to this post!

The show was great last night! I ended up with good balcony seats and didn't have any problems with people checking my stuff, although I didn't bring much to begin with.

The drinks were priced okay and not too weak. I didn't mind the constant ID'ing even if it was slightly annoying.

I would go to another show there for sure.