"I hope they get a good booking agent and have more non-seated affordable shows there."

Most of my favorite shows this year were at seated venues like Joe's Pub, Living Room, Town Hall. I am all for partying and dancing, but much rather go to seated shows. Of course it's hard to explain that to a tall person.

woah.. this place looks nuts. and awesome. i'm with you on hoping they get some good booking action in there.

"Of course it's hard to explain that to a tall person."

I'm very tall, so I love venues were you stand. Ultimately it depends on the music. QOTSA? Definitely standing. But I believe The Box will not be booking rock shows. Just read their website.

The show was quite good. On at 10:02pm, done at 11:00pm, no encore. Sound was decent. Overall a great night. My only complaint was the open bar. So many losers that it would be acceptable to push your way through the crowd to get to the bar to get a drink, then come back, during the set! I love free drinks as much as the next person, but can't you sit still for an hour while the band performs? A free drinks really that much worth it? Cheapskates.

free drinks turn people into uncivilized savages.

you've never gone to get a drink during a band's set?

free drinks turn people into uncivilized savages.

I would definitely count this show as one of my favorite's this year. The Box was a tremendous place to house this show. It's not every day you get to see a band as tight as QOTSA play in such a small venue to, and this is an understatement here, such appreciative fans. After nearly every song, the place exploded in cheers and screaming. Their set was nearly flawless and it was over before anyone could get antsy. The set had a good share of bluesy solo improvisation between Josh Homme and the other guitarist. I was especially grateful for this chance to see this band, who I've counted among my top five favorite bands since Rated R came out in 2000. The only time I was able to see them was at this year's Lollapalooza along with 50,000 other fans where I was forced to hop up and down when I wanted an actual look at the band aside from what was on the video monitor. I had previously tried to see them in Osaka, Japan but I was not well-versed in Japanese concert scheduling etiquette and ended up missing the show. When they say the show starts at 7pm, the music begins at 7pm, true to Japanese efficiency.

I also didn't appreciate people pushing through to go and get drinks mid-set but these passers-by were too few to remember. I for one got three free Stellas right before 10pm and was able to stay put during this amazing set.

I still think Zune is a completely unnecessary device but when I hear the word Microsoft, I admittedly think good thoughts.

"you've never gone to get a drink during a band's set?"

Depends on the circumstances. The Box is less than half the size of the Bowery Ballroom, and quite narrow, so you really have to fight your way through the crowd. At shows at bigger venues (like Superchunk last night at Irving Plaza), you really don't have to crawl through the crowd to get a drink.

if you wanted to drink, do what i did, and stand at the back. the sightlines were amazing from back there, which is rare for a venue of it's size.

"you've never gone to get a drink during a band's set?"

During the set of the band/artist I was there to see, no.

Why include that last photo, BV? If she was cute, you can't tell from it.

By the way, I was at the Micro$oft-sponsored free Sting show in Bryant Park in 2001, a few weeks after 9/11, to mark the launch of Windows XP. Bill Gates (who eats puppy marinated in his own urine) gave a short speech and introduced Sting. During "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You," Sting repeated the preceding line instead of singing "Never saw no military solution that didn't always end up as something worse."

"Of course it's hard to explain that to a tall person."

Tell you what--I'm 6'3, and I'm always, always doing my best to be mindful of short people behind me. If I can move a little, I do. But guess what? It's a concert. I'm tall. You're short. It's life.

Aside from Homme posing for the groupies hanging from the balcony, the show was *incredible*. Barely played anything of Lullabies to Paralyze, which was very much appreciated. Excellent setlist.

The open bar.. wow... thanks Microsoft. I couldn't believe they kept it going for another hour AFTER QOTSA was done. And no Zune stuff being shoved down your throat, either.

Very nice.

QOTSA are past their prime. Josh Homme made the mistake of a lifetime when he fired Nick. And not bringing Grohl back for 'Lullabies" was the final nail in the coffin. Now not only does he not have Grohl's pop sensibility to help him write, he also has no one left around him who will tell him when he's being an egomaniacal asshole and writing bad songs. He's got no one to bounce ideas off of anymore, so anything he writes is gold to him. He's surrounded himself with yes men.

QOTSA have gotten progressively worse every time I've seen them. I saw them at the Asbury Park Convention Hall in '03 with Rye Coalition and Turbonegro and they were awesome (unfortunately post-Grohl). I then saw them post-Nick at Webster Hall early last year right after "Lullabies' came out and they had lost some of the edge. The energy wasn't there anymore. There was no more dynamic between Josh's swagger, Nick's fury, and Lanegan's darkness. It was just Homme up there, trying to hold the whole thing up by himself and it just didn't work. The last time I saw them was opening for NIN at the Garden last November and they were just awful. It didn't seem like Josh even cared anymore. And I can't tell you how painful the boring, meandering acapella guitar duels were. They even managed to ruin songs I loved in their previous incarnations by throwing this pointless sonic onanism in the middle of them.

All of this really pisses me off because QOTSA *was* a great band and the public at large was finally starting to recognize that with 'Songs for the Deaf'. Josh Homme was inches away from becoming a rock star on the level of Dave Grohl, but he threw it all away because he was so sure that he owed his success to himself and no one else. His big fat fucking ego has gotten in the way and pushed everyone who was good away from him. He and Nick were partners. Josh Homme does not stand out as a solo act (which is basically what QOTSA has become), but with Nick, he was part of a team. And with the addition of Lanegan and Grohl, QOTSA was a force to be reckoned with.

Too bad Homme's ego fucking shat all over it and ruined it for everyone.

QOTSA are past their prime. Josh Homme made the mistake of a lifetime when he fired Nick. And not bringing Grohl back for 'Lullabies" was the final nail in the coffin. Now not only does he not have Grohl's pop sensibility to help him write, he also has no one left around him who will tell him when he's being an egomaniacal asshole and writing bad songs. He's got no one to bounce ideas off of anymore, so anything he writes is gold to him. He's surrounded himself with yes men.

QOTSA have gotten progressively worse every time I've seen them. I saw them at the Asbury Park Convention Hall in '03 with Rye Coalition and Turbonegro and they were awesome (unfortunately post-Grohl). I then saw them post-Nick at Webster Hall early last year right after "Lullabies' came out and they had lost some of the edge. The energy wasn't there anymore. There was no more dynamic between Josh's swagger, Nick's fury, and Lanegan's darkness. It was just Homme up there, trying to hold the whole thing up by himself and it just didn't work. The last time I saw them was opening for NIN at the Garden last November and they were just awful. It didn't seem like Josh even cared anymore. And I can't tell you how painful the boring, meandering acapella guitar duels were. They even managed to ruin songs I loved in their previous incarnations by throwing this pointless sonic onanism in the middle of them.

All of this really pisses me off because QOTSA *was* a great band and the public at large was finally starting to recognize that with 'Songs for the Deaf'. Josh Homme was inches away from becoming a rock star on the level of Dave Grohl, but he threw it all away because he was so sure that he owed his success to himself and no one else. His big fat fucking ego has gotten in the way and pushed everyone who was good away from him. He and Nick were partners. Josh Homme does not stand out as a solo act (which is basically what QOTSA has become), but with Nick, he was part of a team. And with the addition of Lanegan and Grohl, QOTSA was a force to be reckoned with.

Too bad Homme's ego fucking shat all over it and ruined it for everyone.

sorry for the double post. it always does that for some reason.

I agree that QOTSA are past their prime, but I what I liked about the show at The Box was that they scaled back down to a 4 piece. Not sure if it is a permanent thing, but it wasn't that cluttered mess found on Lullabies.

Rated R is a hell of an album.

well, if we're gonna get all "I saw them back in the day"... I saw their first post-Kyuss tour as QOTSA when they were opening for Ween. Saw them in Memphis, then the next night in Birmingham. So there!!!

And yes, even then in their early incarnation they were better than they are these days... I agree, Homme needs someone to bounce ideas off of. "Lullabies to Paralyze" is enough proof of that.

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QOTSA was a good time, "In my head" is a great tune live, also, the dude with the 'stache totally looks like the W.B. Mason office supply logo thats on my desk
I just found out it was open bar, eff, well i really didn't feel like gettin my drink on anyways.

PS I like my Zune, not.

"Tell you what--I'm 6'3, and I'm always, always doing my best to be mindful of short people behind me. If I can move a little, I do. But guess what? It's a concert. I'm tall. You're short. It's life."

I'm 5' 9 and I guess I should not complain. Still if there are a bunch of taller people before me blocking my view, I don't like it. "a concert" is a big deal to many people including myself even though I go out to shows most nights. Almost always I have a better experience at seated venues. It's a preference. Mine would probably be different if I was taller than almost everyone. I can't even imagine being an average height girl and going to sold out standing shows. Having tables for the QOTSA show at The Box would be ridicilous of course, but I still prefer to see them standing at a venue with elevated seats.

you can spot the hipster douchebag qotsa fans a mile away...they rave endlessly about grohl and give way too much credit to that jackass nick (who didnt even play on the first album). get your heads out of the magazines, put away the strokes records, and get over yourselves

dave grohl wasnt a permanent part of QOTSA so im not sure why you bash them for his non-presence and wasnt Nick fired because of an incident with him and Josh's chick? thats reason enough to be thrown out...last QOTSA album was good..just too long...later

Josh's chick? You mean Brody (ex-Distillers). Anyway, I heard Josh kicked Nick out because Nick had a drug problem.

FrixFrixFrix what the hell are you talking about? First off, as someone stated earlier, Dave Grohl was never a full-time member of Queens and has only done 1 tour with them. Secondly, Joey Castillo is a complete monster on the kit, he's like a human click track and his playing is always classy.

Josh has always written nearly all of the QOTSA stuff by himself, so nothing has really changed. I miss Nick Oliveri's presence in the band but he was kicked out for beating his girlfriend and drug abuse, a fair reason I think. I really don't know where you get off stating shit about Josh's "ego". He's always been the heart and soul of the band and enjoys working with other people. Do you make up shit and believe it often?