Maus Space

I kinda know what you mean. I'm pretty selective about the shows I go to these days. I usually try for bands I really like or bands I'm really interested in, in venues I like going to. Though I do sometimes get pressured into going to shows I wouldn't otherwise (e.g Foo Fighters concert this past year in the rain with no view of the stage, that was pretty rough. But some good friends were around, so it wasn't that bad.). But every now and then, I see a show that reinstates my faith in live music. I saw one of my old favorite punk bands The Effigies just a few years ago in a teeny room and it was like having 20 years shaved off my life. Absolutely amazing experience. I could tell they were getting off on it too.

Never seen an intimate performance like that, it does sound preferable to the norm.
A friend just invited me to see the Cure. Thankfully they'll have a keyboardist with them for this tour.

how was it?! ol' bob and cohorts are making it to our shores for the first time in 9 years this july so i'm not missing out this time.

I saw Orchestral Manoevres in the Dark (I'll never figure out how to spell that M word) last night. They were on a triple bill with Howard Jones and Barenaked Ladies. My sister and her friend got me and wife to go with them, as they are huge Howard Jones fans (I like him too). They got 4th row tickets which was pretty great. A couple of months ago I decided to investigate OMD a bit more and I quickly learned how great they were (and still are). They were my favorite of the 3 bands. One great single after another, it was an embarrassment of riches. I was expecting to hate Barenaked Ladies, but they're professional entertainers and know how to win people over, so at the very least I wasn't bored. Howard Jones was upbeat, energetic, and sounded great too, though he unfortunately had a real short set of only about 6 songs. It's always comforting to know that some old fart bands can still put on a good concert, even if their wellspring of hits has long since dried up.