Portishead.(L!V3) @the.Shrine.Expo.Center

Portishead.2011

@the.Shrine.Expo.Center(Los Angeles, CA)

Tuesday.October.18.2011

Already being asked for my ticket and I have not arrived to the venue yet.  That's pretty crazy.  I heard both shows SOLD OUT quick.  I thought it was gonna sale very slowly because the cost to see them is $50.oo, but with the service charge from Ticketmaster, it comes up to $70.oo each.  That's not including the $20.00 parking in there structure.  Of course I know the neighborhood and I parked 4 blocks away from The Shrine (score).

I met up with my friend Steven and we arrived at a perfect time.  It was not packed yet, but to get a good space up front was getting crowded already.  We headed to the shirt stand and....WOW!   That line was HUGE.  They sold coffee cups and titanium water bottles.  I was surprised they did not sell any tote bags (I wanted one if they did).  I waited after the show to get a shirt and the line was STILL HUGE!  
They had a opening band and they where good.  They reminded me of Esteban & the Witch, but better.  The only problem, each songs they played where to long.  They need to cut them short. 

It started to get busy and of course you had those people that want to be up front.  Some lady next to me freaked out on one tall guy that gently pushed his way.  He stood in front of her for a second and then he moved.  The crowd was older and mellow and well behaved.  no craziness.
The last time I was here at The Shrine Expo was when The.Chemical.Brothers preformed here in the mid 90's.  They held ALOT of underground parties here and I attended half of them.  It was between La Casa and the Shrine for those famous underground parties, because they where cracking down the warehouses.  Fun times.
Portishead went on and they K!LLED !T.  The visuals where simple, but AMAZING.   Beth Gibbons (Lead Singer) voice was on point.  She sounded GREAT and so much like the album.  Not alot of artist can pull that off, but Beth does.  She is so shy because everytime she stopped singing, she would face the direction of Geoff Barrow (the Genius).  I was surprised that she was standing...UP!  The only time she sat down to sing a song was, "Wondering Star".  Okay...they did an AWESOME remake of the song.  They stripped it down (way...DOWN) and it was incredible that I want it.  
They played the new one, "Chase the Tear" (which is almost a year and a half old) in the middle of the show.  You would think that was the song to end the night.  They sold the single at the booth for $20.oo (Okay...REALLY!  Thats CRAZY!).  That's to high for a 12'inch record.  They played alot from the first album,  a few from the second and some from the third.  I wish I could go to the 2nd night, but NYC is calling.

\m/  \m/  \m/  \m/  \m/  -  FCVKn AMAZING!!!!!