The overcast sky and no-name headliner made the night overall worth missing for your average underage drinker or mullet-headed hick. Combine that with the early time slot, and DiD is about as painless as it can possibly be.

M'lady and I were lucky to find a $3 parking lot on 1st, which was a pleasant surprise.

The Features were setting up as I got there, and I left just as the other band started setting up. That's the way it should be.

It was pleasantly full, and if the Features can make another fan or two, or play for some of their underage fans, or just get their name out a little more, then the night wasn't a waste.

All that said, I didn't think it was a great night to see the Features. I usually attend DiD and think, "This sucks. I want to see the band I like and leave. All the other bands suck." Had I been up on the hill last night, I probably would've thought that way of the Features.
"Why?" you may ask. They weren't comfortable with the big stage, and their lack of interaction with the audience really hurt the show. It seemed so far away on the tall stage with the big sound. It just wasn't that band whose sound wraps around you at the Boro and pulls you further and further in. They weren't the band that captured my young boy heart among Self and the Katies and Superdrag at Exit/In all those years ago when they played "Thursday." Matt was frozen up there, adding none of the theatrics that reinforce his status as a sex idol. Parrish looked like Ray Charles with his sunglasses. The only one who seemed to play "business as normal"-like was Rollum with hair-slinging and head-bopping and all that other drum-playing stuff that adds to all their shows.

Another little problem was the set. An argument can be made for playing the newer songs to attract new listeners to the direction in which the band is moving now, but they should have re-ordered it and threw in some material to set them at ease in front of such a markedly bigger crowd. They didn't seem remotely comfortable until GSRnR, which was 2nd or 3rd to the last song. Exorcising Demons or GSRnR, I think, could've helped pull the band together and the audience into the show. They played their new songs that debuted at 12th a week or so ago, and like all Features songs, it takes time for the new stuff to develop. They should've held them off for a show with fewer potential new fans. I thought they also could've done "Moonlight" or "Action" or some other new one, or, of course, "Your Smile." It was nice to see so many people clapping for "See You Thru", though. I just wonder where all these people come from.

They ended with "Buffalo Head." It's a great song. The absence of "Thursday" made the set just sort of fizzle out and gave it no end. "Thursday" functions well as the show stopper b/c it is so anthemic, and because it starts small and ends with a big crescendo. The audience can sing along with it and get into it. It speaks well of insecurity in kind of a high school tone, which anyone can at least identify with.

I've said enough. It was great seeing/meeting so many board people.

7-3-02
Dancin' in the District
_________________
The Beginning
Leave It All Behind
Blow It Out
Bring On the Night
Walk You Home
Someway, Somehow
See You Thru
God Save Rock'n'Roll
Buffalo Head

Comments? I agree with YDDD for the most part. The set was kind of awkward. But, playing on a big stage on a barge in front of a crowd of people who, for the most part, don't give a shit about what they're hearing, does make for awkwardness. At least the sound was alot better than last year. And Parrish - the glasses rule!

(Edited by jamiecarroll at 9:25 pm on Sep. 6, 2002)

Man, that set list looks so short compared to those in the past. That was the first time I've ever seen the Features and not heard Thursday. As much as it bugs me during a show to hear it (because it signifies the end of a show) I kind of missed it. Instead the set just ended, all of the sudden Rollum was taking down his cymbals, weird. Other comments made already I agree with, the Features just don't pull off the big-stage, outdoor performance, I think I am just much happier seeing them in a club. Still, it was great to see them at this rare summer performance. Nice meeting some other members, and that high school chick (the one who also hit on Keith and Neuboy).

Well, it was my first show, so I have a different opinion than others might...

I was absolutely floored, for as long as it lasted. I hate that their set had to be as short as it was, but for as long as it lasted, I was really impressed. It gave me a real appreciation for "The Beginning" which captures, more faithfully than the other recordings that I've heard, their energy. I hadn't ever noticed that about it, but it was good listening to it on the ride back home (especially since they played The Beginning and Walk You Home) and comparing.

highlights, fo me, were Leave It All Behind, Blow It Out, See You Through, and Buffalo Head... all songs that were new to me, I found The Beginning to be a good opener, and Buffalo Head an awkward closer... it didn't feel like the show was over. Maybe I was just hoping for Thursday a bit more than I should've been.

In any case, I loved the energy, the excitement, and the new material (almost all was new to me!). This hype about being the saviors of rock etc holds up really well after the live show. And whoever had the theory about Rollum calling all the shots... I agree. Definitely made some executive decisions.

I guess thats it. I hope I get to see at least one full show before I go back to Chicago in September. In any case, it was well worth the drive from Chattanooga.

Will

PS: if anyone cares, I was sort of front and center, looking awkward, unable to dance any more than head bobbing and foot tapping, and in a dark green shirt. To shy (and new here) to say hi, but I saw alot of you.

Yeah, I got there just in time for The Features, and left right afterwards I saw message board peoples, but wasn't really in the mood to chit chat cause I was having a really bad night, so I said hello to Stephanie since she's the only one I converse with and headed out. My bad night was nothing Features related, its about a girl. Nick Hornby was wrong, its always about a fucking girl.

sounds like i didn't miss too much. i can see how they wouldn't sound as good outside and in front of a bunch of wankers. the boro and the red rose are nice and cozy- can't wait to see them again... come to think of it, can't wait to get back to murfreesboro. many a fun night awaits.

Well put YaDaDaDa. On top of that, I was also a little disappointed with the turnout of the message board reunion, though it was nice to meet StephanieW and TomFoolery. Nice nametags, by the way.

I thought that the features did a very good show. I was very surprised by the amount of people who came just to see the features. I had a great view in the very front. I cant understand why people feel disappointed about their performance. I thought they did an excellent job. They were a lot better than any other band I saw that night.

Surely you jest... nothing could have been better than Venus Envy...

Next time something like this comes around, I'm going to have to calculate the time the band I want to see are showing up and only catch that. Anyone else have to suffer through Venus Envy?

Will

I know that there's a lot of people who dig Venus Envy, but it's not my cup of tea (and it was my first time hearing them).

My views of the shows are always skewed as I'm usually pointing a camera at them and staying to one side of the stage or the other. I can say that the DITD show was a surreal experience. It's odd seeing Parrish and in the background seeing a bridge. Or seeing Matt strum his guitar with the Bellsouth tower looming over him. Also having the crowd be so far down below was odd as well. I have know idea if this caused any discomfort with the band, but I can imagine it's easier for them to play in clubs where they are much closer to you guys.

(Edited by BrianW at 12:22 pm on Jul. 5, 2002)

Alright guys... Of course, I have to post in this topic too, since I actually made it to this show. Now, I thought that the show was fine, and I knew ahead of time (as I am sure that we all did) that it was going to be an extremely short set as compared to the regular length of a Features show. I must admit, as so many others have said, that seeing them on that big stage was a bit different for me. And, I am definitely glad that so many fans came just for our band. Yay for that.
It was nice meeting all of you that I did. Thanks for compliments on the nametag, Keith (or should I say BrianEno3?). I plan on driving a lot until I get my ass moved to middle Tennessee, so I should be seeing you all at many more future shows.

what time did the features go on?

and was it just me or was stroke 9 one of the all around worst bands ever? how many songs can one right about all the chicks he gets and kicking some guy's ass for coming between him and his chick?

they played from 6:45 til about 7:15... i think they were originally supposed to play 45 minutes, but since 5 bands played, the set was dropped to 30 minutes.

it did seem like it took everyone (fans and the band alike) awhile to get into the set; something about seeing the features when it's bright outside seems odd. i like "someway somehow" and "bring on the night" more and more every time i hear them.

didn't see any of the other bands.

Well, this was only my second features show since i just turned 18 and haven't been able to attend most of the previous dates. especially enjoyable to me were "blow it out" and "buffalo head." I thought they did pretty good. true, i don't have alot of basis for comparison, but i thought they played pretty well considering the audience and atmosphere was much different from their norm. It was nice to see the faces that go with the boardnames, although i neglected to introduce myself because i tend to lurk more often than post. Overall, i was pleased and found the show to be well worth the trip.

I skipped my annual family 4th of July trip for the Features and it was worth it. The show was my third show (I will be 18 as of 10:45 Saturday) and I would have to say that it was my third favorite. They were magnificent and better than any local band could ever dream to be but I just wish that they had played longer. It was nice to see the board people (some lurkers should have said hi heh heh) and after the surprise that my friend and I shared during the See You Through performance at the Next Generation, we gladly joined in on the claps this time. Hopefully I'll be posting more since I'll be seeing more Features' shows.

-Digsy

Unfortunately I had counted on the Features' starting at 7, so I only caught the last four songs. I suppose this was lucky, as I saw a few people afterwards who had come only to see the Features and missed them entirely. The sound seemed clear to me, but I did miss the interaction and close quarters. I agree that Buffalo Head didn't close the set effectively, but considering the situation, its subject matter was somewhat appropriate.

On a wistful note, I really hope they play another show before I leave for college.

Keith, It seems as though more were there than to be seen. I still want to go bowling soon, I dont care who with.

Well, there could be bowling after the next Boro show. I'll be able to make it to that... and now that Ive said that, watch something come up.

I, too, have decided to come on August 22nd for the show at The Boro. I will miss the end of my first week of school, but ah well. I will only miss two classes. Who cares? It's The Features, right?

skip classes as often as you can afford. It's worth it. It's a lot harder to skip work once you get out.

Nice theory. I will try my best.

maybe i'll actually say hi this time

Nice post...I would hope that you will actually speak to me this time instead of missing me by "going to the bathroom" like you did on May 2nd. What a likely excuse.

i had to piss somewhere. anyways, you shouldn't have left so early.

that was me.

Well, when the Features play at the Boro, it's usually not over until *at least* 1am, sometimes as late as 2. Maybe we could have a Message Board trip to IHOP after the show.

IHOP?.....fucking IHOP?


WAFFLE HOUSE! There are three in murfreesboro. Two on one exit!

Yeah, but we all know that IHOP kicks Waffle House's ass any day...

Will
sure he's going to regret that one...

3 Waffle Houses? There are 4. 2 on each exit....unless one has closed that I don't know about. 2 on Church Street, 1 on Old Fort Parkway, 1 on Armory Drive.

I am in for the Waffle House (or IHOP) trip. Ceeze, does that mean that you will join us this time or maybe say hi?

Make no assumptions...I was just sharing some hash brown wisdom.

so i'm guessing i didn't miss much right?

I forgot, Are there two at each exit? I actually never lived in Murfreesboro like so many others. For late nights it's gotta be Waffle House in my book. I won't step in one sober though, while I might eat IHOP during regular hours. Speaking of hashbrowns, WaffleHouse is by far better. One hyphenated word: flav-o-fry.

i'd be willing to enjoy the fine dining of waffle house (which kicks ihop's ass), however, i'll need to get a headstart thinking about how i want my hashbrowns... smothered, covered, and all that.

Though Waffle House does get charm points for having no 'no smoking' section, having such brite'n'bubbly servers, and being shaped like a shoebox, if we're judging strictly by quality of food, IHOP wins hands down. Plus, IHOP is bigger and more spread out, so we could relax a bit more (at this proposed meeting). Also, IHOP is closer to the Boro.

(Edited by jamiecarroll at 9:30 pm on Jul. 7, 2002)

I'd love for us to actually hang out after a show (as opposed to just talking about it). Maybe we can actually make it happen this time.

I'd vote for IHOP over WH because at IHOP, you can use the strawberry syrup to make strawberry milk. I've always wanted to go Waffle House and invent my own way of preparing hash browns. "Yes, I'd like those smothered, covered, scorched, smashed, sodomized, scattered, tattered, bleached, and sunny-side up."

Thinking of what a Waffle House short-order cook might do to "sodomize" hash browns just grossed me out, thanks Tom.

hash browns from hell...

watch out for medical waste...

the last time i ate at IHOP, it was after a features show and josh r. was our server. though very funny and amusing, he was one of the worst servers i've ever had.

(Edited by sinasugarsick at 8:17 pm on Jul. 7, 2002)

that's silly. waffle house is so much more consistent than ihop. i'd take a patty melt plate over a teriyakki mushroom swiss burger anyday. just because ihop has more variety, doesn't mean it's better. waffle house looks cooler too. more personality in the waitresses and the food.

Consistent, yes. But is that good? I mean (to reference the bowling trip) my friend is a consistent bowler, but he knocks down 6 pins every frame. I'm an inconsistent bowler, and I knock down 4-10 pins every frame. So, on a frame by frame basis, he beats me on the odd occasion. But I win every game.

IHOP has great pancakes, and great dinner food (plus they have this combo platter with mozzerella sticks, chicken, and onion rings that makes a great late night meal), that occasionally isn't "great." I wouldn't say that anything at Waffle House is ever "great."

But we're letting democracy decide anyhow.

Will

i like to watch the short-order cook burn himself and curse while cooking my food. it adds a totally different dimension to the meal. if waffle house and ihop were gay lovers, ihop would be the bitch (no offense meant to any homosexuals or bitches).

if anyone is offended, i can easily edit the analogy...

(Edited by damon at 12:47 am on Jul. 8, 2002)

This is kinda funny because me and my freinds go to IHOP after almost anything especially shows. meeting there after a show would be really awesome. i still want to meet alot of you.

but would you still be willing to meet people at waffle house? therein lies the question...

Like it or not, Waffle House would be a horrible place for a group to meet. With a group of more than 8, we wouldn't see or talk to anyone not at our table, because you can't move tables in a Waffle House.

Just a point.

Viva la IHOP!

Will

Amen. Keep in mind, people, I love Waffle House. But IHOP would be the better place to meet.

it's becoming apparent which olace will win... ihop is well in the lead.

Are you even going to show up this time?

i might make an appearance. if so, i might even say hi to you.

If you will allow me to divert this topic back to the DitD show...

As some of you may recall, I made a few pictures at Dancin' in the District. I tried to post them on ofoto.com (like I did with the June 21st pictures), but I wasn't very happy with that solution. So I went off and built my own little website. You can see my Features concert pictures at http://tomfoolery.freeservers.com. Please excuse the stupid banner ad and any pop-up windows that may appear. This is the price one must pay for "free" web service.

No set of DitD pictures would be complete without "Skank Cam," which I used liberally that night. So all of the crowd shots (skanks and otherwise) are labelled as "Skank Cam." You never know who it may capture... (Here's a hint: Look for Ceeze in shot #4.)

If anyone's interested, I've also made the high resolution originals available for download. There's info at the bottom of each show's page about the location of the larger files. Feel free to use them however you wish.

-- TF

P.S. There seems to be some confusion over the "Skank Cam" label. No offense was intended. We were all mixed in with the skanks... and it was quite fun. Despite anything you may have read, StephanieW is not a skank. Furthermore, by simply posting on this message board, any skankiness in any person is permanently washed away.

Most of you can probably tell who is who. So, now some of you all who have never seen us before can really spot us at shows. I don't want to speak for the others, but anyone is welcome to come say hey to me at anytime. Nice pictures, TF. Too bad you aren't in any. We will fix that at the next show.

who's that girl in all the skank pictures?

Shut up, ass hole. It has been stated that I am no skank. Eh...You suck.

So this message board is kind of like Jesus?

that hurt. asshole? aren't we above that?

(Edited by damon at 10:13 pm on Jul. 8, 2002)

If skankiness was a sin and I believed in eternal security, then the answer would be "Yes." However, since that is not the case, the answer is "No."

(Edited by Tom Foolery at 11:18 pm on Jul. 8, 2002)

hmmm... i see. perhaps i've been looking in all the wrong places...

Above calling you an ass hole? Not at all...As for calling others ass holes, maybe.

i see. perhaps this can be changed.

that's my friend graham in skank cam pics 5 and 6. he's the one standing beside (on the far side of) katie (rollum's girlfriend).

too bad i thought they were playing at 7p and missed every fucking part of the damn show.

Wow, I missed the skank cam on all counts. Just barely in several instances, but it seems that I was *just* out of frame every time. Ha!

Will

consider yourself lucky. an appearance in such a photo could ruin even the best of reputations.

Thank you, Tom Foolery, for taking those very pro pics, and for sharing them. That's nice of you.

indeed. thank you. the titles alone were worth it

I wouldn't describe them as "pro," but I appreciate the compliment. I'm more than happy to share my photos with you all. As a fan, I know I want to get my hands on as much stuff as possible. I would guess that others here feel the same way.

nonsense. they should be in national geographic.

yeah, excellent pictures TF. you have my utmost appreciation since i didn't bring my camera. kudos.

rolling stone should be at your door shortly...

like fucking annie liebowitz and shit

So seeing Digsy bring back his first post from his first show reminded me of my first show and the response that it was a peculiar set because of all of the "newer" material. Looking at the set now, I can't imagine many improvements that I would suggest... a solid set.

Everyone else still feel its a poor set?

Will

That is a DAMN solid setlist. I seem to remember having a hard time really getting into it, though. I much prefer the club scene. Although I will say that the DID show the previous year was extremely cool considering the light rain during Thursday.

(Edited by carligula at 6:35 pm on Mar. 4, 2003)

I really hope the Features do DitD again this year, especially if the number of shows slacks off this summer. The setlist from last year's was very good and I remember that it was the first time that I actually clapped during 'See You Through' and the first time that I sang along with 'Leave it All Behind."

I recall that the rain was far from 'light'. I was fresh back in town from europe and had way too much hair on my head, I was freezing. The rain couldn't have been light, I wouldn't have been able to feel it thru the fro. man I wish I could grow back that fro. and that beard. corporate dress code jerks.

Not-Oasis. not oasis. damn.

(Edited by mike_D at 7:00 pm on Mar. 4, 2003)

No, you're thinking of the 2001 DitD, Mike. That was when you were fresh in town from Europe, and that was when it freaking poured during the Features' set. The 2002 DitD was like a Message Board meeting, remember? We had the nametags...good times...

Buh...oops...I'm an idiot. Sorry.

that's what carligula said, the previous year, as in the one before 2002, and that's the one I was talking about. Or at least that's how I understood it. You made me feel dumb(er) for a sec. Nice try.

oh, so you catch yourself while I'm correcting you, eh? You'll get yours.

I remember how at the time there was a lot of talk about no one actually introducing themselves to each other or being too awkward and so thus the nametags. Did anyone actually talk to anyone else at DitD? I've wondered that. Oddly enough, I've met everyone on the board without the name tags (am I really that obvious as a Digsy?) and through 'social' settings. Huh...

There were nametags. I met StephanieW, Tom Foolery and HeyItsBriggs at that show, I think.

Ah so the idea did work.

And on another note, I don't know if it's because I'm way tired of studying Mitosis/Meiosis (they are not the same) but the Justin avatar is staring me down hardcore. It's odd...and that crazy lightning in the background...it's like he's a bad-ass saying "Mess with me and I'll toss some lightning at you and then dance a jig."

Spring break can't come soon enough.

I remember the nametags. I stood in front of TF and Stephanie, and I think I saw a few others wearing nametags, but I'd been posting for like a week so I didn't say anything to anyone. I remember Stephanie had a really boss nametag.

This was also my first time singing along with Leave It All Behind and clapping with See You Through, but it was my first time hearing either... they're just that infectiously good.

Will

i was also a first-time clapper at this show.
i was a hardcore lurker of this messageboard at the time of this show. i remember stealthily reading everyone's nametags and feeling like i was scoping out important celebrities or something. little did i know......i was.