well, i just reserved tix and a hotel room for the show in detroit. i'm thinking of contacting the venue (detroit film theatre @ dia) to "strongly encourage" that they hammer the no-flash-photography message home....

you're going to travel to see meshell without me? you know i'm jealous right?

deshi, this is for all those times when YOU went without ME. *laughing*

i'm taking v for her first live meshell experience...you should come up to detroit and join us!

Yo, GT, I'll be in the house probably in my "Got Love" T-shirt. If you see me give me a shout. I have yet to come across a fellow fmh'er at a gig.

K'Trazz

Doors open at 7:00 and the museum is under renovation so the entrance to the venue is a bit hidden.

So I ended up going backstage before the concert to make sure someone made a no flash announcement (not a sign in sight). That turned out to be an exercise in futility. I was succinctly told by a roadie who's toured with her for years, quote: "We don't do that." AARRGH. It was like a disco in there, but she kept her eyes closed most of the time. The flashes did bother her enough to tell her roadie to speak to management.

i don't get it.

we're going to have to start with pickets as fans and handing out pamphlets to everyone in line like jehovah's witnesses or something.

or maybe i'll just post a request on her myspace page for someone with graphics experience to create a new graphic for the front page of this site, and also make it the default image for the myspace page that asks people to please leave their cameras at home...

Don't ask why, and I hope I'm WAAAAAY off, but a thought just crept in. He said that she's embarrassed about her condition. I wonder if our open discussion of the matter has created any backlash or resentment. I'd doubt it when we're all just worried about her safety and well-being. Unlike the b***h behind me who, after I kindly informed her AND turned off her flash AND put a piece of black tape over it, proceeded to remove all barriers and take at least seven flash pictures (that didn't turn out mind you) presumably because she saw other flashes going off. At a certain point, I have to weigh if it's worth sitting through a potentially great show against every knot in my stomach for every flash that ruins my aural euphoria.

On a lighter note, even though she took off directly after the encore (which I've always taken as her not feeling well), Charles said that she was feeling good and that the flashes are worse in smaller venues (this was a 1200 seat theater).

I've never been good at wording reviews. I don't pay as much attention to details as Derek and the like. I just try to bathe in the vibe of the music. But I thoroughly enjoyed everything coming from the stage. No water bottles. Just good music from "Kitty Hawk" and their humble and sincere host.

-K'Trazz

P.S. Once I figure out this YouTube thing, I'll try to post the small video clip I got before management came to the one guy in the venue not popping flashes and said, "She's requesting no photos." Good thing he was too distracted by the camera to see the mike I was holding or the recorder rolling audio.

you made me laugh out loud

i remember at one of the san francisco kimballs shows i went to in 2001, i kept going back and forth across the club ordering people to stop taking pictures...

i really could care less if she's embarrassed by it. seriously. we all have things that we're embarrassed about, but how many of them are life threatening?

but i'm preaching to the choir here with my rants on the issue. i would've gotten kicked out of the theater last night.

... shortly after stomping on one young ladies camera after she was repeatedly asked not to take photos.

maybe it's time to take down the songs that are on her myspace and put up ones that are stopped halfway through where she gets sick and someone from the band has to ask for their to be no photos taken.

seriously. meshell's a smart woman, and i'm assuming her management is as well. there's no reasonable excuse not to begin requesting that people not take photos.

again, the choir.

amen bro.

oh, and i'm in too...lets start that 'no-flash beat-down posse' and patrol the audiences at the gigs...

Thank you for putting this up. I added it to her collection of MySpace videos.

No problem.

k'trazz, i didn't see your post until today! hope you enjoyed the show. i know deshi and i did...it was great to hear new material that i hadn't yet heard anywhere.

deshigrrl made it? Great to hear. I didn't get to meet her when I went to Chi-Town for SMJ. Oh well, maybe next time. We need to organize a Meshell party like all the Purple Parties I used to rock back in the day.

So how hard was it for you to find that entrance? I ended up walking around the whole building. Interesting venue.

I was glad that Meshell seemed to be in a good mood. I'm really looking forward to the album. The songs were slamming.

hey k'trazz... yep... my grrl and i took a drive from the chi to hook up with groovethang for the show. unfortunately we were late getting into detroit thanks to traffic and not figuring in the time zone change into michigan so we missed the first half hour and got shitty seats in the balcony. lisa saved us seats but we didn't think we'd be able to find her in the dark, so we just headed up to the balcony when they told us the main floor was full. i don't think i've ever been late to a meshell show, nor do i recall one where she started exactly on time, and i've never been so far away from the stage either. but its all good. it was my grrl's first meshell show ever and she LOVED it.

sorry we didn't get to meet up... i saw someone with a got love shirt but i didn't read your post until today. so, i saw you but didn't know it was you!

anyway, next time for sure. and yeah, i agree she seemed in good spirits.

peace
deshi

Next time I'll have to wear my freemyheart shirt. Sorry you were late. I'll have to give you a consolation prize.

Hey all...I am new to the forum but not really as I have checked in periodically over the last 3 years for Me'Shell updates.

Anywho...I was at the Detroit concert and have conflicting emotions about the show. Firstly, let me frame this by saying that I am a huge fan of Me'shell's music. I did not get onboard the Me'shell train until just before the "Comfort Woman" CD release. A friend introduced me to the Anthropological Mixtape and suggested I check out "Bitter". I had just broken up with my ex of 11 years and best friend of 20 years so, of course I could relate tto "Bitter" and after listening to "Adam" "Bitter" "Fool of Me" "Faithful" and "Beautiful" I knew I would be a fan for life. "Bitter" was a phenomenal CD IMHO and then came "Comfort Woman"...which was a very surreal transcendent experience. I was not overly impressed with the "Dance of the Infidel" CD but actually purchased it from Amazon France at the recommendation found on this website. I recenlty purchased "The Article 3" and although I am not a big rock fan I could fully appreicate Me'Shell's talent and need to further expand her boundaries. All that being said.....back to the concert....the venue was relatively cozy but I did not find the sound system befitting Me'shell's spatial sound. Me'shell came out in what looked like a sheet or oversized gown with a brown scarf wrapped around her neck. All of the new music was rock with only a slight digression to her previous old stuff. The music as I said left me conflicted and nostalgic for the sounds of either "Comfort Woman" or "Bitter"....nonetheless it was good rock music. No love songs....no ambient spacial atmosphere but still good rock music. The show only lasted about 1 1/2 hrs which was also a bit disappoiting. But overall it was a solid show which left me feenin for the new CD to drop which I have read at dustygroove should be around Aug 22nd.

Peace, love and light to u all
~D

I loved the show. How can u beat a $20 concert with free parking and front row seats. I am still floating on cloud nine.

Hey ~D. Welcome aboard. I've learned to expect nothing when it comes to Meshell. Maybe it's naive of me not to wish for the type of jams that got me into her to begin with. But I've heard that stuff and what keeps me coming back is the fact that I know I'll never be bored. Hell, she'd probably piss people off re-envisioning like The Police if she went back to playing the old stuff.

I get where you're coming from though.

K'Trazz....

I am diggin the music but me and the majority of my friends in attendance are straight neosoul heads. Getting my copy of "The Article 3" definitely prepped me for the new sound. I had to listen to it about 5 times before I was like y e a h. I like rock, acid jazz, and downtempo as well but neosoul is the breath that fills my lungs. And Nubianlox u r right u just can't beat a concert from a major artist at that price or in that small of a venue.

ciao
~D