Atlanta Ytse-Gathering

This is a page for DT fans who emailed me about attending the DT show here in Atlanta on March 1st. Many came in from out of town, and just as I did last time, I tried to coordinate an informal gathering of fans for the show, before and/or afterward.

The General Overview:

1. Wednesday, March 1st, 2pm-3:30: Mike Portnoy and Rod Morgenstein autographed at Mars Music, NE Atlanta. Saw quite a few people there who I was expecting (Phil, Kurt, etc.) More comments on this later.
2. c. 4pm-doors open: we gathered at the Tabernacle: We formed a "big, evil Ytse-bunch" (TM) in the front. Well, actually it was an extra-medium sized Ytse-bunch. :) More later. :)
3. The Show. In a word: wow. Terrific venue (for a change), very sizeable attendance (about 2150), great audience. All three bands were visibly happy at playing to a nearly sold-out house. It was decently crowded but not uncomfortable, basically perfect. Despite a few fuckups, like "losing" the backstage pass folks in the venue and letting the crowd in a bit too early, the whole show was great. Even the Star People were well-received. :)
   The Dixie Dregs were playing a hometown show (they consider Atlanta their home) and had their original violinist (_____ Sloan?) join them on stage. They got a very positive audience reaction, and I think they added a song to their set after "Cruise Control." Mike was watching and beaming from stage-left.
   DT. Wow! Melody Portnoy on drums. The butchering of PMU (James got lost, or something, and had to scrap a verse....) James Labrie briefly on drums (this might have been his revenge :)). Mike Portnoy even MORE briefly on guitar..... I spoke with the general manager of the Tabernacle after the show and he said not only was he blown away by the show -- he wasn't sure what to expect with DT -- but he'd have them back in a heartbeat. Now, it's on to Orlando!
4. "After the show, gather down by the stage and see what's up." (This is kinda a Ytse-tradition, too.) At the last show in Atl., some autographs were obtained this way, but it didn't work out that way here (I didn't really expect it to). Some who had backstage passes went backstage, but that got fucked up too (only Labrie was able to find where they stashed us; ironically the size of the Tabernacle worked against us. :().
5. The "hang out by the buses" phase -- hey, this is where some of y'all hopefully scored some autographs. I missed out on some because we were waiting inside for someone else to show besides James. Argh.
6. after all the delays, I missed a lot of folks outside after the abortive backstage thing. Damnit. :( I did get to speak to John P. and Mike again, so that was cool. Then it was on to Waffle House for my first food of the day. :)
7. Sleep. We'll need it. Folks travelling on to Orlando (like me) will especially need it. :)

Inside the Tabernacle

I scouted the new interior arrangement for the Tabernacle at the Type O Negative show. It's a bit different inside now that the downstairs room has been turned into a completely separate club. (Note: I'm leaving this here so others will have an idea of what the venue is like inside -- it really is a cool place. :)) :)

For the Dream Theater show, I expected the upper balcony to be closed and the lower balcony to be open, which is generally the case unless the ticket sales are over c. 2,000. "I don't expect anywhere near that size crowd for DT/Dregs. The chances of this show selling out are pretty low." True, and it didn't sell out, but it sold 2150 or so tickets. Rahhhhhh!

The will-call and walkup sales windows are to the right of the main doors. As you enter, the now-closed-off entrance to what WAS the Cellar is directly in front of you -- it's now the new home of the Cotton Club and its entrance is on the side of the building.

There are stairs going up to either side. The main floor level of the Tabernacle is on the next level up -- T-shirt sales should be on the landing to your right as you face inside. There are bars on either side of the main floor and at the back. The floor slopes down to the stage and is basically standing-room. Depending on how big the show is, you should find at least one or two little side "parlors" open either on this level, or the balcony level above. There's also a large, comfortable room with a bar on the same level as the first balcony, with a monitor that will broadcast the show. These are good places to escape to if the noise or the crowd gets to you. Lots of comfortable chairs. The balconies have good seating and you can also stand in the back.

The bathrooms on the balcony level aren't sufficient for the venue to meet code, so the larger bathrooms on the lowest level have to be accessible to patrons of the main show. This is a handy thing to know since there aren't too many obvious signs for them. Facing the main entrance from inside, if you turn to the left and go down the stairs, you'll be routed to some much larger and oft-forgotten restrooms. There are also drinking fountains down here.

Important Word About Parking:
Your best bets for parking are the lot directly across from the entrance to the Tabernacle (you enter it off International Boulevard right near Williams Street), or the Tabernacle's own parking lot, which you find if you circle the building to the left on those one-way streets. Parking will run somewhere between $5 and $10. WARNING: Do NOT park in the parking garage across Spring St. from the Tabernacle. It closes barely a half-hour after the show is over -- maybe less -- and if it closes, there's a chance your car will be locked in there all night. It damn near happened to us!

Dramatis Personae (So Far)

• Paul "Pellaz" Cashman -- like, the guy who's coordinating this, eh? I'll probably be wearing my old, red Ytsejam shirt and an MP.com button :)
• Matt Guillory (of Dali's Dilemma, Mullmuzzler, etc.) -- Present -- missed him by a short margin backstage :(
• Curtis "StickS" Toler -- Didn't see him in line when I checked it right before doors-open; we never saw him
• Eric Desobe present and also had backstage passes
• Phil Carter present and a recipient of one of my backstage passes
• Jim Raggi -- Never seen. I had an extra ticket for him if needed
• Bill "ASCENSION" Kargel Present -- good to hang out with you again :)
• Bruce Duesterhoeft Never seen; might have missed him since I've never met him before
• Kurt Hampton -- arriving on Amtrak's Crescent with friend Eric from Louisiana (FF shirt and MP.com button) With us up until we had to run back upstairs into the main hall -- they were on the other end of the barricade, but left promptly at the end of the show due to exhaustion :)
• Matt "ktulu at arches" Smith -- with one friend, Harmon, hopefully not a shoggoth :) (Matt wearing an Awake shirt, Harmon an Edguy shirt) present, and Harmon isn't a shoggoth, but a cool guy. :)
• Christian/"KillMary" Not seen, damnit. Hope you made the show, Christian....
• Jason "Aelim" Pittman (black Nevermore t-shirt) from the MP.com forums, plus a friend (thin, slicked hair) finally found me at the front after the show :)
• Greg Stafford -- with his group of c. 4 other people unbeknownst to me, they were right behind Phil, close to me
• Adam (AlpineOne) Pye -- is also going to the Pompano Bch show Present but never found
• Chuck "Peruvian" Tonini, 6'7", from Huntsville, AL, plus 2 friends (planning on MP/RM autograph session) Looked for him at the autographing, but didn't see a yellow Braves shirt :)
• "agent" from MP.com, plus three others Present -- where did you end up seeing the show from?
• Glenn Harveston (aka Harvester of Sorrow) from the Perpetual Motion Board Reported to be toward the back of the line, and I sent Bill K. back to sneak them up to the front, but Something Happened....
• Josh Sheffield and fiance Meredith -- from Eastman, GA (will try to be at signing also) Present -- good to meet you!
• Jim Pridgen from GA Tech (posts as "Locust" on the Perpetual Motion web-board) Same story as Glenn H.
• James Beck -- looked for you after the show by the buses, but I didn't see you -- hope you got a ride back to your car....
• Shawn Downer from NE Alabama and 4 friends -- Not seen
• Dan "TheCowGod" McCormick (wearing an Ocean Machine shirt, damn him :)) and his friend, from Clemson Hung out with him during much of the show and gave him my remaining backstage pass, for what little good it did -- it was his first-ever DT show, he'd been waiting for ten years.....
• Dave Alexander Found me at the autographing