Some venues care about the act and theater, even if the design of their venue is a tad outdated. Sometime in the 1980s, people came up with the concept of building big stages and covering them with a big white tent. This does protect the stage from rain, etc.; but it also allows all the sunlight right through the translucent roof. What I love about the Shoreline venue in San Jose is that they have black drapes that they insist on closing before the event, masking any unwanted light from hitting the stage. These guys care about your show. Of course, the big problem is that this venue was built in the 1980s and they have endured growing pains. The stage is not deep, the roof not tall. But the real problem is with the layout — I have been playing there 30 years, and I have never seen my band from the front of house mix position. The seats here are on a good rake, looking down at what appears to be a three-foot stage. My front of house area is flat. I will never see the stage over the audience when they stand.
—From “LD-at-Large” by Nook Schoenfeld, PLSN, Oct. 2013
