Benny Benassi at the Lizard Lounge
I am remiss in blogging about this so late. This show was 2 and a half weeks ago. However I did catch the flu immediately after seeing this show, so I guess I can cut myself some slack. I'm still blogging about it before I see my next show which is this coming Thursday, so I've met my own deadline.
I haven't been to a show at the Lizard Lounge in a very long time. And in truth, this wasn't like a regular show. In spite of the light show, there really wasn't very much to look at.
Benny Benassi was really big a few years ago, but I think he's gone down in popularity a little bit. The club was fairly empty during the opening act Johnny Funk - who was actually really good. But as is custom, this was a EDM (Electronic Dance Music) type show and for some reason they always start very, VERY late. Late as in closer to or even after midnight, not as in tardy. I don't really know why this is the case. Why is it that if people are interested in dancing to this type of electronic music, they don't even get started until midnight and have to stay up until 4 or 5 am?
My story about Benny Benassi is that one year I went to El Paso to visit, like I do every year, and my friend Lisa and I wanted to go to Club 101 when it was still on Airway. We drove by, but we saw a line completely around the building. We decided to skip it of course and went on about our business. I didn't have a smart phone at the time, but later I found out that Benny Benassi was playing that night. If I had known, I might have gotten tickets ahead of time for the both of us and we would have gone to the show.
Anyway, for some reason I really wasn't in the mood to go out this night, but I already had my ticket, and I never miss a show that I have tickets for. Well, I've only missed a show twice in the 25 years I've been going to shows. One was Dave Matthews - my future ex father in law had a very serious injury which my future ex husband went to El Paso for while I stayed home and I forgot about the show, and the 2nd was Infected Mushroom. I had gone on a ticket buying spree and forgot to put this one on my calendar. I didn't realize I missed it until several months later when I discovered the email. I've been to hundreds of shows. I don't miss them if I'm "not in the mood".
My friend Debbie was also going and I'm super glad about that. I'm sure I enjoyed myself so much more because I had a friend with me instead of me being there by myself.
We positioned ourselves at the front center of the edge of the dance floor. In my opinion, the prime spot for any concert at the Lizard Lounge. Which obviously meant that every person wanting to go into the dance floor had to pass by us I guess. Some people were conciliatory, others were assholes. Mostly they were assholes. Gross, sweaty people pushing their way past us. Sometimes in between us. No apologies. No asking. Finally there was a drunk guy making a fool out of himself and I let some people get in front of me because I wanted to be as far away from him as possible.
While it was sparse early on, the club got super packed as it got closer to show time. Like, I didn't think any more people could *fit* into that dance floor (and the rest of the room was packed as well), but yet, they still kept coming. Personally I don't understand why you would *want* to be in the middle of that packed in like sardines (I thought the point here was dancing?), but whatever.
The show itself was okay. I guess I'm not as much of a fan as I thought I was. I did get to film his famous song (while attempting to capture the fog machines!) which was great. Not every show can be spectacular. I know that. I don't regret going, I just know I won't go again. It happens.
I did listen to some awesome DJ music, danced and caught up with an old friend I ran into there. As soon as Benny was done though, we left. Benny's set was not quite 2 hours. I was really surprised. Johnny Funk came on again, and we left. I was quite done. Maybe EDM isn't quite my thing.
Finally...there was this older dude there, right next to us right up front....just jammin away. I thought this was pretty awesome. People were not bothering him the way they were bothering us, and he was right next to us. I guess even in the EDM world, age gets you some respect. I shook his hand after the show. 😉
Please enjoy my pics! Click one for a slide show.
Johnny Funk
Benny Benassi
