uh, excuse me...?
as some of you might know, everyone who’s doing the door at the stone is volunteers… it’s been that way since the beginning of this year pretty much and it's been working out great thanks to so many people's generosity… and i usually try to do it at least 4 nights a month when i can… and some of you already might have seen me at the door… well, i know that i’m no miss sunshine by any means… i’ve never been one and i’ll never be, let me just say that up front…
anyway, it’s been a really interesting experience “doing” the door though… it is great to help out a good cause and support the community and get to hear good music of course… and most of time the audience who come to the stone are super cool, polite and generous… however there are a few “types” of people keep turning up and i find that baffling and amusing at the same time… and i’d like to share that with you…
a. people who come well after the concert started and keep asking me how long the music has been on and how much of it is left… usually i tell them it’s full admission since i don’t want to encourage any bad habit… but then makes me wonder if those people have ever tried to do that at movies for example… you wouldn’t go to a movie and demand on paying only for what you watched… i mean it’s up to you to show up before the gig if you want to get the “full” worth of your money… and also it’s funny to see people measuring the “value” of live music that way… like how much you’d pay for a pair of shoes depending on how many times you’d wear them… (well, that's one of the ways i justify whenever i give in buying another pair of shoes... yikes...)
b. as you might know the stone has a few rules such as no drinks, no food and it applies to everybody… meaning even the musicians who are playing that night and yes, even the door person… however people will show up with some kind of beverage and i tell them they can’t bring it unless it’s water, some people take it rather personally… as if i came up with the rules only for them… some say “it’s only tea” or “it’s only lemonade”… hello, do you really think they are the same of good old H2O…? or some say “that’s ridiculous…!” we have that policy because the floor surface is rather fragile and cannot afford to have something spilled on unless water… also if you go to a concert in lots of places, you are not allowed to bring it inside the hall… just because the stone is a small place tucked in alphabet city with no huge sign outside, please don't think you are not expected to show respect to the space and the music…
c. also there are some people who come in and just stand there by the entrance... fully knowing that i'm looking at them so i don't have to walk up to them and "ask" for the admission... but after a couple of minutes them refusing to look at my direction, i get up and do exactly that... then they look rather surprised and start to look for their wallets... and usually it takes more time than necessary... i think we all kind of know that most of music venues do have admission in new york... unless it's listed that some where... so just not looking at the door person isn't going to make the admission go away too...
oh, well, as i said, the percentage of these types are very small… but each time i have to deal with them, makes me wonder… well, i do not like bouncers myself though… hmm…
anyway, it’s been a really interesting experience “doing” the door though… it is great to help out a good cause and support the community and get to hear good music of course… and most of time the audience who come to the stone are super cool, polite and generous… however there are a few “types” of people keep turning up and i find that baffling and amusing at the same time… and i’d like to share that with you…
a. people who come well after the concert started and keep asking me how long the music has been on and how much of it is left… usually i tell them it’s full admission since i don’t want to encourage any bad habit… but then makes me wonder if those people have ever tried to do that at movies for example… you wouldn’t go to a movie and demand on paying only for what you watched… i mean it’s up to you to show up before the gig if you want to get the “full” worth of your money… and also it’s funny to see people measuring the “value” of live music that way… like how much you’d pay for a pair of shoes depending on how many times you’d wear them… (well, that's one of the ways i justify whenever i give in buying another pair of shoes... yikes...)
b. as you might know the stone has a few rules such as no drinks, no food and it applies to everybody… meaning even the musicians who are playing that night and yes, even the door person… however people will show up with some kind of beverage and i tell them they can’t bring it unless it’s water, some people take it rather personally… as if i came up with the rules only for them… some say “it’s only tea” or “it’s only lemonade”… hello, do you really think they are the same of good old H2O…? or some say “that’s ridiculous…!” we have that policy because the floor surface is rather fragile and cannot afford to have something spilled on unless water… also if you go to a concert in lots of places, you are not allowed to bring it inside the hall… just because the stone is a small place tucked in alphabet city with no huge sign outside, please don't think you are not expected to show respect to the space and the music…
c. also there are some people who come in and just stand there by the entrance... fully knowing that i'm looking at them so i don't have to walk up to them and "ask" for the admission... but after a couple of minutes them refusing to look at my direction, i get up and do exactly that... then they look rather surprised and start to look for their wallets... and usually it takes more time than necessary... i think we all kind of know that most of music venues do have admission in new york... unless it's listed that some where... so just not looking at the door person isn't going to make the admission go away too...
oh, well, as i said, the percentage of these types are very small… but each time i have to deal with them, makes me wonder… well, i do not like bouncers myself though… hmm…
posted by okkyung at 10:57 AM
2 Comments:
I worked in an independent cinema for a year ushering people to seats and we served drinks too. I had the similar problems. There were certain rules applying to each room such as alcohol allowed in the upstairs cinema, non downstairs and same thing, people would try and get drinks in and when I would tell them they can't they would look at me like I spat in their face, and them become quite abusive.
Also, people used to try and sneek into movies all the time, actually had one guy on his knees once begging me to let him in, turned out he was running from he police. God job I got a thug who was polite though, he was huge and would have kicked my ass.
And don't get me started on late people in the cinema, god it pisses me off! And people rumaging through plastic bags for food they have brought in, and talking whilst doing it!! The nerve! Food should be banned from cinemas full stop, INCLUDING popcorn! Watch the dam film and stop eating for a couple of hours, eat after!
Sorry about that, your experience seems to have re-awakened some dark and repressed memories! Dam you
But like you said it was a minority at mine too, but still...
Okkyung, you looked cool making your sweater at the door! HAHA! I've never seen a "bouncer" doing that, it would become a new trend! :P
Post a Comment
<< Home