Belly in San Francisco
Saturday was what Ted called our ‘culture day’. We started our day going to the talk for Percival Everett, where he spoke of his novel, James. After that we went to lunch, then home for a few hours, then to San Francisco for the evening. Our lunch had been a little on the late side, but we were a bit hungry, so we had a light dinner at a Mediterranean restaurant on Fillmore Street. Then on to the main event, a concert at the Great American Music Hall to see 90s indie group, Belly. Belly’s album, King, is 30 years old, and they are touring in celebration. The show was 2 sets. In the first, they played every song from the album. In the second, they played other hits and fun songs.
Though Ted’s tickets said that the concert started at 9pm, when we got there at 8:35ish, the concert had already started and they were about 2 songs in. Strange, but OK. The venue was packed, and as all tickets were general admission, it was standing room only. For a person of my stature (5’4”) most concerts are a frustrating experience. I don’t really want to stand in a crowded room looking at the back of someone else’s head. Even in a large venue with stadium type seating, I often cannot see anything other than heads. This was worse than usual. Plus it was warm. Plus my plantar fasciitis has been giving me grief for the last few months, so I was worried that my feet would start hurting. But! The music was great, and it’s fun to be in a crowd with a bunch of people who are into the same band that you are into, and we really loved this album back in the day.
When they took a short break and people dispersed a bit to use the bathroom or get drinks, we decided to try to move forward and see if we could get out from behind so many tall people (why can’t they make people stand by height, like a group photo? Meet up with your friends after, it’s not like you can hear each other anyway), and we ended up finding a perfect place on the side of the main floor. There were some tables there, but no chairs. I could lean against the table and give my foot a break, and more importantly, we had a great view of the stage and the band. Yay! Concert experience saved! At one point I noticed that some other women were sitting on top of the little tables, which was a genius idea, so I hopped up on mine too. I think I got to sit this way for at least 20 minutes before a security guy came and told us we couldn’t sit on them (they were a little wobbly, to be fair). He had no problem with us leaning on them though. Belly played all of the big hits, including the one that some of you may have heard, Feed the Tree, above.
It was great fun, I enjoyed every bit of the second half of the concert. The first half, not so much. Better to end on a good note, though, right? San Francisco specific note: The Great American Music Hall is in a terrible neighborhood, the Tenderloin, and is full of drug dealers, prostitutes, homeless people, and is not somewhere you want to be walking around late at night (or during the day for that matter.) We had to walk about 2 blocks to get to our car, which was gross but I never felt in any danger. I felt like if someone tried to mess with us, they were far too wasted and we could just push them over and run. But no one messed with us. It was a great day overall.
44 Comments
Nicole MacPherson
Ugh, sorry about your PF! That’s the worst.
J
It is the worst! It mostly stayed calm that evening though, and I was glad for that.
Sam
I’m 5’1 and am 100% on board with your suggestion to do concert seating class photo style.
J
Thank you for your support. Even when we have seats, I end up behind some 6’5″ person.
Suzanne
Ha – I love the suggestion to organize concertgoers by height. How fun to see an old favorite perform!
J
It was definitely fun, once we could see!
Lisa's Yarns
I cannot do standing concerts anymore. I avoid them even if that means I miss out on seeing an artist I love. My feet and back hurt too much!
Years ago, Phil and I went to SF to stay with Kyria. We spent one night in the city in a hotel and then met up with Kyria after she was done w/ work and stayed at her house in Oakland. The hotel we ended up booking was in the Tenderloin! When we told Kyria she was like – ‘um, ok… that is not a good neighborhood but just be very careful.’ This was back in 2016 so things are probably far worse now in our post-covid world. Overall it was a fine experience but we did see some drug deals!
J
Ack! Your hotel was in the Tenderloin! Scary. I used to work at a big Union Square hotel, the Parc 55, which claims to be Union Square but is right on the edge of the Tenderloin. It’s a rough neighborhood for sure.
I suspect my standing concert days are wrapping up. We’ve been to 4 concerts this year, 2 sitting, 2 standing. I think my favorites, music wise, were the standing. But I did like having a comfy seat at the others!
Allison McCaskill
Ugh, the PF thing. We used to only stand at Bluesfest, and by day five I was in so much pain. We started bringing lawn chairs and I was worried it would feel like giving up but it is SO much better. Jealous of the Percival Everett talk! Sounds like an amazing day.
J
Yes, having a place to sit, especially at an all day thing, is really helpful!
nance
Genius idea about concert audience arrangement. And we are the same height.
I’ve only been to a couple of standing concerts, and I am NOT fond of them, no matter who the act is or how old I am/was. I think it definitely interferes with the enjoyment overall.
I like your Culture Dates. I’d be hard-pressed to think of anything similar that Rick and I do now that would qualify.
J
Thinking back to when I was young, I still couldn’t see a lot at standing concerts. Boo!
Sarah
We just had Everett on cmapus to talk James. (I actually LOVE his wife’s books, but James did not do it for me..)
J
Now I’m going to have to check her out, I’m not familiar.
Margaret
What a packed day–but it sounds great! I told myself no more concerts although I ended up seeing The Who in Seattle and loved it. I had a seat though, a comfy one. Still, people stood up (tall people) and I often couldn’t see.
J
I love a comfy seat!
PocoBrat
I’ve never heard of Belly and thought it would be a restaurant :D!
Glad you had such a lovely culture day, J.
J
There IS a restaurant called Belly in Oakland, and I SO hope the band went there for a meal, though I doubt it.
ernie
I wasn’t sure I’d ever heard of Belly’s music, but this song you linked here is familiar. I really like it. I am stuck on the fact that the concert started early, what is this a high school baskeball game when the eariler game finished early? Come on, that’s just nuts. I was never a big concert goer, and when my SIL invited us to see the Bodeans on NYE in like 2021, we initially said no even though we love th bodeans. She was like, Um, why? I explained that we would not want to carry our coats all night and we wouldn’t want to stand up the whole time. Then she explained the concert was essenitally for people our age. We each had a seat – it was in an old theater. There was a coat check. We really enjoyed it.
Sorry about your PF. I think Coach has people roll a tennis ball under their foot as one way to (stretch it out?) cope with it/help it to heal? Hope it clears up, because I know how painful that is. Glad you found a more comfortable spot for the second half of the concert.
J
We went to see Wolf Alice last month, and had great seats in a beautiful old theater, and there were no vision issues, it was GREAT! So glad someone recognized the band!
I have a ball with little spikes on it that I roll under my foot, and it does help. I’m glad my PF didn’t flare up on Saturday, it was fine. WHEW!
ernie
Concerts in old theaters are the way to go . . . for people of a certain age. 😉 Oh, that ball with spikes on it sounds like just the thing.
J
Funnily enough, the one we went to last month was a much younger crowd…and I think they loved having assigned, comfy seats too!
AC
Being a cultural babarian, I must confess that I don’t know Belly Belly, but I do know Rumbly Tummy. I also know about Plantar Fasciitis.
J
LOL on Rumbly Tummy, sorry about the PF.
Martha
I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a concert starting early, very odd. I’m so glad you had a good time and that it all worked out in the end. It sounds like it was a very nice day overall!
J
Maybe they sent out an email, but if they did we didn’t see it. Oh well, at least we didn’t have to stand around beforehand.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
What a culture day oyu had. And how odd that they start the concert early and there was no info. Image being on time and half is over but you paid for it. I would be pissed. But then I am not a concert goer so it wont hapen to me.
J
I know, weird, right? I think they changed the time from 9pm to 8pm, and then it took them 1/2 hour to get on stage, so they were both early AND late.
Melissa
We were in an UBER driving through the Tenderloin to the airport when we were in SF, and this guy flopped his penis out and urinated straight into the road as we were stopping at a traffic light. He was probably about a metre from our car so we had a view.
J
OMG, so gross. I saw a guy pooping on the sidewalk in Portland in July, which was too much to see.
Tierney
Belly! Such a throwback. I also thought it might be a restaurant when I saw the post title, but it sounds like a great concert- especially the second half!
J
There is a restaurant in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland named Belly. I WANT THEM TO GO THERE. In my mind, they did.
Tierney
I love this as the basis for a Fanfic story.
J
LOL! Could figure out what each member of the band ordered, etc.
San
What a great concert, Julie! So happy you got to go. I hear you on being in standing room only (although I generally enjoy these kinds of concerts more than sit-down venues, not the least because they’re usually smaller!) and I am glad you got a better spot/view after the break!
J
Thanks San, it was great!
StephLove
I don’t think I could handle a concert where you have to stand up anymore. I’d rather walk for hours than stand for hours.
J
I definitely do a lot better walking than standing!
Michelle G.
I’m glad you had a fun time at the concert! I have to admit that I’ve never heard of Belly. I listened to the clip, and had never heard that song either. Where have I been? I’ve read a few posts where people talked about The Tenderloin. I’ll have to look it up to see exactly where it is, so I don’t accidentally end up there when I go to San Francisco!
J
Yeah, San Francisco is pretty safe and has some great neighborhoods. This is not one of them.
Noemi
Yay for finding a good spot at the Great American! That really does change the experience there. I remember once seeing a show there VERY PREGNANT, and I finally found a spot to lean against something and I was so happy. The best is when you can sit along the railing at the top. I love those spots, but they are impossible to snag. Or expensive!
J
I saw people up there, and wondered, did they pay extra, or just get there first and run for it?
Daria
I don’t remember last time I went to a concert… My memory is giving me my FIRST convert I went to. It was Sugar Ray in the early aughts. It was packed and I was like, 19 years old, but it was great.
J
First concert memories! Nice. I have a few of those…early concerts I should say.