I like Riverbend. I can't stand the Coke Stage.
I've been going to concerts since I was 16, more than 40 years. As music writer at the Birmingham News in the '80s and '90s, it was my job to review concerts. In that context, I've seen about 1,000 shows in more than a dozen cities and about 30 venues.
Shawn RyanI have never seen a stage that's worse than Riverbend's Coca-Cola Stage. Never. And I've seen a stage that collapsed (it did so slowly and no one was hurt).
Riverbend officials insist people "love" the Coke Stage. I've never heard anyone say that. I've only heard complaints.
Several years ago, after watching St. Paul & the Broken Bones on that stage, I swore I would never see another act there. My disappointment actually hurt. I felt like I was in a different ZIP code.
And it wasn't just me. Lead singer Paul Janeway said, "I'm sorry we can't be closer to you." He's not the only act that has made such comments.
There is no intimacy with the Coke Stage, no transfer of energy or excitement between artist and audience. Both are vital parts of any concert experience that stick with you in a good way. Without them, there's an empty, distant feeling rather than a connection.
But making a connection is almost impossible when the closest audience member to the stage is about 30 yards away on the concrete steps out front. Well, that's true unless you consider the folks who sit on the grassy area right in front of the stage, craning their necks backward to get a glimpse up the lead singer's nose as he or she edges toward the front of the stage.
The main body of the audience, though, is at least 50 yards away on Riverfront Parkway and the grassy field behind it.
Sure, there are jumbo screens up there so you can see the performance, but why go to a live concert if you're going to watch it on TV? It seems that shows such as "American Idol" and "The Voice" have convinced many that a TV performance is a perfectly fine way to see a show.
This year, there are several Coke Stage acts that I'd like to see: Mother's Finest, Cameo, Boz Scaggs, the Flaming Lips, George Thorogood. But I won't.
I will be attending Riverbend to see Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers (he's the lead singer of the Refreshments, whose "Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy" is one of the great rock records ever), the Producers, Whiskey Myers, White Denim, Kenny Neal, Drivin' N' Cryin'. All on other stages.
As usual, I'm staying away from the Coke Stage. Always and forever.
Contact Shawn Ryan at mshawnryan@gmail.com.