they can't all be winners

in the midst of my rewriting, i took a break tonight to attend another At the Concert Hall (formerly Live at the Rehearsal Hall) taping. it's been about 10 months since the last one for me, and tonight's artist was jann arden, whose last LATRH appearance several years ago was the first one i'd ever attended.

and, unfortunately, that last one was better. that one was amazing; this one was just good. and that's very rare for any LATRH/ATCH show... to have it just be okay. i mean, some of those shows have been the best concerts i've ever seen. and that includes all the merriment that came along with the mess that was the hinges and friends christmas spectacular.

i'm not sure what was "off" tonight, but there was a decidedly weird energy in the venue, and there were these awkward stretches of silence between set-ups where normally someone -- the host, the artist, the floor director, the audience -- is talking or making noise or what have you. it was just quiet. muted, both in performance onstage and excitement off it.

don't get me wrong, it was still entertaining and the music was great. it just felt curiously subdued and, for the first time in any LATRH/ATCH taping i've attended, they didn't reshoot a single song. as soon as jann finished her last tune and thanked the audience, the lights came up and people just started filing out. without even a goodbye from the floor director.

strange.