Glass Animals put on a great show at Earl Warren on Sunday, September 20, but what many will remember more than their show is the wait to see the band. In the bloated heat of the night, the line to get into the venue sluggishly snaked at the average pace of an hour-plus waiting time for an exasperated many.
With 1,800 in attendance, it’s possible the sudden surge of attendees was more than show organizers Red Eye Presents, Music Is Love, and The Goodland Hotel had anticipated; they would do well to post an earlier door time for future events. But it’s also a sign of other, larger trends in music. As every scene becomes Coachella-fied, the demand for massive events falls upon towns lacking appropriate venues or crowd management precedents. Securities, too, have tightened. As a wearied officer explained to those in line, thorough searches like these happen because of past tragedies, like when an 18-year-old girl fatally overdosed on heroin at a previous concert he had guarded. “Don’t do drugs tonight,” he insisted.
The headliners were pushed to a start time of 11 p.m., dulling some buzzes. But there was a bright side: the fuse of tension exploded into a lively show. No doubt the long buildup fueled them, too. “Thank you for waiting, Santa Barbara,” lead singer Dave Bayley said. “We promise to play our hearts out.”