By David Jordan Jr | Whatsgoodinsports.com
The final day of 2022 presented festive partygoers the opportunity to bring in the new year with one of the most iconic hip-hop musical groups of all time, The Roots. Playing two shows on December 31st, 2022 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Downtown Los Angeles, California, The Roots gave the audiences the ultimate display of showmanship, musicianship and energy on the eve of the new year.
Playing a combination of their most popular songs coupled with live instrumentation versions of various soulful hits from legendary artists such as Curtis Mayfield, Sade, Dr. Dre and Nate Dogg, and Erykah Badu, the crowd in attendance was able to go on a musical journey filled with love, life, and soul.
Esthetically The Walt Disney Concert Hall is a beauty to the eyes and the ears of attendees. Reminiscent of traditional concert and opera halls of the past, the Walt Disney Concert Hall is a great venue for performers to capture the crowd and put on a show. The elevated and essentially centered stage allows those in attendance to see the show without an obstructed view from any vantage point inside of the hall. The acoustics provide an amazing sound, which can give the attendee the same experience one would have listening to an album in the car, at home or on airpods. The lighting inside of the hall provides great viewing and the spotlights allow the performers to be clearly seen without a person having to squint or wonder who is being spotlighted.
The seating is narrow, somewhat similar to an airplane. Those that have aisle seats or front row seats in front of the stage could sit comfortably in comparison to a person sitting in the middle of the row, whether they are tall or of average height. There were a few times during the show that ushers came to make attendees sit down because of perceived “blocking the view of others,” which is something that was unfavorable at a show that had performers encouraging people to have a great time, wave their hands and dance. Reiterating people to sit is more understandable at an opera, jazz show or play; not at a hip-hop concert. The other present negative was the fact that you can not have drinks inside the music hall. This forced people to have to sit outside and drink their beverages, causing them to miss parts of the show. Having more big, outside monitors would ease the fact of not being able to drink inside and enjoy the show, especially considering the prices of the drinks.
For anybody attending a future show at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the venue will provide the ultimate musical experience; they will just have to be made totally aware of sitting policies (if applicable) and the drinking policies for the venue. Having insight about these things will help the attendee be mentally prepared and have the greatest experience.
