Whats better to see rock live - Arena or Club
 

Whats better to see a rock show - a big arena with 40k people or a club like house of blues that's an intimate setting?

Never been to a big arena rock show. Club prices are certainly better.

i personally prefer clubs and small venues, seems like the artists work harder at those shows for some reason

Club - by an order of magnitude.

Especially if you're seeing the kind of band that can fill a 1000-1500 person venue. You'll walk out feeling like you had a much more intimate performance than whatever you'd have with 10 times as many people crowded into an arena.

You're also far more likely to experience spontaneous / random stuff at a club show than in an arena. Arena shows a 'serious business' there's lot of money involved in organizing and orchestrating the show. There's little to no room to deviate from the plan that was laid out in the contract. That's not to say club shows are unprofessional, far from it, but in a club you're more likely to experience a band that's either relaxing from its typical arena style and enjoying themselves on stage or an up and comer trying to prove itself.

Ultimately it really depends on what you like. If you enjoy the idea of watching a disconnected but technically brilliantly executed performance you'll probably like the arena. If you prefer a little more intimacy in your live shows then most definitely head for the club (and stand close to the sound guy booth if you can - usually has a clear view to the stage and the BEST sound in the venue).

Definitely club. The only negative about a club that I can think of is sometimes you can get your view blocked by the massive crowd. Luckily, I'm tall and never have that problem. At the arenas, that's not as likely to happen, considering the seats are stadium style.

What about a theater? I recently attended a show at a small, old school (built in the 20's) theater - the Majestic in Dallas - and it was great. I was at the front of the balcony and my view was amazing. I was practically right on top of the stage.

I'd be shocked if anyone votes arena since they're just the necessary evil you have to put up with if you want to see a really popular band. Clubs offer a better experience in every possible way. For one thing, they're obviously more intimate and you can actually see on what's going on on stage. They're also a hell of a lot cheaper and not just the ticket price, but the price of alcohol is generally cheaper than at an arena. On the subject of alcohol, clubs generally have full bars, unlike arenas, so you get more selection too. Clubs are also easier: lines are shorter, you're more likely to be able to get there by public transportation, and there's no massive wait in the parking lot when everyone's coming or going at the same time. Additionally, clubs have an open floor plan without assigned seating which means you're not stuck standing between between rows of fixed seating and can actually go watch the show from where ever you want, including right in front of the stage, at no extra charge. Lastly, the crowd is usually better at clubs, as it's generally people who are really, really into the band, unlike arena shows, which tend to be more of a mixed bag.

I agree with the^above also. I think a lot of the major bands and artist prefer the club scene as well. At least in the sense, as being a breakaway from the constant touring of the arenas anyway. It seems like it would be more up close and personal.

Both have good merits. I saw Baroness, Lamb of God and Metallica at Acer Arena, which was awesome, in fact it was as good as I could possibly imagine it being. However I saw The Chariot play in a pub in my town which was AMAZING, so much stage diving and whatever. I think that what kind of band it is will depend on what venue and how popular they are as well. It can be said that both are 1000x better than outdoor concerts.

I've seen great shows in both settings. The thing about arena shows is that I always get excellent seats - if I'm going to one, I'm sure to be right up there near the stage. This has probably aided my enjoyment of the shows. Phish shows are wonderful arena shows because they're an improvisation heavy band by nature, so you're not necessarily losing spontaneity in the large arena setting. They don't make setlists before the show. System of a Down were just an experience, so I was down with the arena setting. Smaller shows I've seen though, including Gov't Mule, Dark Star Orchestra, The Queers, Lemuria, Bomb! The Music Industry, etc. have been fantastic.

I seriously like both. I just like the experience, the people I meet there, the haze of smoke and smell of booze and sweat. Ahh concerts.

I've been to both kinds of venues and I've always found myself enjoying sweaty club shows more. Most importantly, as Janz has already pointed out, the booze is more plentiful and more reasonably priced ($7 for a cup of Budwiser? Fuck off). A smaller venue creates a far more intimate feeling that one cannot replicate at an arena. I've found this especially true with hip hop shows (the only shows I've been to this year), if you get into the right groove the audience almost becomes this amorphous mass that moves as one to the beat. Both of the major arena shows I've been to (Green Day and The Police) left me... unsatisfied. In fact the night before I saw the Police a friend and I went to this little crappy club in the industrial district of San Francisco to see Danko Jones and a two no-name acts and it was one best shows I've ever been too, and it only cost me $15, as opposed to the arm and a leg (someone elses mind you) for The Police.