November 2014 – All Access Pass

This Week’s Tour Announcements

The Foo Fighters, Jhene Aiko, and Wale are all heading on the road for tours.Wale’s SIMPLE MOBILE Simply Nothing Tour was the first to hit the net this week.The D.C. rapper will be making 30 concert stops all over the continental U.S. From it’s title one can infer that the tour may focus on his upcoming release Album About Nothing as well as the mixtapes that precede it. Wale will kickoff the tour on New Year’s Day in Maryland and end on February 19th in Virginia. He’ll be hitting NYC on January 10th at Irving Plaza.

This week has also come with news about Jhene Aiko’s Enter The Void Tour. “The Pressure” has announced that TDE’s SZA and Odd Future affiliated The Internet will be joining her on tour. Aiko, SZA, and The Internet will be making 13 stops. This combination should make for a wavey tour. Their NYC stop will be on December 3rd at Best Buy Theater.

Coming off of the release of their latest album Sonic Highways The Foo Fighters have announced a tour that will need a lot of those. The tour will span from the beginning of July to the beginning of October. There NYC stop will be at Citi Field on July 16th.

At A Glance: The Lady with the Pass

I know this blog is supposed to be about concerts and having access to them in the right way but up until now I haven’t really explained why this is even important to me or why you should listen to me. For this post will explore my Instagram feed to find out why.

On a good day I may post a poem excerpt or a funny revelation, but on a very good day there will be something live performance related.

One of my first posts was this one.

http://instagram.com/p/hvAQ7LLuxA/?modal=true

Yeah you read that right Lupe Fiasco replied to me on Twitter. But it more so about what I said in the tweet than the fact that he replied. I missed the other half of his set because I can’t take the train with my wheelchair. So when 11:00p.m. hit I had to leave because the last bus back to BK left at 11:45p.m. If I didn’t leave then I would been stuck in the city, struggling to find an accessible taxi that would probably cost me more than the ticket itself. You guess must be wondering if I sitting front row the next night. Well, the short answer to that question is no. The long answer is even if I wanted to I’d be stuck in the same situation as I was the day before. You may be thinking, “But what about Access-A-Ride?” AAR is no help when the reservation cutoff is 5p.m. the night before.Ultimately, I missed the Tetsuo & Youth preview part but I still got to see Stalley and Dee-1. A concertgoer like me has to look at the glass have full.

This next post gives you a glimpse into why stuff like this is so important to me.

http://instagram.com/p/iffk3wruzG/?modal=true

I’m an aspiring music journalist with a focus on hip-hop who also knows how to rhyme. So although going to concerts may be a leisurely activity I see them as a source of professional development. After all music journalists cover shows.

In this picture of ASAP Rocky I was doing just that.
http://instagram.com/p/imK-cCruxR/?modal=true
I was covering Power 105.1’s Powerhouse at the Barclays Center, one of the most accessible friendly venues I’ve been to yet. One can literally sit anywhere in the venue and be able to see the show. My sister still swears Trey Songz was looking right at her.

The same cannot be said for every venue though. The dude pictured below is The Weeknd. In October of 2013 I went to see him at Radio City Music Hall but once everyone stood up I couldn’t see him at all. $75 felt lost.
http://instagram.com/p/tgNeIVru0z/?modal=true

My friend Janae weren’t letting this experience beat me though. I bought tickets to the King of the Fall Tour, this time he was at Barclay’s and I wasn’t blinded by tall people.
http://instagram.com/p/psjlqELu6B/?modal=true

This next picture captures my love for music and festivals at the same time. That’s Chance The Rapper next to me, one of my favorite lyricists. I had the pleasure of meeting him at GovBall. As a volunteer his set was my first and best set. (I would say that even if I didn’t meet him.)
http://instagram.com/p/pAbBchLuyM/?modal=true

The wristband on my hand in this one is symbolic of how much I love J. Cole’s music as well as of how I drove all the way to the Highline from school and got wet in the rain.
http://instagram.com/p/qhe6chru6t/?modal=true

This picture is about me testing my musical ear. To put it simply Mad Decent is an electronic music festival. It also hoe going to a EDM festival, where being on the ground didn’t scare me.

http://instagram.com/p/rgCxAMLu2b/?modal=true

So there you have it, a little about me through my Instagram feed.

Tips and Tricks: 5 Things to Do Before or After a Concert

Call The Venue

Before you even purchase the ticket(s) make sure to call the venue in regards to accessibility. Then acquire about accommodations. If these are fitting to you buy the ticket, if they aren’t then you have a decision to make. Music or comfort?

Know Where The Bathrooms Are Before The Show Starts

If you know where the bathrooms are before the show begins you won’t have to go through the hassle of finding someone to tell you in the middle of the show, which could prove difficult in dark venues.

For the Power Wheelchair Users Out There CHARGE YOUR CHAIR

This one is pretty self-explanatory, you don’t want your chair to die in the middle of the show. Unless that’s how you measure how awesome the show was.

Always Have Someone to Call or a Back Up Plan

If your chair does indeed die or you miss your ride make you sure you have a back up plan or someone to call to help get your chair moving. Be prepared for the unknown.

Have Ways Of Getting Home

Concerts are notorious for ending late, so be sure to account for that lateness when you’re booking your ride home. You may be asking, “How do I do this?” Well, one thing you can do is call the box office and ask for estimated end time. Also if you’ve been to the venue a few times you may be able to gage when the show will end. If you forgot to call Access-A-Ride or didn’t time it right don’t fret, Google Maps and Wow Taxi are your friends. Google Maps can tell you how to get home using the bus or the train. But if like me ( a non-train user) buses both express and local come in handy. If you’ve missed the last bus, WOW Taxi is your best bet. It’s an app that dispatches accessible taxies to wherever you are. The only thing is that it only picks up in Manhattan but does take you elsewhere.