November 1st, 2014 Written by PR | Comments Off on 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.
October 20th, 2014 Written by PR | Comments Off on At a Glance: Terminal 5
The above screen shot is a rating of Terminal from TripAdvisor. The title of the review is in quotes to suggest sarcasm. Although Terminal 5 is accessible in theory the user describes an inaccessible experience. He and his wheelchair-bound friend were told to arrive early so that they could be let in first. Not necessarily a effort to get prime seating, but at as a safety precaution. That didn’t happen. Can imagine trying to propel your wheelchair while avoiding being pummeled? It can be pretty horrid.
He then goes on to talk about where safety precaution should be thought along with show viewings. A rope separated handicapped patrons from the rest of the concertgoers leaving him and his friend with limited viewing. There was also a complaint about somebody not handicapped being in the area. These to problems go hand and hand most times. Physically challenged patrons desire to experience the concert in the same way as everyone else, but many (definitely not all) are also concerned about their safety. To combat this a venue like Terminal 5 should give patrons an option regarding where they sit or find a better place to put patrons like us.
He then mentioned something I have yet to experience. Friends of patrons were told that they were not allowed to sit on the chairs in the area. The reviewer recalls a security guard saying, “the chairs that were there were not for me, that this area is not for you people it is for them.” One would think that would allow friends to sit, but not in Terminal 5’s case.
Looking at it from a glance, it may be safe to say not to set high expectations for Terminal 5 if you’re on wheels, crutches, or sporting a cane. If you don’t care about being able to see, then this may be the place to be.
October 20th, 2014 Written by PR | Comments Off on At a Glance: Terminal 5
The above screen shot is a rating of Terminal from TripAdvisor. The title of the review is in quotes to suggest sarcasm. Although Terminal 5 is accessible in theory the user describes an inaccessible experience. He and his wheelchair-bound friend were told to arrive early so that they could be let in first. Not necessarily a effort to get prime seating, but at as a safety precaution. That didn’t happen. Can imagine trying to propel your wheelchair while avoiding being pummeled? It can be pretty horrid.
He then goes on to talk about where safety precaution should be thought along with show viewings. A rope separated handicapped patrons from the rest of the concertgoers leaving him and his friend with limited viewing. There was also a complaint about somebody not handicapped being in the area. These to problems go hand and hand most times. Physically challenged patrons desire to experience the concert in the same way as everyone else, but many (definitely not all) are also concerned about their safety. To combat this a venue like Terminal 5 should give patrons an option regarding where they sit or find a better place to put patrons like us.
He then mentioned something I have yet to experience. Friends of patrons were told that they were not allowed to sit on the chairs in the area. The reviewer recalls a security guard saying, “the chairs that were there were not for me, that this area is not for you people it is for them.” One would think that would allow friends to sit, but not in Terminal 5’s case.
Looking at it from a glance, it may be safe to say not to set high expectations for Terminal 5 if you’re on wheels, crutches, or sporting a cane. If you don’t care about being able to see, then this may be the place to be.
October 20th, 2014 Written by PR | Comments Off on At a Glance: Terminal 5
The above screen shot is a rating of Terminal from TripAdvisor. The title of the review is in quotes to suggest sarcasm. Although Terminal 5 is accessible in theory the user describes an inaccessible experience. He and his wheelchair-bound friend were told to arrive early so that they could be let in first. Not necessarily a effort to get prime seating, but at as a safety precaution. That didn’t happen. Can imagine trying to propel your wheelchair while avoiding being pummeled? It can be pretty horrid.
He then goes on to talk about where safety precaution should be thought along with show viewings. A rope separated handicapped patrons from the rest of the concertgoers leaving him and his friend with limited viewing. There was also a complaint about somebody not handicapped being in the area. These to problems go hand and hand most times. Physically challenged patrons desire to experience the concert in the same way as everyone else, but many (definitely not all) are also concerned about their safety. To combat this a venue like Terminal 5 should give patrons an option regarding where they sit or find a better place to put patrons like us.
He then mentioned something I have yet to experience. Friends of patrons were told that they were not allowed to sit on the chairs in the area. The reviewer recalls a security guard saying, “the chairs that were there were not for me, that this area is not for you people it is for them.” One would think that would allow friends to sit, but not in Terminal 5’s case.
Looking at it from a glance, it may be safe to say not to set high expectations for Terminal 5 if you’re on wheels, crutches, or sporting a cane. If you don’t care about being able to see, then this may be the place to be.
October 19th, 2014 Written by PR | Comments Off on Venue Review: Big K.R.I.T Talks Cadillactica at New World Stages for CRWN
via WatchLoud
On Oct. 1, two mavens, one in the realm of music journalism and the other in the rap game, came together for yet another edition of CRWN, a music interview series. Elliott Wilson and Big K.R.I.T. (King Remembered In Time) sat down at New World Stages in New York City for an in depth discussion about K.R.I.T’s artistry and his upcoming album Cadillactica.
New World Stages is a venue with a number of theaters. Their elevator, although functional, might prove to be small for some with wider wheelchair frames. Access to the theater was pretty straight forward, however if seated in the handicapped area the patron may become hot because of heat from equipment above. Granted the feeling did go away after a while, but the venue should consider better placement of that equipment next time around. Despite that, the area does allow for a great viewing of the stage but that surely hold true for every other seat in the house.
Which is a great thing because the interview that took place over the next hour was a sight worth seeing, regardless if you’re a hip-hop fan or not. The interview began with a humorous shot at K.R.I.T’s attire and almost immediately delved into Cadilactica. At the basis K.R.IT describes his upcoming studio effort as his conscious mind that manifests as a planet named Cadillactica.
“I take you through the life, from the beginning of life, being young and rambunctious in life, getting to that point in life when you start remembering what being young was like and wanting that back. Then getting to that point where you’re like I’m not young anymore, I need to accept that and start tyrna find what’s my purpose now, ” is how K.R.I.T. explains what the tracks on Cadillactica represent.
He then goes on to explain how some of the songs may seem obscure to long time listeners. The rest of the interview itself focused on how K.R.I.T. developed as a rapper and a man, his use of samples, his reputation in the game, working with legendary musicians like B.B. King, and a bunch more that made for a humbling and reflective experience for those in the audience. Ultimately, Big K.R.I.T. will be remembered in time—his music is timeless.
Watch the interview 2-part interview below and be sure to peep his title track “Cadillatica” below as well.
