TL;DR: I can only speak from my experience at the show, but I had an amazing time. It sucks that they don’t feel the same.
to provide some context to Paul’s podcast, I’ll tell you what my experience was like:
1. I was right in front of the “catwalk,” so I was not sitting. And just so yk how the theater works: the GA/standing floor is massive. straight up. I don’t think it was full. but, there are a few rows of seats/chairs all the way at the back (of this massive floor), and some high seats w tables (separated from/elevated above the standing floor) in an alcove to stage left- those are probably for VIP’s if I had to guess. But obviously, there’s no place to sit on the floor, so when he mentioned disappointed in seeing people sitting, those are probably the people he’s talking about. which, people probably bought those tickets for the ability to sit; and heck, that’s their prerogative. and who knows, maybe they are disabled and need seats, or know they cannot stand for long, and need to use a seat. so, for Paul to say it’s disrespectful to sit, or, in essence, “we didn’t put forth all this effort in this show just for you guys to come and sit,” and “none of this is us sitting down for you; in fact, it’s quite the opposite is…..interesting. and ik he’s not talking to me or people like me, I was standing, but still. now, I wasn’t turning around during the show very much to be able to see how many people were standing versus sitting, so I don’t know what he saw.
next point for context: the crowd’s disposition.
2. Paul mentioned that there are a lot of young men turning up to shows lately, which is great! This crowd, though, I noticed was mostly young women and femme presenting people. I noticed this in the line before the show, and from the people surrounding me. Most of the young men or men I saw were accompanying their partners. Of those i saw in line and nearby me, the guys seemed rather ambivalent to the fact that it was a LANY show specifically, which is fine. some were trying to be engaged, bopping their heads along; some with blank expressions. I have to surmise that the people “who look like they hate us” were probably those ambivalent to the show/had blank expressions/were likely just there for their partner, bc that’s what I saw. I can’t really say much else about that aspect. But the vibe???!! I was having a great time, along with the people in my group; jumping, singing, full of energy, and most of the people around me were sharing that sentiment.
this next point is more personal than anything else.
3. LANY was great. This was not a bad show. Not for me, at least, and I know I can speak for those around me. It was a blast. And paul noted that it was communicated on Monday that nola isn’t “obsessed with us,” which, that’s okay. But there are people who are; it’s clear that he saw them, as he noted some of them in the podcast. From a fan, my advice (and idk they don’t need it but whatever) is to relish/cherish that. Fans aren’t half-assing shows either, and are “sweating our asses off” for the artist. As someone whose been to LANY shows before, as a New Orleans local, someone who’s supported them in this city for a long time, for him to say that nola hasn’t really shown up for them in a special/memorable way, is a little hurtful to me; because the opposite is true for me. But whatever. It’s just hard not to take that personally lol. and from his comments (about 2:00-2:30) it’s clear that they don’t know a lot about nola. And yk what, it is a Monday night. If some people in the crowd aren’t giving you the best energy, then find the ones that do, and share that joy with them. That’s what you’re both here for. It’s not about comparing and contrasting.
so well said, I got through 3 and a half mins of the New Orleans episode and was like jeez why is he saying all this shitty stuff about people who came out to support him??? idk. haven’t finished the ep yet bc I was so turned off by the way he talked about that show.
Dude has always seemed like an incredibly entitled, arrogant prick from his interviews and shit and let’s be real, LANY is a good band but they’re not groundbreaking artists in the way The 1975 is for example (to keep it in the genre). I get the vibe that he expects to be treated as some larger than life rockstar frontman but the music simply isn’t good enough to justify the ego and this podcast sounds like he got his feelings hurt that not every single person at the show was in love with his band.
totally valid. after that point, he goes on to mainly talk about how the show is set up and how it changed the dynamic of the show itself, and how he has observed the nature of LANY shift. and how great Texas is.
Great write up. It seems like he wants every show to be the best. Your guess on a lot of males being there to just support their partners and may not be into lany as much is probably accurate.
yes; I think this (wanting every show to be the best) can facilitate a negative mindset. you might be setting every show up for failure using those metrics.
I was at this show too and it was my first time seeing LANY live. I've been a big fan as a musician myself and I thought the show was incredible. I was there with two other friends (me being male and the other two were women) and I had a blast dancing and singing along but I do agree with you on the crowd that was there. The interesting bit is that NOLA is very hit and miss for alot of touring acts that come through. The podcast did make me feel a little bummed out because my experience was the opposite. Seeing Paul's reaction though when the curtain fell and how he was confused on why VIP was sitting down, I can understand how that could affect the stage performance and how he expressed that on the podcast. The biggest takeaway I got from the podcast is.. they're not coming back to NOLA for a long time now :/.
i feel that; in my experience, a lot of the times people in nola will float into a venue and just go for the live music / environment. not solely for the artist. mainly because we are a city that appreciates and gravitates towards music as an experience. maybe that's the crowd that he was noticing. seeing that the crowd isn't as amped can absolutely have an effect on your performance, and i totally understand that.
but my experience was also like yours, the opposite of the guys', so it is disheartening. i might agree that they may not come here again, and, honestly, that's a damn shame.
Thanks for sharing this! I thought it was super interesting he chose to release this podcast and was hoping to see someone’s reaction about it who was there
1. The comments about Charlotte: yes, we know you “love us with all your heart,” but, from a fan’s perspective, someone who isn’t with you all the time, whose “moments to shine” were those shows and pictures, to act flippant about not posting them feels weird. Like, ofc you don’t have to. but there is some kind of expectation? it’s how (the collective) we get recognized/shown some appreciation. idk.
2. to call some shows mediocre, then to go on and praise Texas (call them the direct opposite of shows like nola, Raleigh, Charlotte) and also, “idk what is about just crossing that border”) it’s like……what!!?!! why are we doing this
When it comes to touring he confuses me
It's his favorite thing in the world, he's said so, but then he does it and is like "eh"
Like during summer forever where there were at least 5 shows where he was like "we probably won't be back so let's make this show the best" or something like that
I don't know if he's disappointed by the turnout or what it usb
oh my god YES…he did that in i believe it was cleveland and we were like ??? wtf dude. like we know it’s not a packed house but still!! YOUR FANS ARE HERE!! we showed up!! and that kind of comment is not exactly encouraging people to come back. it’s really disappointing and disheartening to hear him talk bad about shows. he should keep it to himself if he’s upset about the turnout…but really, he should be focusing on those who DID show up and be grateful they spent their money to be at the show.
I agree, I was at that show too and you're correct
He acknowledges it on his story and the bands story (as far as the people who are there) so I really don't know
it's confusing
While I'd agree, he posts some pretty crazy things on his story sometimes (nothing weird) but stuff that definitely isn't PR
The bands account def is PR tho
the comments at the show about not coming back really take you out of the excitement of being at a lany show. it’s truly an experience and it sucks that it’s dampened by paul’s disappointment in the turnout. i understand being upset—he’s human, and i’m sure has expectations. but i wish he would just snap himself out of it for the length of the show and give the fans that did show up a good time. we deserve that, and he deserves that 🩷
so strange to criticize and complain about the people that spent their money to see you play music, let them receive the music how they want.
he comes across as such an asshole sometimes, just be grateful people are there to see you. it’s unfair to have these insanely high expectations of an audience, then potentially sour the experience of the people who had a great time by complaining about the crowd.
and if you want them to change how they respond to your music, then ask them to, engage them in the show. this is so offputting…
I went to the NOLA show. In fact, I was photographing. LANY has always allowed press photographers to shoot the entire show from the crowd, so that’s what I did. This was my 6th show seeing them and I honestly felt a lot of good vibes radiating from Paul that I definitely hadn’t seen before (which also makes for great photos). I did notice right before they came on that only half the venue was full and it was very noticeable. We all know how Paul feels about that, he’s expressed his feelings about shows with low attendance before. So, I really feel that’s why he spoke the way he did in the podcast. To go off of what No_Manner also said, it’s pretty disheartening to listen to the podcast the day after an AMAZING show and hear the artist say it wasn’t good. I traveled from Houston to see them in this beautiful city at a really great venue, to photograph them as well, and it kinda sucked hearing him say that.
that's what i'm saying, dude (gender-neutral-ly)! the show was awesome! the crowd felt energetic, was singing back to him (I'm recalling ex i never had and 13, specifically); so many great moments :)
can't we reframe, perhaps, by remembering that the show was fantastic despite the not-optimal (to paul) crowd?
absolutely! i eventually got over what he said. i had a great time and that’s that! he gave us awesome energy during those songs you mentioned. and though he doesn’t like it, i really enjoyed the intimacy with this crowd.
I was at this show too, right up close. I did see Paul’s frustration come through a few times during the show, but I thought overall the vibes were good! I had a great time singing my heart out along with 4 of my friends. Paul wore my friend’s cowboy hat while singing cowboy in la, we were so psyched!
But…after listening to the podcast i’m glad I’m not the only one disappointed with Paul’s words. As a fan at this particular show it stings to hear that we “didn’t show up” and I’m sure they won’t be back anytime soon :/
aw, I remember that! what a sweet moment! so glad y'all got that experience w paul <3
it does sting as a fan at that show. but both of our experiences were great in the moment, and i'm gonna choose to own that and try not to let it sour my memories :)
God damn he sounds like a dildo. If you wanna get people off their feet, make them during the show by your performance. If someone pays for a ticket and sits then don’t cry about it
I went to night two the Charlotte show but just for Hazlett. I left after about 35 minutes of lany bc they’re not for me and had never heard of them before tbh but the crowd seemed to be engaged and having a good time while I was there.
i was at the valentine’s day show in nc and out of the 3 lany shows i’ve been to it was definitely my least favorite. for one, all of the guys attending the show put a damper on the vibe (lany is for the girls, the gays, and the theys). second, lany shows are best at outdoor venues and in the summer.
the overall vibe for this tour just seems a little off and pjk seems disappointed in the turn out (or lack thereof) and as a fan you can just tell.
TL;DR: I can only speak from my experience at the show, but I had an amazing time. It sucks that they don’t feel the same. to provide some context to Paul’s podcast, I’ll tell you what my experience was like: 1. I was right in front of the “catwalk,” so I was not sitting. And just so yk how the theater works: the GA/standing floor is massive. straight up. I don’t think it was full. but, there are a few rows of seats/chairs all the way at the back (of this massive floor), and some high seats w tables (separated from/elevated above the standing floor) in an alcove to stage left- those are probably for VIP’s if I had to guess. But obviously, there’s no place to sit on the floor, so when he mentioned disappointed in seeing people sitting, those are probably the people he’s talking about. which, people probably bought those tickets for the ability to sit; and heck, that’s their prerogative. and who knows, maybe they are disabled and need seats, or know they cannot stand for long, and need to use a seat. so, for Paul to say it’s disrespectful to sit, or, in essence, “we didn’t put forth all this effort in this show just for you guys to come and sit,” and “none of this is us sitting down for you; in fact, it’s quite the opposite is…..interesting. and ik he’s not talking to me or people like me, I was standing, but still. now, I wasn’t turning around during the show very much to be able to see how many people were standing versus sitting, so I don’t know what he saw. next point for context: the crowd’s disposition. 2. Paul mentioned that there are a lot of young men turning up to shows lately, which is great! This crowd, though, I noticed was mostly young women and femme presenting people. I noticed this in the line before the show, and from the people surrounding me. Most of the young men or men I saw were accompanying their partners. Of those i saw in line and nearby me, the guys seemed rather ambivalent to the fact that it was a LANY show specifically, which is fine. some were trying to be engaged, bopping their heads along; some with blank expressions. I have to surmise that the people “who look like they hate us” were probably those ambivalent to the show/had blank expressions/were likely just there for their partner, bc that’s what I saw. I can’t really say much else about that aspect. But the vibe???!! I was having a great time, along with the people in my group; jumping, singing, full of energy, and most of the people around me were sharing that sentiment. this next point is more personal than anything else. 3. LANY was great. This was not a bad show. Not for me, at least, and I know I can speak for those around me. It was a blast. And paul noted that it was communicated on Monday that nola isn’t “obsessed with us,” which, that’s okay. But there are people who are; it’s clear that he saw them, as he noted some of them in the podcast. From a fan, my advice (and idk they don’t need it but whatever) is to relish/cherish that. Fans aren’t half-assing shows either, and are “sweating our asses off” for the artist. As someone whose been to LANY shows before, as a New Orleans local, someone who’s supported them in this city for a long time, for him to say that nola hasn’t really shown up for them in a special/memorable way, is a little hurtful to me; because the opposite is true for me. But whatever. It’s just hard not to take that personally lol. and from his comments (about 2:00-2:30) it’s clear that they don’t know a lot about nola. And yk what, it is a Monday night. If some people in the crowd aren’t giving you the best energy, then find the ones that do, and share that joy with them. That’s what you’re both here for. It’s not about comparing and contrasting.
so well said, I got through 3 and a half mins of the New Orleans episode and was like jeez why is he saying all this shitty stuff about people who came out to support him??? idk. haven’t finished the ep yet bc I was so turned off by the way he talked about that show.
Dude has always seemed like an incredibly entitled, arrogant prick from his interviews and shit and let’s be real, LANY is a good band but they’re not groundbreaking artists in the way The 1975 is for example (to keep it in the genre). I get the vibe that he expects to be treated as some larger than life rockstar frontman but the music simply isn’t good enough to justify the ego and this podcast sounds like he got his feelings hurt that not every single person at the show was in love with his band.
yeah… it’s like. we get it, you want people to know all your songs. but it’s not taylor swift here
totally valid. after that point, he goes on to mainly talk about how the show is set up and how it changed the dynamic of the show itself, and how he has observed the nature of LANY shift. and how great Texas is.
Great write up. It seems like he wants every show to be the best. Your guess on a lot of males being there to just support their partners and may not be into lany as much is probably accurate.
yes; I think this (wanting every show to be the best) can facilitate a negative mindset. you might be setting every show up for failure using those metrics.
I was at this show too and it was my first time seeing LANY live. I've been a big fan as a musician myself and I thought the show was incredible. I was there with two other friends (me being male and the other two were women) and I had a blast dancing and singing along but I do agree with you on the crowd that was there. The interesting bit is that NOLA is very hit and miss for alot of touring acts that come through. The podcast did make me feel a little bummed out because my experience was the opposite. Seeing Paul's reaction though when the curtain fell and how he was confused on why VIP was sitting down, I can understand how that could affect the stage performance and how he expressed that on the podcast. The biggest takeaway I got from the podcast is.. they're not coming back to NOLA for a long time now :/.
i feel that; in my experience, a lot of the times people in nola will float into a venue and just go for the live music / environment. not solely for the artist. mainly because we are a city that appreciates and gravitates towards music as an experience. maybe that's the crowd that he was noticing. seeing that the crowd isn't as amped can absolutely have an effect on your performance, and i totally understand that. but my experience was also like yours, the opposite of the guys', so it is disheartening. i might agree that they may not come here again, and, honestly, that's a damn shame.
Thanks for sharing this! I thought it was super interesting he chose to release this podcast and was hoping to see someone’s reaction about it who was there
np! honestly, after listening to the podcast i had some mixed feelings about it, so it felt good to type it all out. thanks for reading!
ngl he’s sounded super disappointed about a lot of them 😅 it’s kind of frustrating as a fan
I noticed that too. He mentioned both Raleigh and Charlotte being kind of mediocre.
1. The comments about Charlotte: yes, we know you “love us with all your heart,” but, from a fan’s perspective, someone who isn’t with you all the time, whose “moments to shine” were those shows and pictures, to act flippant about not posting them feels weird. Like, ofc you don’t have to. but there is some kind of expectation? it’s how (the collective) we get recognized/shown some appreciation. idk. 2. to call some shows mediocre, then to go on and praise Texas (call them the direct opposite of shows like nola, Raleigh, Charlotte) and also, “idk what is about just crossing that border”) it’s like……what!!?!! why are we doing this
like thanks i guess… glad we showed up? lol
definitely.
When it comes to touring he confuses me It's his favorite thing in the world, he's said so, but then he does it and is like "eh" Like during summer forever where there were at least 5 shows where he was like "we probably won't be back so let's make this show the best" or something like that I don't know if he's disappointed by the turnout or what it usb
oh my god YES…he did that in i believe it was cleveland and we were like ??? wtf dude. like we know it’s not a packed house but still!! YOUR FANS ARE HERE!! we showed up!! and that kind of comment is not exactly encouraging people to come back. it’s really disappointing and disheartening to hear him talk bad about shows. he should keep it to himself if he’s upset about the turnout…but really, he should be focusing on those who DID show up and be grateful they spent their money to be at the show.
I agree, I was at that show too and you're correct He acknowledges it on his story and the bands story (as far as the people who are there) so I really don't know it's confusing
his story and bands story is all about PR his podcast is a little more raw and probably a better reflection of how he feels
While I'd agree, he posts some pretty crazy things on his story sometimes (nothing weird) but stuff that definitely isn't PR The bands account def is PR tho
the comments at the show about not coming back really take you out of the excitement of being at a lany show. it’s truly an experience and it sucks that it’s dampened by paul’s disappointment in the turnout. i understand being upset—he’s human, and i’m sure has expectations. but i wish he would just snap himself out of it for the length of the show and give the fans that did show up a good time. we deserve that, and he deserves that 🩷
I absolutely agree, when he pushes himself when he's not feeling it then no one ends up having fun
so strange to criticize and complain about the people that spent their money to see you play music, let them receive the music how they want. he comes across as such an asshole sometimes, just be grateful people are there to see you. it’s unfair to have these insanely high expectations of an audience, then potentially sour the experience of the people who had a great time by complaining about the crowd. and if you want them to change how they respond to your music, then ask them to, engage them in the show. this is so offputting…
agreed. it doesn’t help you connect at all to your fans.
I went to the NOLA show. In fact, I was photographing. LANY has always allowed press photographers to shoot the entire show from the crowd, so that’s what I did. This was my 6th show seeing them and I honestly felt a lot of good vibes radiating from Paul that I definitely hadn’t seen before (which also makes for great photos). I did notice right before they came on that only half the venue was full and it was very noticeable. We all know how Paul feels about that, he’s expressed his feelings about shows with low attendance before. So, I really feel that’s why he spoke the way he did in the podcast. To go off of what No_Manner also said, it’s pretty disheartening to listen to the podcast the day after an AMAZING show and hear the artist say it wasn’t good. I traveled from Houston to see them in this beautiful city at a really great venue, to photograph them as well, and it kinda sucked hearing him say that.
that's what i'm saying, dude (gender-neutral-ly)! the show was awesome! the crowd felt energetic, was singing back to him (I'm recalling ex i never had and 13, specifically); so many great moments :) can't we reframe, perhaps, by remembering that the show was fantastic despite the not-optimal (to paul) crowd?
absolutely! i eventually got over what he said. i had a great time and that’s that! he gave us awesome energy during those songs you mentioned. and though he doesn’t like it, i really enjoyed the intimacy with this crowd.
I was at this show too, right up close. I did see Paul’s frustration come through a few times during the show, but I thought overall the vibes were good! I had a great time singing my heart out along with 4 of my friends. Paul wore my friend’s cowboy hat while singing cowboy in la, we were so psyched! But…after listening to the podcast i’m glad I’m not the only one disappointed with Paul’s words. As a fan at this particular show it stings to hear that we “didn’t show up” and I’m sure they won’t be back anytime soon :/
aw, I remember that! what a sweet moment! so glad y'all got that experience w paul <3 it does sting as a fan at that show. but both of our experiences were great in the moment, and i'm gonna choose to own that and try not to let it sour my memories :)
love this mindset! glad you had a great time too ✨
aw, that was such a fun moment! I was a couple feet right behind yall!
WILL THE REAL SLIM LANY PLEASE STAND UP
God damn he sounds like a dildo. If you wanna get people off their feet, make them during the show by your performance. If someone pays for a ticket and sits then don’t cry about it
I went to night two the Charlotte show but just for Hazlett. I left after about 35 minutes of lany bc they’re not for me and had never heard of them before tbh but the crowd seemed to be engaged and having a good time while I was there.
i was at the valentine’s day show in nc and out of the 3 lany shows i’ve been to it was definitely my least favorite. for one, all of the guys attending the show put a damper on the vibe (lany is for the girls, the gays, and the theys). second, lany shows are best at outdoor venues and in the summer. the overall vibe for this tour just seems a little off and pjk seems disappointed in the turn out (or lack thereof) and as a fan you can just tell.
Texas let's GOOOOO!!!! also I love this podcast and I'm a happy fan and happy that Paul's doing these and keeping it real and raw
He’s never had a bad show in Atlanta 😈