My visit to the Tower

One last post on the Tower, as promised, adding some spare data to what can already be found in this blog after my visit there. I’m also posting more photos from the inside/outside (one of them of seats in the PIT, the first two rows had different ones though), I'm afraid the pics are not good/arty at all but when the concert was over I wasn't very much in the photo-taking mood. This post is based on my experience, so things could be very different as time passes by or other circumstances change.

I really liked the Tower, it has some special glow and it’s like you step back in time when you enter (the inside set up is still fully 30’s).You can nicely hang around before and during the concert either in the main hall, which is fairly big (on one side there’s a bar with a few stools) or upstairs (I liked that one better, it has very comfortable sofas and little TVs where you can see what’s going on onstage). Things you’ll find in the bar: food (pretzels, pop corn, a little weird things for a concert) and drinks (beer was very popular that day, cost about $6; Coke, etc 2 or 3 dollars).
The place is in good shape though some things are too worn (tough to maintain). This place has a personality of its own, and the profusion of mouldings and marble columns everywhere, the signs (all in a very Mucha-like symbolism stylish letters) and the ample stairways make it a very beautiful one.
The personnel were nice, and would happily answer questions; they also let me go look to all the levels and peek around (except the “forbidden doors”, which had serious tagged men posted before them). The sound was very good but I was not a good judge as I was in the pit (best place to be, if you ask me). Nobody asked if I was carrying a camera or said anything about it, and people were flashing their cameras inside all the time even before the concert (I believe it depends on each artist's instructions ). But people who were recording the show were asked to stop.

There was talk in the corridors before the concert started, people with the idea of abandoning their seats and conquering the Pit asap (actually some of the people in the first rows were also talking about that possibility and thinking of tactics not to hand over their positions), but it actually never happened, not even close. Ushers know all the tricks by now!. Also one of the ushers checked everybody's tickets in the first rows (a few people were sent back to their actual seats).
**Update 08/27/07: somebody just left a comment on the main tower theater info post saying that in the concert they attended yesterday "the aisleway became a general admission area and nobody was watching the area", so it seems that it depends on each concert, and that there’s no way of knowing which way it’s going to go until you’re actually there. They also remarked how hot it gets inside.** The toilets were fair enough (no queues), and there was a nice girl taking care of the women’s one downstairs, handing paper towels to wipe your hands and offering candy, etc … Regarding parking, there’s one that is fairly big, quite near the theater, it’s signalled clearly, and it costs $10. We were told by locals that people parking in the street are very often fined on concert nights, even if they park after 9 pm. That would not really be fair, but I’ve already had bad experiences with parking tickets myself, so!! (Update 06/18/07: I've just read here that there's been car breaks in the Tower's parking recently as it seems there's no one there to look after the cars all night, which stinks after the money they charge, if it's true, so if anybody comes up with a good solution for the parking issue please write).
Hope this is helpful. And just a little reminder, sorry to bring this up again, but this was meant to be an interactive site, so please come back to add your comments , share your experience at the Tower, it will be useful to others...thanks!!!