Los Lonely Boys at the Birchmere

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The other night I went to the Birchmere to see Los Lonely Boys perform. I had only ever been to the venue once before in 2012 (to see comedian Stephen Lynch), so I wanted to check it out again! Plus, my friend said Los Lonely Boys are really good live, so I was excited to see them!

 

The venue has a cool look about it both inside and out, and it's one of those places where you're seated to have dinner as you watch the show. I should warn you that the menu items are pretty expensive; that's how the venue makes its money! So be prepared to spend $17-$20 on all main dishes, including salads and sandwiches. Ouch! But keep in mind this venue does not require a minimum purchase, so I recommend eating at home or somewhere else beforehand and then coming over to enjoy the show. It's not a huge venue, so there really isn't a bad seat in the house!

Image found here.

The concert started late (as concerts usually do), and Aaron Stephens opened the show. His band was pretty good! His band consists of five young guys from Texas, and they had great energy, especially the keyboardist! Stephens had a great voice; his sound reminds me of someone, but I couldn't place it. For some reason his voice made me think of the Lovely Actually soundtrack. Random! You can listen to some of his music on his YouTube channel.

After they had played a few songs, it was time for Los Lonely Boys to come on stage. They are such a great group! All of the brothers are so warm, and they kept thanking the audience for coming out and supporting them. They also mentioned all of the hate in the world and asked us all to love one another, which I thought was really touching. They aren't only good people: they are amazing musicians! I love their sound: it's romantic and fun and soulful, all at the same time! All of their voices are incredible and sound great in person. There were lots of guitar solos, Carlos Santana - style; this isn't really my thing, but all of the music sounded awesome! Check out their music videos on YouTube here.

Of course they saved their biggest hit "Heaven" for last:

Two things that soured the night for me (which I realize are First World problems and rather silly):

1. The restaurant does not offer tap water. You HAVE to buy bottled water. As an environmentalist, this bothered me immensely. How many hundreds of plastic bottles do they go through each month?! And you know they have tap water: they have to wash the dishes somehow! You know there's a sink in that kitchen somewhere...Tap water is better for the environment and cheaper for everyone!

2. While the Birchmere does have a wifi connection, it is password protected. When I asked the waitress what the password was, she said the wifi was only for the bands' use, and even the staff didn't know the password. That is ridiculous! If the restaurant is already paying for the wifi, why not get as much use out of it as possible? Plus, if customers are already paying about $60 to see a show, I think they deserve to use the wifi to send a tweet or two (especially if they are trying to promote your business!).

Maybe I'm just picky, but I'm all about good customer service. I didn't get it here, and I wouldn't go back. But I would see Los Lonely Boys again!