Concert Review: My Chemical Romance at The Fillmore Theater in Detroit

My 13 year old daughter, like many teenagers, is crazy about the alternative band My Chemical Romance. I must admit I also enjoy some of their music, so when they were slated to come to town on April 19, I agreed that her birthday present could be concert tickets and I would go with her.

Because the tour is somewhat of a farewell prior to the band's upcoming break before making their next album, they opted to play mostly smaller venues, handpicked by the band themselves, in order to get closer to the fans and away from huge shows for this tour. The show we went to see was at the Fillmore Detroit, formerly the State Theater.

The theater was built in 1925, and was restored in 2007. It is a breathtaking venue, with domed ceiling and chandelier lighting. The lobby ceiling is approximately seven stories high, and the stairways are generously wide with charming balustrades.

There were many good things about the concert experience, and just a few negatives. I will begin with the positive aspects:

- Great parking: we paid $12 to park in the garage across the street from the Fox Theater, which is right next to the Fillmore (cost will vary depending upon event). It was very close, reasonably safe and had plenty of space.

- The line moved quickly. Doors opened at 6:30, my daughter and I got in line at about 6:00pm; by that time the line for ticketholders stretched all the way around the block. Once they began letting people into the theater, we were inside within about a half hour. Chatting with others in line made the wait fun.

- There were ample restrooms, they were easily accessible, and there was no wait. I was shocked to find that we never had to wait in line for the bathroom in a sold-out theater holding upwards of 2000 people. That was a definite plus for two females!

- Convenient vending: we were on the balcony level, and there were drink counters just outside the exit doors on both sides. There were also large flat-screen monitors behind the counters, so when we had to step out when my daughter began to get faint from the heat and dehydration, we were able to sit on comfortable benches and view the concert from the waiting area (she couldn't stop apologizing to me for not listening when we advised her to drink up BEFORE the concert - poor thing!).

- Not a bad seat in the house: the interior of the Fillmore Theater itself is rounded, with seating that is so steep as to feel nearly vertical. This results in a great view from anywhere - floor, mezzanine or balcony. The tickets cost me $35 apiece and we had a better view than much more expensive tickets at DTE or similar venues. When you pay $35 for a big-name band and can literally see the expressions on their faces, it's a pretty good value in my book.

There were a few things that I considered to be negatives:

- Upon entering the Fillmore, each attendee was patted down for weapons (females by a woman and males by a man). When the security lady patted my ribs down, I wiggled and laughed - I'm extremely ticklish and couldn't help it. She stood up again, arms by her sides, and said rudely "I'm too hot and tired for this," with a stare on her face of the sort that one gives a naughty child. I felt this boorish attitude was unnecessary.

- The merchandise area was disorganized and the lines indistinguishable. This was not a major problem, as the line moved quickly, just made things a bit awkward and crowded because the merchandise area was located directly inside the front doors.

- No cameras allowed: this was also only a minor issue, as everyone brought cellphones with cameras anyway, but it is a bit more of a pain and resulted in lower quality photos than a digital camera.

- Seating: we had two issues with regard to this. I had purchased tickets from Ticketmaster, and had chosen specific seats. The tickets were printed with our seat numbers. Upon arrival, we were told that the balcony was all general admission. By this time, the entire second tier (where we were originally supposed to sit) was taken - in large part with people's belongings strung across seats in order to "save" them for others, so we ended up in the third tier.

I was extremely displeased by this - I do not know if this was a problem with Ticketmaster or the Fillmore, but it was disappointing. The other seating issue was that the balcony seats are very narrow and the rows placed much too close together. I am not an overly large person and my sides were squished. I am 5'9", and my knees literally touched the back of the seat in front of me while sitting. I am not sure how anyone taller than I am could sit at all, much less comfortably.

Overall the experience was a very enjoyable one. The band put on a fantastic show, all of the acts began their set on time or even a bit early, and the Fillmore Detroit was interesting and historical. Most importantly, it was a bonding opportunity for my daughter and I and a fun evening for both of us!