Edwin McCain is probably my favorite artist on the planet these days. Yes, he bumped Bon Jovi when Jon’s voice got weird and Richie Sambora left the band. Edwin is most known for two songs over his 30+ year career, “I’ll Be” which was a mega-hit in the 90’s and “I Could Not Ask For More” which was also recorded by Sara Evans. Heather even got me an Edwin McCain Cameo video for my birthday last year. So cool! So when we learned Edwin would be in High Point, NC this week it was kind of a no-brainer to go.
I do prefer his shows where the whole band is there but still enjoy the trio he often tours with (Edwin, lead guitarist Larry Chaney, and saxophone player Craig Shields). But this post is less about Edwin’s performance and more about the venue, Ziggy’s Space.
I’ll preface this with noting that Heather and I both have structural disabilities that make standing for long periods of time quite difficult. But, Ziggy’s offered VIP tickets for Edwin’s show that included access to the best view at the venue, access to a dedicated indoor bar, and guaranteed seating. Another no-brainer.
Ziggy’s is an interesting venue for music. It’s outdoors and is kind of just a large, gravel open space surrounded by warehouse buildings. It’s relatively new at this location after many years in other North Carolina locations. I think it has potential to be kind of cool if they can do something about the lack of seating. Yes, that’s the gist of this post.
Despite our VIP tickets with “guaranteed seating,” there were no seats left 45 minutes before the first opening act. We asked the VIP section bouncer about it and were told, “You’ll have to take it up with ‘them’,” whoever “them” is. Later we asked our drink server about the guaranteed seats and got a response basically saying, “I don’t know, I just work here” with a large “sucks to be you” attitude. Needless to say we were quite frustrated.
Of course I also have to mention the food. 😉 The food truck from Gianno’s Pizza was quite good offering wood-fired personal pizzas. That helped since the doors open at 6pm. So we stood at a wobbly table through two opening acts – single dudes with guitars – and then Edwin came on.
Edwin did not disappoint, of course. It’s a given that even at 50+ years old he can still hit and sustain every note. He’s a fun conversationalist during his shows as well. If you’ve never seen him and get a chance, you won’t be disappointed.
All that standing wreaked havoc on my back. We sat down outside the bar at the end of the venue for a couple of songs hoping the stools would be easier on my body. It didn’t really help and despite not yet hearing “I’ll Be” we left early at about 10:15pm.
If I had to rate this show I would have to split it to where Edwin would get ★★★★☆ (would have been 5 with the whole band) and Ziggy’s gets ★☆☆☆☆. If they can fix their seating issues and actually develop some customer service skills and deliver what they sell, maybe that can get a higher rating. As it sits now, I don’t expect I’ll be heading to Ziggy’s Space in High Point any time soon for another show.