The last time I was at this venue, it had just become Sound Academy. Before this name change, it was called The Docks.
I have been away from this venue for ten years. The last time I saw a concert here was Keane in June 2009. I absolutely loved seeing them live.
I went to see Robyn at Rebel last Thursday night. I had forgotten that I had a VIP ticket. This package allows you to get into the venue an hour earlier, along with getting a commemorative bucket hat and laminated badge.
This venue has always been general admission. I don't normally like to go to a general admission show. It means that you are on your feet for most of the night. Considering that I got there at 5:30 pm and the show ended at around 11 pm, I was on my feet for a while. I also wanted to see Robyn badly.
I remembered that there was a parking lot across from the venue. I got there and noticed that it was at a steep $20. Thank goodness I had cash, as it's the only acceptable payment method. The guy at the parking lot was nice. I got my ticket, parked, and went in.
I didn't know where the box office was. I was supposed to go there, according to the e-mail. I asked a guy at the black tunnel. He said that it was off to the left, but he asked whether I was picking up tickets. I said it was for VIP ones. I was in the right place and he said to walk past him. Cool.
There really should be a sign in front of the black tunnel saying VIP. It wasn't until I got to the end of this path that I saw a sign saying that I was in the fast-track ticket lineup. Yay!
I will say that Rebel has its act together for VIPs. First, your name is on a list. You simply give your name to the person and she checks it off. There is no need to provide ID. Second, she and another member distributed the hat and badge in cute pink bags before we entered the venue at 6 pm.
For the first time, I didn't print my ticket out. I tried at work, but the printer was down. Instead, I did mobile check-in. The woman with the scanner was doing something odd with my phone screen that I didn't get. She just needed to try a different angle to get her scanner to work. It finally did.
There is a coat check-in. However, you pay something ridiculous for it. Considering that I just spent $20 on parking, I decided to wear my jacket around my waist for the entire night.
Rebel's interior looks all spruced up. I loved how chic the bar areas looked. The lounge chairs looked comfy. The washrooms are spacious, classy, and clean. There are lots of stalls, which I typically complain that there aren't enough at concert venues.
I stood in the second row in front of the stage. Another thing that I don't like about general admission is people who feel that they need to be pressed up to you during the entire show. Look, I am taken. I don't enjoy being on a packed subway train during rush hour and don't want to simulate it at a concert venue.
The evening started with Kindness, a DJ, who did his first set (yes, first), to get the audience going. Next up, Channel Tres sang and danced. I liked them. Kindness came back on. I will admit that I grew tired seeing him again. He was good, but I didn't need two sets.
Finally, after such a long wait, Robyn came on at 9 pm. She did not disappoint. I felt like I could reach over and touch her. I stood at the right place. She was fabulous. I also liked that she invited everyone back on the stage to dance with her.
Toronto was her last North American stop on her Honey tour. She was gracious and seemed incredibly touched when the entire audience sang "Dancing on My Own" without her lifting a finger at one point!
The downside to Rebel is its dancefloor. It's flat, which means that you can't see a thing if someone taller is standing in front of you. There was a guy bumping into my left shoulder blade for most of the night. I finally looked over. He was Chinese and was so short that it was his cap that was hitting me. Hilarious!
My legs felt like Jello after the show. I probably looked odd waddling over to the women's washroom. There were a ton of empty booze cups all on the floor. I will give credit to the venue staff for cleaning them up pretty quickly.
Kris was kind to give me a tip on parking before I got into the venue. He advised that I should leave the show early to get out of the parking lot, as it's horrific with the mass exodus. As much as I wanted to, I wanted to see Robyn till then end.
My tip goes the other way. I was hungry and ended up getting a hot dog at the vendor closest to the parking lot. It was $5 and was delicious. I sat in my car, devoured it, drank my iced black tea, and then pulled out of the lot. It wasn't too bad leaving.
The other tip is that I didn't stay on Cherry Street like most people did. I took Commissioners Street and headed eastbound. It was great!
It's not a horrible venue for a concert. It's also not the best. It's simply okay.
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