Unlike the Honda Center, there were plenty of "universal" restrooms. Our only complaint was that there was little oversight of these rooms to ensure that people who required access were given priority. Given that the Intuit Dome "has more restrooms than any arena" it was disappointing that members of the public do not recognize that the companion bathrooms are necessary for some.
The wheelchair seating section we were in was at the top of the Dome but still provided a great view. There is a wrap-around video screen that provides video from the stage. It was extremely clear (I could see skin tags on the singers from the first two bands!) but I found it somewhat distracting as I had to force myself to focus on the stage instead of the giant video images that were directly in front of me.
In between the bands, I was amazed by how much of the crowd noise was absorbed. The acoustics of the show seemed great, but, admittedly, Slipknot or their openers are not the best bands to judge tonality.
One unique aspect of the fan experience are LED lights built into the seats. These were programmed to be part of the show and provided a unique experience.
After the show, the exit out of the arena was efficient. While there was a slight delay in getting into the elevators in the parking lot, exacerbated by one of them being broken, everything else went quickly. Instead of leaving drivers to their devices, staff members were directing traffic within the structure and before we knew it we were out on the street.
The city seems to have taken the threat of gridlock seriously and traffic control was set up on the road leading to the freeway. It was a crawl, but even with the influx of traffic from two concerts, we slowly made our way to the freeway. Once there, it was smooth sailing home.
I was slightly disappointed that theactual concert wasslightly less of a spectacle than I had expected and that Slipknot made the questionable decision to play only songs they wrote before the turn of the century. However, the facility mostly lived up to expectations. Some of the technology kinks still need to be worked out and the shuttle system needs a lot of work, but otherwise, this does seem to be a place that is "built for fans." Fandom does seem to live there.
Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for public education, particularly for students with special education needs, who serves as the Education Chair for the Northridge East Neighborhood Council. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him "a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles." For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.
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