Thank you to our neighbors in the square. - Free Screening for locals.

[svilletheatre.livejournal.com]

Hi folks,

Everyone over at the Somerville Theatre would like to thank everyone who lives in Davis Square for putting up with all the traffic and crowds over the last week because of the sneak U2 show.  It was only officially confirmed to us a few days before the 11th and we were sworn to secrecy (and even we thought they might have been playing venues off of each other and not telling us the truth until they actually showed up with equipment.)  

Anyhow, I know it impacted peoples commutes and so forth and I appreciate that as I too live here.  I am grateful to the neighborhood and to Mayor Curtatone, Chief Kelleher of the SFD, and especially Chief Holloway at SPD for showing we are a world-class city.

So to give back somewhat to y'all, and especially for those U2 fans who, like most everyone I am related to or friends with, couldn't get into the show, we will be playing "U2: Rattle and Hum" on the big screen on Thursday March 26, and if you live in Somerville admission is free! (So long as we don't run out of seats, but we'll show it a few times that day and who knows how many will actually go.)

Just bring your ID or a cable bill or something similar that has been thru the mail with your name and Somerville address on it and we'll give you a free ticket to that film that day!  Tickets will be on sale for non-Somervillians at $8.00 (sorry Cambridge! hehe.)

We'll be putting out a small press release later about it.

I know it's not as cool as seeing U2 live, but we thought it would be fun for the square!

-Ian/Somerville Theatre

Comments

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

This is awesome Ian.

I'm running into everywhere (this is Matt, the guy you gave the tickets for our Avon Walk benefit concert raffle).

[vibrantabyss.livejournal.com]

Very cool, and gracious as well.

[sapphira-altair.livejournal.com]

Thank you, that's awfully nice! :)

[ron_newman]

Cool!

One thing I'm curious about yesterday -- how many folks came in with already-purchased movie tickets? I saw the signs saying that a "private party" had bought up all remaining movie tickets.

[svilletheatre.livejournal.com]

Well, we had hoped Live Nation (the event promoter) would buy out the movies, like they did when Springsteen played, and I offered them a really low rent to do so, but they didn't... until halfway through Wednesday when Mayor Curtatone and Chief Holloway talked them into it as a safety measure. I didn't want to deny people who had already bought tickets (and some of whom emailed me to confirm movies were playing) so we allowed any people who had already bought movie tickets in, though only a small amount of the actual 50 movie tickets sold for the day actually showed up. I know at least two moviegoers were ejected by police for trying to dodge past the concert ticket-takers!

[ron_newman]

I wonder if any of them will show up later in the week saying "can I use these tickets today instead?"

By the way, this post already made Universal Hub.

See you on the 26th!

[revelry13.livejournal.com]

So nice, Ian. Thanks!

Congratulations on the show - I can't even imagine the stress you were going through. Well done!

[hahathor.livejournal.com]

What a totally awesome thing to do. Thanks Somerville Theatre; though I already knew you rocked!

[somertricky.livejournal.com]

Most awesome!

(I've been kicking myself all day for not holding vigil out back after the show last night, this will take away some of the sting.)

[ceo]

That's uncommonly decent. Thanks!

I didn't make it into the Square that evening (mostly by choice), but I trust that you resisted the temptation to put "MAR 11: OMGWTF U2!!" up on the marquee?

[ron_newman]

From what I could see, 'U2' never appeared on any part of the marquee this week.

[latvianchick.livejournal.com]

Awww, thanks, guys! That's incredibly thoughtful.

[raysimoto.livejournal.com]

That's a really awesome idea, Ian. Very cool. But... aren't the Mountain Goats playing on the 25th?

[svilletheatre.livejournal.com]

True, I was going to put it on one of the other screens, buuuut if might be cooler to have it in the same room... now that I think more about it... I think I'll edit the post and move it to Thursday so it can be in the same room as the actual concert! Nice work, vds!

[raysimoto.livejournal.com]

Hooray! I get to be right, and I get to see both the show and the movie! Everything's coming up Milhouse!!

Yay! That's a nice thing to do!

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

cool :)

[ron_newman]

By the way ... aren't you opening a sixth screen this Friday? (That may be worth a separate post.)

[arrowintwolakes.livejournal.com]

Do you know what time the shows will start and how late will you be showing them? Is that something that will be on the press release? I'd love to take advantage, but I work 3-11 so it may be difficult.

[chaiya.livejournal.com]

That is really pretty cool. Thank you. :)

[lonelyholiday.livejournal.com]

This is a really great thing to do. Even though I can't make it, thanks for doing it!

Funny what perfect timing it would be for me, too... I just renewed my license yesterday, which means even though I've lived here for a couple years, I'm just NOW finally going to have a driver's license that shows me as as Somerville resident. ;)

[svilletheatre.livejournal.com]

I can assure you we will not go all "Traffic and Parking" on people if their proof of residency isn't bulletproof! :)

[somertricky.livejournal.com]

"Traffic & Parking" (adj.)

Early leader, 2009 Davis Square Urban Dictionary Word of the Year

[soft-shoulder.livejournal.com]

*snort*

[miss-chance.livejournal.com]

This is SUPER-CLASSY!

I probably won't make it, but it warms the cockles of my heart (whatever that means) to see this sort of thing.

Thanks, S'ville Theater, you're the best!

[balsamicdragon.livejournal.com]

Wow, that is a super cool thing to do :)

You rock!

[starry83.livejournal.com]

Another confirmation that Davis is an all-around great place, and a real community. As if I needed more to love about the Somerville Theater (ice cream, pints of Harpoon, real butter on the popcorn)... Thank you!

[oneagain.livejournal.com]

Don't forget herbal tea...

[derekp.livejournal.com]

Awesome.

[studeronomy.livejournal.com]

Awwwwwwwwww I love Davis Square/Somerville.

[lslapiko.livejournal.com]

Thanks for giving back. As far as I can see (so far) you're the only one involved in the whole dog and pony show who cares enough to do it!

[redcolumbine.livejournal.com]

THIS is the real proof that we're a world-class city!

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

boo for me, i live on the cambridge side. :(

[wandelrust.livejournal.com]

Awesome, and congrats on scoring the show. I get to say U2 played a mile from my house!

(True story, I was traveling on business this week, and listening to the radio in my rental, the DJ was talking about U2's upcoming tour, and that they'd played a "surprise concert" in Boston the night before. I shouted "It was Somerville, a*#@&%e!" at the radio.)

Nice

[coeceo.livejournal.com]

Hey this is cool.

I live on Winter St. and actually found the traffic to be in line with any other weekday and even got a spot right on my short block which usually doesn't happen.

I woke up around 4 am on Wednesday (not from the noise) and could faintly hear the rumble of what sounded like fork trucks unloading gear and setting up the venue. I was suprised at how quitely they were working (no shouting, backup alarms, horns, etc.).

Good job.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

That's very generous.

And I have to add kudos to whoever in the Somerville Public Works Department was in charge of cleanup--I was in Davis Square the following morning and the streets were not, as I had expected, awash in trash.

[svilletheatre.livejournal.com]

We were actually talking about this at work, saying it's like the U2 cleanup washed most of the winter-garbage away - the square looks better today than it has since before the first snowfall!