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I was super excited to See Peter again in such a short time span (New Blood played the Greek Theater in Berkeley on the last tour). I'd never been to the San Jose venue...will never go again. As other have said, Peter was amazing! "Humdrum" & "Family and the Fishing Net" were great to hear, and PG and the band were full of energy. I thought the visuals were interesting, and the prop for the encore "Tower" was creative and fun. So the set was great, and the sound pretty flawless, but... The crowd was full of a bunch of idiots. This is twice now that I've seen PG (out of 5 or 6) where CA crowds have been drunk asses. The 3 guys behind me were a perfect example of those who can't handle their drink/weed/whatever, and shouted out all night long, talked to themselves about how high they were, tried to sneak up further, and sang louder than Peter off-key (and before he sang the lyrics). Now I'm all about having a good time and partying, but everyone on the floor was packed together like sardines (although it was maybe 2/3 full overall), and the sound was not loud enough even in the 30th row to overcome the Drunken Chorus. The venue was also pretty sterile, and it felt much harder to connect with PG despite him giving a stellar performance. Maybe it's just San Jose, but Peter does seem like the kind of artist to draw the kinds of idiots I always seem to encounter. It sadly pretty much ruined the show for me, and I hear others saying the same thing. Curious if anyone else has found this at other shows... So, Peter, please avoid San Jose HP Pavilion next time. There are many other great places to play in the Bay Area.

Ah, the yahoos! Oh well. In this sense I was lucky and happy to be in the nosebleeds, because no one was singing along in my ear (except my BF and we switched places so it wouldn't be in my ear). Plenty of room to sing and dance up there, plus a fantastic view and still excellent sound. I LOVED this show. I am amazed at PG's voice - he's still got it! Hits all the high notes without a problem. Top-notch band, vocalists, and lighting/effects made it an incredible show all around. I am telling everyone I can that they need to catch this tour! I do echo Jimlet's sentiments about HP Pavillion, though. Something about it is just too well-lit and sterile. I felt the energy radiating from the stage, but the venue didn't really reflect it back. Plus it was too far from SF and Oakland, especially on a Tuesday night. Best thing about HP was the free street parking around the corner! Next time, how 'bout Shoreline? Still a hike from SF, but the beautiful balmy night last night would have made it the best place to see the show. Next time!!

I'm so sorry that happened to you! I was lucky in that everyone around me was completely awesome - we all had a great time. But I feel your pain, I think we've all been in your position at a concert at some point.

I was in the 2nd row in San Jose, and yes - there were a group of drunken idiots directly behind me. I told them to quiet down during the opening set by Jennie Abrahamson, and they gave me a look. But I was serious. I wasn't going to tolerate their cackling during PG, especially the quieter numbers. It didn't ruin the show, but they were definitely a nuisance.

I hated the HP Pavilion as well. Only Peter Gabriel himself would bring me back to that place. I also had some wacko encounters. A lady dressed like a hippie with a feather in her hair insisted on standing up and dancing throughout the show. We were in the third row in section 128, way up front, so she had to be blocking several people's view. She didn't seem to care. Someone must have said something because eventually she went to the aisle and started twirling around in circles repeatedly until an usher asked her to stop and return to her seat. I love Peter too, but c'mon, it is clearly not the space or place for that kind of movement. If that's what she wanted to do then she should've gotten seats in the nosebleeds since she was more concerned with being performative herself than watching. We also had a tweaker couple - no I am not exaggerating - occupy some empty seats in the row behind me. They kept talking, yelling, singing along and could barely remain still in their seats. I looked back and gave the lady tweaker a hard stare when she got too loud. I was seconds away from narcing them out to the usher to say they didn't belong to those seats. I don't understand how people can go to a performance that is supposed to be a shared experience and behave in ways that ruin it for others. I absolutely love Ani DiFranco, who has shushed the audience if there is too much singing along with her. It sounds rude, but it really isn't. People paid to see the artist perform. If the artist doesn't invite you to participate, then don't. No one pays to hear the tone deaf warbling of fellow fans. Save it for the shower, jerks!

Had a great time at HP. Maybe because we were in Hot ticket zone and people paid alot and seemed to be more behaved..Great show Peter. Can't wait for the cd's of the show.

Had a great time at HP also, We were not immune to the whirling dervish dancers where we were at up in 115. Had a women in front that was all "day in the park" free form dancing right in front of us, but since it was too confining for her she went to the aisle instead, repeatedly. the only downside of the show. On a separate note, having seen many clips of the show on youtube, there is no way any of those, even the best recordings, come anywhere close to the real thing. Looking forward to two more shows in Hollywood and Santa Barbara

The show was amazing, but I agree that the audience was sterile and did not connect with Peter. Too many people were going in and out, and they fell disconnected from the great performance on stage. My husband and I also had drunk people dancing in front of us, thankfully they didn't block our view completely. The acoustic section was my favorite, and he is so charming. Never seen him live before so it was really a fantastic experience. If anyone in his crew reads this, yes, don't go back to the HP Pavillion next time you come to the Bay Area.