WHO’S WHO AT CHAIN
Thrice: The Orange County natives played some of their first and wildest shows at Chain Reaction.
Saosin: Their record-release show at Chain Reaction in 2003 remains a local legend among fans.
HelloGoodbye: The Huntington Beach-based band makes Chain a stop on almost every tour.
The Aquabats: These Ska gods have consistently played at Chain Reaction over the years.
PRO:
by Robert Wojtkiewicz / elDon Co-Editor-in-Chief
I still remember falling in love with the dingy, dark and smelly interior at my first show. I see charm and character where others see derelict.
Chain Reaction in Anaheim is a legendary institution that attracts a lot of great bands.
Local bands like Thrice and Hellogoodbye got their start there, but it also attracts bands from all across the country.
Chain Reaction’s crowd is known as rowdy and sometimes smelly, but most of all passionate. Sure, the bathroom is kind of gross, but you get what you pay for. Fourteen dollars for a show is a steal compared to the House of Blues or the Glass House.
CON:
by Evelyn Kielich / elDon Style Editor
The first time I visited Chain Reaction, I was nauseated by the smell of armpit. The room is small, and it gets crowded quickly.
The bands barely have enough room to move around on stage, and the music sounds awful because of the venue’s small size. The place gets overheated fast, making everyone sweat and reek of some really bad B.O.
Forget trying to lean on one of the patio’s walls. They leave you feeling sticky, just like your butt does from sitting on benches covered with chewing gum.
For all the bands that play there, I think that Chain Reaction is making enough money to clean the place up, or at the very least, clean the bathrooms.
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