I guess I'm not alone. The problem with this particular venue isn't that they amp everything really loud, in fact that's not the case at all. They're actually pretty restrained with it. However, the sound quality from the two speakers is mediocre and therefore noticible AND they are hard right and left obove the stage. So, unless you're dead center on the aisle you hear the speaker on your side of the stage over the band. Very annoying.
Sounds better at home
Does anyone else think that mic/pa setups at live events are crappy? We went to see Gary Burton at a well respected jazz theatre here in Pittsburgh and the sound quality - as usual - was disapointing. This hall has two large p/a speakers hanging high on the wall and they almost always eliminate any sense of real acoustics in the hall, even when they're being used sparingly. I've even seen artists - most recently Jimmy Heath - turn the system off after a number or two. Looking for a good acoustic experience, the whole thing is frustrating and in general my system at home sounds better.