"I'd rather play a few nights at the Fillmore than play one night at an arena"

This quote by Lucinda Williams speaks to the choice of intimate, smaller venues over bigger, more impersonal arenas. Playing at the Fillmore, a famous music place in San Francisco, is a much more personal experience than dipping into an arena. Playing at the Fillmore enables the artist to get in touch with the audience in a more meaningful method, as the audience is much closer and the atmosphere is more intimate. Dipping into an arena, on the other hand, is a far more impersonal experience. The artist is much even more away from the audience, and the atmosphere is a lot more impersonal. Lucinda Williams is expressing her preference for the more intimate experience of playing at the Fillmore, as opposed to the more impersonal experience of playing at an arena. She would rather play a few nights at the Fillmore than play one night at an arena, as it permits her to connect with her audience in a more meaningful method.