Rant: Is She Really Going Out with Him?
Le Duc and I went to a concert, which is a risky bet for us. Le Duc has a significant hearing impairment, and unless he is in a great seat in a place with superior acoustics, the evening is lost on him.So, we shelled out for seventh row seats for Joe Jackson, who was performing at Theatre Maisonneuve in Place des Arts, on his Four Decade Tour. Theatre Maisonneuve has both excellent sight lines and sound. Still, we were unsure how it would go; sound quality would also depend on Jackson's tech support.
Shortly after the concert started, along came our next-seat neighbours, a man of about fifty with a woman a dollop over thirty. The man immediately demonstrated an in-depth knowledge of Jackson's oeuvre, bellowed in a state of enthusiastic inebriation. And he stood to sing, sloshing his drink. The man in front of him felt the sprinkling, turned around, and told him to sit the f down. He did.
For the rest of the evening, his date and he conversed frequently, at full voice level. I was able to move to an empty seat on the other side of Le Duc, who finally lost his patience and advised her, "Vos geules, tabarnac!" (Translation, "Shut your traps, for cripes' sake!")
Sing, if invited. But who wants to hear a stranger's rendition of Jackson's New Wave, jazz-inflected classic, "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" except for the cheeky bit when Jackson calls "Look over there!" and audience responds "Where?"? His date was really going out with him, and I felt sorry for her... until she started texting.
Where are the ushers? Why is a request for civility left to someone in the next seat? I have seen staff at Place des Arts crack down on phone videorecording and photography, which is in the performer's interest, but why not attend to the concert-goers' experience?
The night wasn't ruined by a long shot; Jackson and his band were superb and Le Duc could hear every note.
A show like that is not the same as a classical music recital where the performer might stop or admonish the crowd if there is a cough or rustle. So I can lighten up and adjust my expectations for the type of music, but at the same time, if a fan wants to set himself free, he should stick to outdoor events where no one expects to hear an unimpeded set.
"Cause if my eyes don't deceive me, there's somethin' going wrong around here."
Comments
I agree wasting your money is a joy-killer! But I am going out. One day, we will have no choice but to stay home, but not yet.
And the ushers should know how to handle "Drunk in a choir". I can't imagine getting a bit happy BEFORE a concert, not because I'd act like that, but because I'd have to pee.
You would have to use phone to text the usher but so many persons are already on them. I would have had to push past a long row of people during the performance, to find an usher to deal with the man. I thought of doing it. The woman next to me was reading her mail.
lagatta: LOL, and thre was no intermission in the nearly 2-hour concert.
Simply don't understand people's lack of basic courtesy.
I share your pain. A jazz Christmas Concert at a jazz bar/restaurant was ruined by two drunken late shows who sang along, and babbled together during the second set. I tried a couple of Shhhhs! but they were oblivious. We asked the waiter to have a word with them - he declined. When it was over, my husband gave them a piece of his mind. They were surprised. When the venue emailed me "How did you like your experience dining at XYZ?" I let loose. I suspect that will be our last visit there.
p.s. I love Joe Jackson.
Emma: Anywhere where there is a bar, plus music, you are going to have talkers or rustlers as people eat and drink during sets. But inebriated singers?! Way over the line. Good for your husband and I hope they learned something from that.