Donald Satz wrote:

>Mark Ehlert wrote of live performances:
>
>>Ettiquette be damned.
>
>What a statement!  Bold, yet voiced by many - concise, yet boundary
>breaking - and most important, a view I support.

None for me thanks.

>There are likely at least hundreds of thousands of ways/combinations
>that a live concert can be presented to an audience.  But, we seem "stuck"
>on just one way - get there on time, stay in your sterile seat, and keep
>quiet.  What happened to food, drink, laughter, jokes, community, flirting,
>and comfort? Basically, just having a good old time.

Because there is more than one kind of music.  Composers who take the
time to write a symphony deserve to be seriously heard.  There is popular
entertainment music that is by design the province of loud bars and noisy
crowds.  The writers of same know this going in.  Serious art deserves
serious attention.  To allow such raucous behaviour at serious concerts
is akin to printing Monet in comic strips.

>There are a great many individuals who essentially say, "I *want* it to
>stay this way"; understood, self-interest is as good an interest as any.
>I'm one of a large number who say, "I *don't* want it to stay this way.
>My vote counts also and is presently one signifying "revenues lost".

You are welcome to your opinion, but please tell me how you could possible
concentrate on and fully appreciate say, something as profound as the slow
movement from Bruckner's 7th whilst munching on a tuna fish sandwich and
slurping a beer.

>Anytime that I've suggested some variation on current practices, the
>answers I receive generally start with - that can't be done.  But, of
>course, any and all variations can be tried and accomplished.  You might
>like some of them.

I am afraid that I would like what you describe about as much as I like
oral surgery.  What I think would be more effective is to design concerts
to be events that include a social time before and after or during a longer
intermission.  Alas, our sound bite society hasn't the attention span for
anything longer than a 90 or so minute concert.  (Which makes me wonder
at the success of all the three hour movies that are out now) Another
suggestion would be to design more comfortable concert halls.  I have
yet to sit through a concert at the Dallas Symphony, which has one of the
finest halls in the country, but what my legs didn't ache or fall asleep
from the cramped quarters.  About the only thing worse than a concert hall
is a commercial jet!

Kevin Sutton