Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Whither concert?

Most of my colleagues seem to be using the word "show" instead of "concert" these days. Hope you can come to my show on Thursday. Doing a show next week at Red Hat. Did a show with Ensemble Modern in Cologne. I suppose it came from playing in clubs and other non-traditional concert halls (in popular music, the word "concert" dates, apparently, as very 1970's/AOR), but it's definitely crossed over into use for regular concert halls. Personally, I can't bring myself to making the substitution. I'm not embarassed about the word concert, and "show" makes me think immediately of "hey, kids, let's put on a..." which is fingernails on a blackboard for my ears.

But is persisting with the use of the word "concert" elitist, or just quaintly retrograde? I dunno, but I do know this: My father used to define an intellectual as someone who could hear the William Tell Overture and not think of The Lone Ranger. Nowadays, anyone who can hear the William Tell Overture and think of The Lone Ranger is either aged or a postmodernist. Personally, I hear the William Tell Overture and think of Doodles Weaver. Elitism or just the product of a liberal education?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Doodles Weaver?