tonyballinger.com

I treat an Arto show in Chicago like an eclipse, or the passing of an orbital comet. It’s a rare thing in nature, something to be cherished during it’s brief moments. So, in that regard – I really enjoyed this show. However, by all standards, it was an off show. First, they had no drummer – so the whole set just didn’t feel as live as it ought to have. Next, they had significant technical issues – for half the performance the main monitors would cut out and you’d only be able to hear the keyboard and backing accompaniment from the musician’s monitors.

But arguably worst of all, is that the MCA is a crappy place to see a concert. It’s a nice hall for panel discussions and the like, but it’s not a space that encourages engagement from the audience. The crowd was unusually dispassionate for an Arto show. Personally, I felt as if I were watching a band performing behind glass in an exhibit.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 8th, 2005 at 11:55 pm and is filed under Concerts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.