On Notice 26 Aug 2006 06:55 pm
On Notice: Concert Clappers
At an otherwise enjoyable concert at the beautiful Mann Center in West Philadelphia this past Thursday, I was disturbed by a continually growing trend: concert clappers. Concert clappers are the people who feel it necessary to put their hands together in rhythm with whatever the band onstage is playing. In the comfort of your own home, this is fine, but people paid good money to hear the professionals do their thing. Do you jump onto the field at a ballgame and give Chase Utley batting tips? Besides, the concert was the Boston Pops and Rockapella. I don’t think they need help keeping the tempo. If encouraged, as the crowd was once by Pops conductor Keith Lockhart, please feel free to clap. Crowd participation is important sometimes. Otherwise, try not to let your fellow audience members know exactly how white you are by clapping in your strange syncopated pattern. We need to save that beat so we can tell if someone is having a seizure.
Concert clappers, you are officially on notice. Reverse this trend - it’s already spreading into theatre - and you might save yourself from the board if I ever get a long enough list to warrant one.
Iron Man
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Run Fatboy Run
Matt Nathanson - Some Mad Hope
They Might Be Giants - The Else
J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
on 26 Aug 2006 at 7:31 pm 1.Laura said …
The Boston Pops and Rockapella? How did Rockapella sound with, you know, accompaniment? It sounds awesome, but… wrong somehow.
on 27 Aug 2006 at 12:11 am 2.Jeff Martin said …
Believe it or not, it sounded pretty cool. At times, the vocal percussionist was overwhelmed by the orchestra, but they did a great version of \”Up on the Roof\” that sounded absolutely georgeous with accompaniment.
on 28 Aug 2006 at 7:21 pm 3.Noah said …
I friggin love Rockapella. Their original bass, Barry, was my idol. I once e-mailed him to ask how his voice can possibly be so resonant, and he sent me back this message, “My head is actually completely hollow. I pour various amounts of coffee in it to change the pitch.” Their new bass makes a messa di voce, biatch!
on 29 Aug 2006 at 12:29 am 4.Laura said …
Ok, betraying my age, here, but wasn’t Barry the really tall one on Carmen Sandiego?
Yes, I know, Rockapella is so much more than Carmen Sandiego. But when you’re 7 or 8, that’s how your indoctrination is going to start.
I wish they had Carmen Sandiego DVDs, but that would be dangerous. We don’t want to teach kids no-longer-current geography.