Respect and the Lack Of It

 

If you read yesterday’s post you know how excited I was about the BSO kids concert at the Chrysalis. If you haven’t read it yet, there’s always time to go back and read it now.

Today I present a different kind of performance. It’s my live-tweeting of events at the concert. You could call it another episode of Other People’s Tweets but it’s mostly mine. Think of it as an on-the-scene account.

Wow @MerriweatherPP . Just wow. Just disgusted

I am never buying another ticket to anything at Merriweather Post Pavilion as long as I live.

What profound disrespect that @MerriweatherPP has for our community and the @BSO. 

I am sitting here in a capacity crowd at the Chrysalis and the BSO concert has been stopped by a rock concert rehearsal at Merriweather. (Correction: it was a sound check.)

Leadership at @MerriweatherPP knew well in advance that this concert was happening. What utter hubris.

Children and families from all over our community came for this amazing opportunity to hear the BSO and you spat on them.

Here’s a thought: it’s too bad there isn’t any kind of independent community arts organization to manage Merriweather and work with community arts organizations. That’s what is sorely missing here.

*****

Things I have learned since the event: 

• This isn’t the first time this has happened. It also occurred during the Coast Guard Band concert at the Chrysalis on August 3rd. 
• The BSO concert was moved from 2:00 to 1:00 specifically to accommodate a sound check at MPP, so it’s clear that communication was going on between the two entities.
• Early in the week Chrysalis leadership was assured by MPP that they would respect the time period of the children’s concert.
• They didn’t.

I have plenty of editorial things I could say right now. I’ll leave it at this: I don’t know why the BSO would take another chance on the Chrysalis when they have first-hand experience that MPP doesn’t keep their word. 

I’ve often read what a treasure it is to have a place like Merriweather in the heart of our city and that we should be proud, grateful. And I’ve never particularly disagreed. Until yesterday.

I don’t feel grateful, I don’t feel proud. I feel deeply ashamed.

By the way, the BSO played brilliantly, what we could hear of it. I heartily recommend sending a donation to them in support of free programming. And of course to the Inner Arbor Trust, who take the goal of presenting free concerts to a whole new level.

It appears some folks in town don’t think that’s worth their respect.