I've got about 15 minutes before coverage of the Michigan game starts which means it'll be about time to head down and get breakfast and turn on the TV. I can't just sit and watch the entire game because ASU's last home game is this evening and I almost have to go because I've only made it to one other one which is embarassing when you're talking about free season tickets.
Until all that football (and, for those keeping track, earlier in the year when I planned on seeing Arizona-Wisconsin and ASU-Iowa on the same day - i.e. 7 hours of football - I ended up seeing an hour and a half since the UofA game had a rain delay and we left after waiting 60 of the 88 minutes) I'll talk about recent shows.
I havn't mention my 2nd Phoenix Symphony concert of the season; it was the best of the three thus far - in program and performance. Appalachian Spring was strong and though they started out quicker than I'm used to everything came together well for Sibelius' 2nd Symphony. Most everyone else seemed to agree, especially the person who let out a rather orgasmic "Yes!" just after it ended - granted Sibelius doesn't really include a final note of triumph of the sort that would be expected there given most anyone else but....
Other counts for the year (and the concert): Cell Phone Rings: 2. Bags of potato chips eaten during the concert: 1 (all I can say is Wow.) And, finally: Really stupid ideas: 1.
Further: with the programs they handed out a large folded sheet of paper called "Keeping Score."
Quoting from the sheet: "Developed by Michael Christie, Keeping Score is a short, easy-to-follow real-time guide to the music being performed. On this insert, you will find numbered notations about the composer's intentions and the score, which you can read while the music is being performed. The numbers corresponding to those in the insert will be projected near [above] the stage for those wanting to utilize this optional information."
I include the guest conductor's name not to promote the guy but to warn anyone who might have to sit through this nonsense. I want the conductor and the performers to have sheets of paper they have to shuffle around during the peformance but I don't give a rat's ass about people down the row who aren't familiar with the music being played and don't know what to listen for - the set list is advertised in advance for crying out loud - which means that I don't want to hear people crinkling papers and folding and refolding and telling each other "oh, they're over here now" during Sibelius (especially Sibelius because of how he writes, not just because I like the music so much.) One note I'll have to add is that it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be (but that was a very high standard.)
Ok, I gotta go check on the progress of the pre-game. More Phoenix Symphony and Le Tigre to follow.
