So I finally got the chance last week to visit the Walt Disney Concert Hall. For the uninformed, it's the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and also one of the most uniquely designed buildings in LA. Envisioned by renowned architect Frank Gehry, the WDCH has been used in countless films and commercials (among them: Get Smart, Iron Man, Fracture, and the upcoming Robert Downey Jr./Jamie Foxx film The Soloist) and is a prominent land-mark here in Los Angeles. It's no secret that I'm in no way a student of classical music, but I do appreciate it, and along with ballet, opera, art museums, and other such "high-brow" artistic endeavors, I seek to learn more about it, and so for the longest time since moving here I've wanted to attend a concert inside the Hall. I only live a mile from this magnificent building, and after months of deliberation, I finally found myself presented with a free ticket to see a concert there. This wasn't just any concert either. Oh no. This was Jazz vocalist Patti Austin singing the Gershwin songbook, and she would be flanked by a big jazz band, including a small string section and also the essential jazz quartet set of piano, upright bass, and percussion. All in all, it was everything I could ask for.
The interior of the WDCH is every bit as elaborate and imaginative as the exterior, and the main hall itself is a pleasing array of wood carved seating areas and a massive pipe organ that practically defies geometry the way it protrudes from the wall. The acoustics are amazing, the seats are relatively comfortable (a little more leg room would have been nice) and all in all, it's an experience that every person who lives in LA or comes to visit for any amount of time should have at least once. The concert was awesome, albeit Patti couldn't resist making some obligatory political comments about how her new black president was gonna protect her from racist white folks like me and how the whole nation is going to hell thanks to Bush and his economy. Stick to the Gershwin Patti, that's what we're paying you for and what we came to see. I don't give two cents about you (or any other celebrities) political views. The best part of the evening (in my opinion) was when Patti was still back stage and the band opened with new version of the ever popular "Rhapsody in Blue". Magnificent. Music truly transcends all barriers...
Anyway, yeah, I'm gonna put a few pics with this post so you can see the beautiful concert hall as I saw it, and hopefully on your next visit here I can take you to hear the LA Philharmonic. Enjoy!
1 comment:
man...that's a pretty building.
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