Zappa.com

Just got the bad news, via automated phone message.
The concert has been cancelled.

Got my tickets back in August and have been counting down the months, weeks and now only days left...

Here's what we're gonna miss:

23 January 2010: Toronto, ON

Toronto Philharmonia

“The Dog Breath Variations/Uncle Meat for Wind Ensemble and Rock Band”
“Outrage At Valdez”
“Time Beaches II and III”
“Ill Revised”
“The Girl In The Magnesium Dress”
“Be-Bop Tango (Chamber Orchestra Version)”
“Ruth Is Sleeping”
“None Of The Above”
“Questi Cazzi Di Piccione”
“Get Whitey”
“G-Spot Tornado”


Conductor: Kerry Stratton
George Weston Recital Hall
Toronto, ON, CANADA

Hoping it's only a postponement.

HOLY HELL!!! They were going to perform live on stage in Canada almost the entire Yellow Shark album! And I never even heard about it!

_________________
For my clinically insane music
http://routenote.com/album/FOWL
http://www.myspace.com/fowlmusic
http://www.last.fm/music/fowl
http://www.deezer.com/en/#music/fowl
Your mental health requires buying my cd

http://www.torontophil.on.ca/

I just spoke to the Toronto Philharmonia who confirmed only 10% of tickets were sold for the concert and that is why it was cancelled!

I am angry that the Zappa fans of Toronto, Ontario & Buffalo
couldn't get it together to give us this concert of a lifetime, to hear Frank's "Yellow Shark" performed live.

The Philharmonia was brave to consider performing this music.

Tickets were $28 - $60.
Notice has been up on the "Performances" page here at Zappa.com since August.
The Philharmonia advertised on "rock radio".

We got together to give ZPZ the support for their shows.
Why not the Yellow Shark?

I was aware of this show and came very close to going, even though I live pretty far away. Seems to me that Toronto didn't have their heart in this one. In a big city like that, with a strong arts scene, you can get the word out adequately if you really try. I wonder if Gail ever thinks about helping out with publicity, aside from just listing it on the site. It certainly would expand Frank's legacy if more people heard the "serious" stuff.

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Everytime we picked a booger we'd flip it on this one winduh. Every night we'd contribute, 2, 3, 4 boogers. We had to use a putty knife, man, to get them damn things off the winduh. There was some goober ones that weren't even hard...

and Toronto is not "scared' to listen to "modern classical".

I attended a Toronto Symphony concert last month of a WORLD PREMIERE of Phillip Glass's new violin concerto "The Four Seasons".
Yes, it was played along side Beethoven's 6th, which many in the crowd were there to hear, but talking to a few of the patrons ( people older than me and I'm 53 ) sitting around me, they all were enthusiastic about the Glass piece and expressed a desire to hear more of this "modern" music.
Of course, I told them all to attend "The Yellow Shark".

Obviusly, not enough heeded my advertising.

Maybe the annual Luminato festival would be a better showcase for "The Yellow Shark". A little better reception for innovation.

Not sure were you got the idea that Toronto has a strong 'arts scene' when in fact it is rather in a sorry state with tatered clothes,and I will cite examples for you.
Adrian Belew played here in September and there was approx 50 people...maybe 60 and tickets were I believe $25.
Hugh Cornwell played here(same venue) just after that and maybe 30-40 people and tickets were a whopping $15.
Eugene Chadbourne played here and there was and I am not kidding 5 people(counting me)
There used to be,oh so many years ago numerous places for live music but has dwindled down to only a handfull and advertisement is pretty much limited to 2 free newspapers that may or may not advertise a performance. Yonge street the longest street in the world used to have at 1 time from Bloor St to queen ST about 10-12 bars/venues for bands of all sorts play...now not 1,the scene moved to Queen ST and well the money just dried up. I had my tickets but I can assure you that I have spoken to numerous FZ fans in our not so great town and surrounding area that had no idea this was going on. When ZPZ played here at the Hummingbird Centre I looked around and would guess that it was 1/2 sold out,maybe slightly more but you get the idea...doesn't sell beer,a life style or cuteness. Actually if ya wanna see the places that are semi-successfull you go to the entertainment district and there you will find the plastic people dancing to what the 21st century has to offer,the new vodkas,the new clothes,new hair styles etc etc etc...but the best is at approx 3:00 in the morning when they all pile out looking for food and find the hotdog carts. When I work nights we all go out to watch this debacle and the drunken girls with a Paris Hilton thing going on(no frillies ya got me) passed out in a garden with their dresses hicked up and showing the world what they have to offer...this is Toronto's entertainment....and no ticket price to boot.

Considering the capacity of the George Weston Recital Hall (1,036), ticket prices being $28-$60, the fact this event only appeals to hardcore fans and if it was properly promoted...I think it would've been over 80% full, grossing over $35,000.

Oh well...

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ONE NATION UNDER SOCIALISM



Because of Obamination's spending & socialist BS, America and much of the world will endure one of the worst depressions in history in 5...4...3...2...

I got in touch with Kerry Stratton, conductor, about the cancellation.

"I'm disappointed too but what can we do?
Fewer than 160 tickets sold in a hall that seats 1036.
the board of directors had no choice.
I do hope to programme something of his in the future,
at least Be-Bop tango..my personal favourite."

Well I had done my part but to only sell 160 tickets in a city the size of Toronto, that's some serious non-publicity you got going there. I only found out about this by random chance of searching Zappa ticket search just to see what maybe happening. There was nothing done in the way of promotion. I was really looking forward to this, I had seen The Dangerous Kitchen perform at that hall and this would have been a real treat.

ZPZ has played Toronto a few times and the tickets sell just fine - so it ain't that Toronto has no love for Zappa.

Stupid suggestion for future Zappa recitals:

Being that there is obviously some sort of issue with Zappa performances getting well publicized, as in the local venues seem unwilling to spend money on it for any number of reasons, it might be advisable to make use of the local newspapers opinion column (assuming you still have one). If not, try local "on the town" websites. Simply right in a letter about how great FZ was, and how much his music influenced the progress of your existence, and casually mention that there will be a performance of his music by such and such group, orchestra, whatever. Hopefully this will result in more than 160 tickets being sold, and prevent the possibility of cancellation.

You might even wish to do so about this cancellation, perhaps if you take some time to write how disappointed you are in the local press, you can drum up some support for the show to be rescheduled. If the promoters start getting calls from lots of peopple saying they would have bought tickets if only they had known then who knows what their response might be...

Give it a try, you've got nothing to lose.

_________________
"Whose foot is to be the measure to which ours are all to be cut or stretched? Is a priest to be our inquisitor, or shall a layman, simple as ourselves, set up his reason as the rule for what we are to read and what we must believe?" T.J.

there we have it folks....Toronto's 'art scene' As for writting into a newspaper about FZ the only problem with this is generally speaking no one cares about him or his music cept a few individuals out there...and most of them are either dieing off or too old to attend the shows...think about it....sad but true folks as it would have been an exceptional performance I would think,now lets all line up for Miley Cypress tickets.

ps:The Residents are playing here on Feb 13th....anybody going to this show?

Great post, you sum it up right there.

_________________
For my clinically insane music
http://routenote.com/album/FOWL
http://www.myspace.com/fowlmusic
http://www.last.fm/music/fowl
http://www.deezer.com/en/#music/fowl
Your mental health requires buying my cd