A very unfriendly comment:

http://beetsalad.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/let-er-rip/

Well.....I'm just saying.............

This was too funny and pretentious - I just couldn't stop laughing at it. ROTFLMAO. Who cares what she thinks - now we all know that she'll never go to another Ripps show!

The chick gets free tix and then proceeds to shred everything and everyone. Now that's being a really cool critic. I just love music people who think that they're so much smarter and better than the rest of the audience.

She claims to be a journalist and an authority on indie music, but I truly enjoyed her inability to use spell check. (BTW, how does one get the certification as an indie music authority? Just curious)

She was actually dumbfounded that people would like something that she didn't like. Whoever gave her the tix should not have made her expect a jazz-fusion group, that was mistake #1.

http://beetsalad.wordpress.com/about/

Maybe she stayed too long in St Petersburg, Russia as the only female member of 2 all-male groups? whew-hew! (really? If they were all-male groups, what was she doing in them? duh?)

Back here in the US, she apparently missed 20 years of smooth jazz (no crime there) .... but I did crack up that she did know who Kenny G and Dave Koz were - after all, ironically, both did play on Moonlighting and can be considered "original" Ripps.

Maybe if she took the time to ask the happy audience, she might have understood what was going on. She apparently does not believe that music can exist - simply to make people smile.

She said:

Yes, it was laughable - nothing more! Might I suggest that next time she stick her bar napkins somewhere other than in her ears. : )

She is free to have and share her opinion - even if it only serves to make her look foolish and nasty! Clearly she is not open minded enough to be a true critic.

Dancing in the aisles!?!?! Ha! I am now more determined than ever to learn how to do "The Rico"!

I think she must be really great fun at parties....she probably sneers at the hors d'oeuvres if they're not artistic.

And the sight of an ice sculpture might cause a problem. Too trashy, I would bet.

I think that we will have to include a special toast to her next week!

I hope that I will never become such a miserable person that I will not be able to appreciate and rejoice in the happiness of others.

Any kind of music that can bring together people of all ages, races, backgrounds, etc. - and have them smiling and dancing in the aisles together - is a great thing!

Music critics vs Music Reviewers....

Just an opinion - but I think these days, things lean more towards reviews. It's not a "in" thing anymore to write a bash, although it still occurs for shows that go into very large venues - think Lincoln Center, or Avery Fisher Hall - cities with a vibrant arts culture. I see a bad review every so often in the NY Times.

I don't know much about Indianapolis - but I think it's similar to Seattle or Hartford or Orlando or San Diego or similar sized cities. These are all stops on various tours. Don't get me wrong, I'm not putting down anyone's town - but in NYC, reviews of large shows and Broadway openings are published every week.

To me, the blog piece makes about as much sense as a fan gushing over seeing their favorite band. It's one person's opinion.

I wasn't bothered so much by her opinion of the music. She obviously had an idea in her head of what jazz was supposed to sound like - and did no research on the history of the music or how it evolved. But she didn't care.... she's a self-proclaimed culture watcher.

It's very easy to pull a 20 year old video off YouTube and make fun of it - but it's just as easy to look at that same video and think "Wow. I remember that time and how the music made me feel."

What bugged me was how she put down the fans and obviously, I'm still bugged. Fan support is 100% important to keep music alive and strong.

Reviewers do note when a show is sold out or when the fans are into it or not into it. She seemed to want say that the fans were dumb.... talking about "big brother" control of the music. She probably thought she was very clever with her Perfect Strangers reference.

My point is - she gets free tix to shows as a self-proclaimed culture watcher. Putting down the audience is not cool - and it shows a lack of sophistication and understanding.

It was needlessly melodramatic - and self-centered ... to be stuffing bar napkins into her ears. Guess she wanted to demonstrate to the audience what she thought.

Rather than stuff napkins into her ears, she should have let her writing speak for itself - professional critics & journalists don't behave this way. They gather their info and they leave if it's not up to par. This chick was into making the scene, not writing a review.

Unfortunately, if someone like this has any influence over the promoter or the venue talent buyer, she could wreck it for all the local fans. That's what really bothers me.

Well put, Kat! It's fine if she did/does not like that music, but it is not her place to knock those who clearly did/do. Life is too short...

~ Your gushing pal (or I hope to be be in a few days)! ; )

Hi all,


I went to see the gangs at the Music Mill in Indy. The gig was probably one of the most cheered ones in my memory...I bet most audience would probably agree with me, but we got really wild, and the show was a BLAST!

Ripps' fans in Indy had to wait for them for such a long time (I think it's been at least several years since they appeared in the same venue last), so their temperature went straight up when the gangs started to play.

And of course, the song list included: Modern Art, Welcome to the St. James Club, Black Diamond, Bingo Jingo, Carribean Breeze, When It Feels Good (Jeff), Tourist in Paradise... (Sorry I cannot remember all!)

Throughout the entire show, some were dancing, others were cheering the gangs when each gave fantastic solos--none was sitting still. (One funny moment is that, when Russ started to play a new version of ballad medley, one guy came up to the stage to touch his forelock to Russ! Some people laughed, but I think that really embodied our craving for their music here in Indy.)

Overall, that was a really exciting show, and for those who joined a long line for the signing, the gangs spent a lot of time for chatting, and taking photos.

Well, but it's just my impression, you know, an honest impression of someone who has been working for a jazz/fusion website as a reporter/interviewer for almost ten years and seen their shows as well as other smooth jazz artists countless times over the past twenty years.


Cheers,
Mayumi

Kat - can we cheer even louder in Boston? : )

Mayumi - are you coming to Boston?

I dunno. There's a large contingent of the Jazz Police in Boston.... they get a little annoyed by fans who actually have fun.

Yes, some New Englanders can be a bit stuffy! Then we'll do our celebtrating in private! : )

I get kinda annoyed when I don't see folks having fun! My wife kills me! During the summer, we frequent a local beach that has concerts every Sunday evening. I get all into it, wiggling around, hand clapping, singing along, etc.! She just sits there! Emotionless! I'm like WTH?!?! Are you having fun at all? LOL!

golfwidow,

Yes, I am coming :), for this is a part of my Thanksgiving trip next week (I am visiting D.C. and NYC).

But I am arriving in Boston kinda late. Probably I can barely see their first show on Thursday. Plus, I only have 30 minutes to make my connection, which has already been making me sooo nervous!

I hope I don't have to stay over at a Midwestern airport...that would be tragic.

Mayumi

My wife and I came in from St. Louis to Indy to see the show and it was a blast. We were lucky to get there early and snagged first row seats directly in front of Rico. For a smaller venue, the crowd was loud and into it and the Ripps just seem to feed off of that. There was one point where a person sitting almost next to me went to the lower edge of the stage to get a picture of Russ and Rico playing together. Jeff motioned to the guy to give him the camera and Jeff took a few pictures on stage just inches away from Russ and Rico playing side-by-side. No matter your taste in music, I would think that anyone would appreciate tha special bond between the fans and the musicians.

Yep....i am with y'all....

I actually wonder why some people go to concerts if not to enjoy themselves....clap!!! dance! hum along!! play air guitar/keys/sax/etc....

Only noise I do NOT like:

Lawn yappers....people who talk and talk and talk and talk during the whole concert....who have less than half of their concentration on the music and the musicians onstage. That really irritates me.

One time, I actually mustered up the courage to ask the ladies in front of me to go to the back of the venue where the bar was if they were gonna talk through the whole show.

They then piped down.

Peace.


paul

Yay, Paul.

One of the reasons why I enjoy jazz so much, it the attitude and personality of the band. From what I've experienced and heard, 99% of the people in the band are terrific people. Kind and easy to get along with. The fans are cool as well. It's people like that chick who ruin things. Normally if people are there, they are to have fun!

The people, the band, the excitement! How can you not move around, sing, clap, and play your air instruments!?

I am with Paul and the lawn yappers. If you are going to drop the price of ticket to go see a music show, why not listen to the music. My guess is of course they did not pay for the tickets so what do they care. I love going to shows and just having a great time.

I do have one complaint over the years though. Why is it that every time I attend an outdoor show, the guy sitting in front of me is always an NBA center!

My wife always wants front row seats and of couse I don't always get them. You don't think she plants this guy in front of me to get back at me do ya!

Really need to get the Ripps back up here to northern Indiana, the Green Mill is nice, but we have such a beautiful theater here in South Bend that would just perfect for the guys to play in. Instead we get outdated rock groups.

well, someone posted a comment on the original reviewer's blog about this thread.

She took the high road about welcoming new readers and healthy debate .... but I did notice that she corrected the spelling errors in her original blog post.

Perhaps... the next time, she will describe culture and music without making fun of the audience.

Yes - it is good to share opinions, but insults, not so much! I wish that she had been in Boston...

what do you expect from a bunch of unintellectual idiots. in all probability, we can't stand their favorite music either.