How many concerts do you attend a year

Thanks for the replies. It appears that there are a lot of classical fans out there and I am surprised that many prefer seats somewhat removed for the direct sound, i.e., 20th row or back.

I go to around 25-35 concerts a year. Most of them are rock, roots, blues, bluegrass, jam bands and jazz concerts. I refuse to attend concerts in an arena. And, the good thing about getting older is that the bands I enjoy are no longer able to sell out these type of venues. Therefore, I am able to see them in smaller venues, "older movie houses" that seat 2,500 people or so. Places like the Eastman in Rochester NY; Smith in Geneva, NY; Place in Albany, NY;Troy Savings Bank, Troy NY; Orpeum in Boston and the Beacon in NYC.

I really enjoy going to these type of venues and the renovations that have been done provide for a stunning environment.

I would agree that the front row center, balcony can be one of the best seats in the house. You are up above everyone and there is leg room. Also, the sound can be engaging with out phase problems coming from the tops of other people's heads. However, I do enjoy 10th to 5th row center, on the floor, for most of the shows I attend. I really like the direct sound with just a touch of hall reverb.

Any further back, ie., 15th or so, you often get stuck under the balcony, which has a negative effect on the sound. Although, I have sat there and have enjoyed the music.

I also go to a number of outdoor venues and when it is in the open air I try to to get a seat 15 to 20 feet back from the stage. I find that again, this can strike a good balance between stage and P.A., if one is being used. If there is a shed, ie., SPAC and the various "Tweeter" like venues, I again go for 10th row or so.

As for Jazz, there is good news and bad news. Often, most performers play at small clubs. Get there early and you have a great seat. I always go for center in order to strike a good balance between instruments. And, if it is a small venue and there is no P.A. then fantastic! The real instruments can sound great. I will often try to get the second row of tables and hope that others are there to hear the music and not talk but that is something that doesn't always occur.

The bad new is that if you don't get there early you can get a bad seat way in the back. I usually go with out if that is the case. I just can't stand being stuck in the back listening to waiters, people talking and dishes crashing.

Thanks for the replies and further comments are appreciated.

Gee another fun time. Back in my Rhode Island days I was a subscriber to Ben Zanders BPO concerts at Sanders Theater at Harvard University. My seats were front row balcony just left of center (soloist side). Great sound up there and as I and Chancie Gardiner once said: "I like to watch".

Hi guys.
Ben Zander's BPO has me for the year (4x), as well the Boston Chamber Music Society (4x) and a variety of choral and orchestral groups perhaps another dozen times.
I'm a sucker for great live jazz, although Ellen doesn't tag along for these rarer nights out.
Best seats? Center-front balcony at Jordan Hall, Mid-center orchestra or center 2nd balcony at Symphonuy Hall. Center front orchestra at Sanders Theater (Harvard)or Tsai Performance Center (BU), and just about anywhere at Church of the Advent for choral regalia!
I'm constantly reminded that musical satisfaction is heightened by spectral balance, timing and coherence rather than visually-correlated soundstaging. (Indeed, the slap-echo off the left sidewall at Symphony is famous for "locating" the brass that are seated right-rear!)
I usually buy mid-priced seats and move around at intermission for better or different perspective.
I used to bitch a lot about leanness in ome recordings, etc., but was rather amazed at how bright and effervescent the Cleveland SO was at Symphony last year...nonetheless I strive for a smoother balance at home (like we all do, I suspect).

Kelly...did you ever find that potential virus-monger sending attachments through your moniker? Ern

sugarbrie: i've heard and seen marin alsop conduct the CSO with nadja solerno sonnenberg performing as the soloist. if they're on form in baltimore, expect magic. absolutely not to be missed. -cfb

Marin Alsop will be in Baltimore with the BSO and Nadja Salerno Sonnenberg on and around May 11. I met Marin in the early 90s before she was well know. She auditioned for the Rhode Island Philharmonic job. A good friend is on their Board and invited me to atttend all the concerts with her that year that were with candidates. We both liked Marin the best, but it went to a Chinese born conductor (who was a very close second choice) who was willing to spend a lot of time in Providence promoting the orchestra in the community.

I attend the Spokane Symphony concerts between 4 and 6 times a year, the Spokane Jazz Orchestra concerts about the same amount, and use to make it to our local jazz club about once or twice a month. The jazz club, Hobarts, closed earlier this year, which means more trips to the Jazz Alley over in Seattle.

sugarbrie: indeed, she does. the orchestra has matured wonderfully under her direction. unfortunately, as is the case in a number of cities, the CSO is facing a deficit of >$.5 mil this year, which will be hard to erase in this economy. -cfb

Marin Alsop in Colorado does a great job!

i attend 6 or 7 colorado symphony concerts a year, sitting in the seats owned by a friend who's a member of the board (dead center- about twenty rows from the conductor; we have a hall in the round modeled, unfortunately, after berlin's). i also go to an average of 2 rock/blues/groove concerts/mo and usually sit (sit?) in the vip or comp sections, courtesy of my well-connected older son. (hey, i supported him for more than 20 years--this is just a little payback!) -cfb

Its getting harder to find music we're willing to pay $100 or more to hear. Seems that the musical directors in So Cal vibrate between Mozart and Mahler, ignoring most of what was written in between, except of course for Beethoven's overexposed warhorses. We'd eagerly buy tickets to hear more Haydn, Mendelssohn, Schuman, Dvorak or Brahms, but the opportunities are becoming all too rare.

About 50 - almost all are classical music. The bigger the ensemble is, the farer away from the stage we sit (yet still in reasonable distance f.e. about row 20 to 30).
Sometimes - the smaller the ensemble the worse the concert's sound can be in comparison to the high end system at home, which always lets me appreciate the quality of the latter.
There are recordings which beat EVERY live sound experience - yet still live is not only a sound-matter as y'all sure do know...
Merry Christmas!

Baltimore Symphony; Yuri Temirkanov, Director - I have a 9 concert subscription. I end up going to a few more, so we'll say a dozen. My 3 subscription seats are in a second tier box (3 seats) overlooking the stage on the soloist side (left as you look at the stage.) So the orchestra is below where I sit. The sound travels up very well, so I guess if it were an audio system it would be near field listening. Hall accoustics are not as much of an issue that close.

I probably go to a half dozen other concerts of chamber music, solo recitals, etc at various venues in the Baltimore, Washington DC area.

I sing in the Baltmore Choral Arts Society full chorus and chamber chorus (www.baltimorechoralarts.org). If this counts it is another 6 to 8 per year. Interestingly, I almost never attend a choral concert I am not performing in. Being in the Chorus and usually in or near the front row, I guess it is surround sound listening.

I also usually get in at least one opera or ballet a year.

At the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore the best seats for soundstage, orchestra balance, etc, etc is actually the middle of the cheap seats in the upper tier in the back of the hall. The sound up/back there is really great, unlike many concert halls (and it is cheap). The seats up there are usually full of musicians and other music lovers who know how good it is up there. The people who go to be seen are on the main orchestra floor level. I also like to watch, so my view of the whole orchestra from above in the box is perfect.