Tuesday, May 15, 2007

A new era for Millennium Music

Posted by Patrick Sharbaugh on Tue, May 15, 2007 at 4:27 PM

Interesting news from the gang at Millennium Music a few minutes ago. About two years ago, building owners PrimeSouth Real Estate made much of their annnounced plans to dynamite the building at King and Calhoun and put up — surprise! — a new condo development with some ground-floor retail (which didn’t include Millennium). The music store’s been treading water ever since, trying to figure out how and where to move in the middle of their big transition from a standard retail model to their online and previously-owned model. Now, it seems, Millennium’s been granted a full pardon. Partner Kent Wagner writes:

“After two years of uncertainty and conflicting messages concerning the development on the corner of King and Calhoun Streets, Millennium Music has been told that there is no definitive timetable and that we should expect to operate at this location for the duration of our lease. Therefore, Millennium is thrilled to finally be able to announce once and for all that we will likely be operating out of the 372 King Street location for at least the six years remaining on the lease.”

While he’s gloating, Wagner mentions some plans to ratchet up the volume at the store. Downloading kiosks, he says, will soon allow customers to burn songs, compilations, or entire albums to CDs or export them to their portable music players. They’ll also be reintroducing a new in-store CD “ripping” service that can load music directly onto customers’ iPods. They plan to start stocking hundreds of vinyl titles, and part of the store’s real estate will soon be give over to a high-end videogame arcade called GameFrog. (Wonder if that means the Classical/Jazz room is headed for the dustbin of history?)

Wagner wraps up with word that Millennium Music also has plans to sublet a portion of its location to a prominent, as yet unnamed national tenant that’s “leading the current changes in the music industry.” Who? He’s not saying until the deal’s been inked.

But it’s a safe bet it ain’t Tower Records.

Topics: Retail, Concert Music

Friday, May 11, 2007

House Music

Posted by Patrick Sharbaugh on Fri, May 11, 2007 at 3:10 PM

With Spoleto prep consuming me lately, it’s been tough getting around to saying anything about last Tuesday’s season-ending concert from Chamber Music Charleston (formerly Charleston House Concerts, late of the Charleston Chamber Music Society), but the black-tie shindig seemed a nice way to send things out, even if my own tux stayed in the closet. After a short reception and some bubbly-fueled chatter about this and that — including the welcome but annoying rain that had just begun — a program of Baroque-ish Jean-Baptist Loeillet, contemporary Czech composer Ilja Hurnik (never heard of him until now), and Telemann went down in the second-floor ballroom of the Old Exchange Building at Broad and East Bay.

Everyone made much of the fact that on this week exactly 216 years ago, then-President George Washington sat in that very room and did exactly what we were doing — downed a few glasses, enjoyed chamber music and, quite possibly, bitched about the inconvenience of a spring shower. A high point of the program was ponytailed CSO bassist Edward Allman performing the Southeast premiere of his own four-part composition Short Suite for Solo Bass. Allman played his instrument like a cello and made his theatrical most of what’s gotta be a rare opportunity. Solo works for bass are probably about as common as , and he lapped up his moment in the spotlight like milk.

Sandra Nikolajevs and company have finished their first season well in the black, which not all local classical music outfits can say — though the CSO is doing a hell of a lot better now than they were at this time last year. Incidentally, Chamber Music Charleston’s already announced their next season, starting Sept. 14 with Mozart and Borodin at the Calhoun mansion. They’re also still looking for a couple of SOB or Kiawah homes to fill for their coming season’s House Concerts. (If you live on either JI, thanks, but maybe some other time.) Don’t want to wait until September? Catch ’em in their Piccolo Spoleto concert Mon. June 4, at 6 pm at the City Gallery at Waterfront Park.

Topics: Concert Music

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Battle royale at the Boston Pops

Posted by Patrick Sharbaugh on Thu, May 10, 2007 at 3:36 PM

Looks like somebody unwrapped one cough drop too many at the Boston Pops season opener last night. About 20 minutes into a performance of the score to the film Gigi (presumably not the inciting event, but one never knows) a couple of meatheads in a side balcony went all WWF on each other. The cellphone video below’s too dark to catch the meleé itself, but you can hear a woman scream and watch conductor Keith Lockhart stop the orchestra for about a minute while they place their bets try to suss out the situation. Only in Boston, right? You half expect the crowd to start chanting “Yankees Suck!”

Friday Update:  Apparently Ben Folds was part of the Pops’ program at Wednesday’s opening night after the brawlers had been ejected. An MSNBC site has some footage of the actual fight, which, damn them, I can’t download.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/VGcvW3I3Daw" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

Topics: Performance Venues, Concert Music

Don’t force it, George

Posted by Patrick Sharbaugh on Thu, May 10, 2007 at 8:12 AM

You knew it was coming: George Lucas has spilled that he will make two more live-action Star Wars installments. But at 60 minutes each, they’re destined for the small screen. Hope he chooses wisely, ’cause Battlestar Galactica will eat Luke and friends for lunch.

Topics: Film

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Long day’s journey into night

Posted by Patrick Sharbaugh on Tue, May 8, 2007 at 7:59 AM

Dear god say it isn’t so. We’ve got to endure three more years of Lost?

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