[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I used to just ignore their politics and still do if they don't shove it in my face. But I went to a concert in my mid-twenties and the artist decided to give us the benefit of his opinion of the US and especially the Midwest.

I have no idea how long it lasted because after about five minutes I did something I never had done before and walked out and went to the ticket box and asked for a refund.

There was a line.

[xp38]

I grew up concert wise during the punk era where there certainly were a few left wing groups like the Clash etc but also a few that were counter counter culture and hated the left wing politics of the hippies before them. I’ll never forget a small punk show set up by an anti nuke group and had a bunch of local punk bands performing. Well one group called The Forgotten Rebels got on stage and started ranting about how they loved nuclear energy and more than likely the show was being powered by a rather large nuke plant just outside of town. After the show the organizers said they should have vetted the bands better. They just assumed everyone agreed with them. It was a great laugh for me as a yute. :)

[HIDEK6]

I’ve only walked out of one concert.

UNCG was presenting a production of La Traviata just after I had moved to Greensboro in 1982.

The Overture began, I was thrilled by the familiar melodies. Then a strange, foreign sound emanated from the chorus.

By God, they were singing “The Traveler,” not La Traviata.

I checked my ticket. No mention of singing the thing in English.

Naively, I complained to the Box Office. I felt ripped off because I had not paid to hear some poorly translated English version of one of the most loved operas composed by Western Man.

I walked out before the Overture ended.

The UNCG theater department stinks out loud. I’ve listened to a rehearsal or six over the intervening 40+ years, and they remain amateurish and infantile.