Several readers and a couple of acquaintances e-mailed me for my take on a letter to the editor I posted this week from "Concerned Concert-goers," a group frustrated by how recent shows at the Pabst Theater (Neko Case) and Turner Hall Ballroom (Animal Collective) have been rescheduled at the Riverside Theater.
My take: I thought the readers brought up a valid point—valid enough to post, at least—but I don't share their view. I think it's admirable that the Pabst Theater is trying to meet the demand for these shows, and while I believe venue can be a deciding factor in whether or not to go to a show, I doubt the suggestion that it was a deciding factor for these shows. It's unlikely, for instance, that these readers wouldn't have sprung for cheap tickets to see Neko Case had the show initially been booked at the Riverside instead of the Pabst.
Yes, the Pabst Theater has a singular charm, but the Riverside Theater is a pretty seamless venue, too: great sound, comfortable seats, nice views. It's also a quarter-mile away from the Pabst.
There's a reason Concerned Concert-goers aren't asking for their money back: This is a show they still very much want to attend.
