How They Gonna Pull That Off?

From the moment I heard announced, THIS IS IT, the movie, produced from “thoughtful” video, shot during rehearsals, for a long awaited Michael Jackson come back tour, would premiere at all fourteen theaters, the Regal Stadium 14, I wondered how the movers and shakers, the A listers’, would mix, with the thousands of pleabs, who stood in line for days, waiting to buy tickets in Nokia Plaza. I’ve been witness, throughout my life, seemingly impossible situations working out, working on these theaters, becoming familiar with space, I wondered how the masses would mix with all the suits. One of the theaters, the premiere theater, with balconies, and cascading, waterfall curtains, I believed would be for big shots, the remaining 13 for the curious, the people who waited days, to buy there tickets. One thing I’ve learned, in my life, is that everything works out, the Red Carpet Premiere, will be at LA Lives’ NOKIA THEATER. Lots of space between this venue, and the Regal Stadium 14. This is going to be much larger an event, than I envisioned, talk about making lemon aid from lemons. The theaters at LA LIVE, already have world press coverage, this before there even opened. On the 27th of October, I’m sure they will be plastered on screens throughout the world. The grand opening, of fourteen theaters in LA, now if that is not deserving of world wide press, what is? I watched a show on raptors, the other day on KCET, the similarities are uncanny, the people who have put this all together, certainly are the raptors of the entertainment business world. The first time I was aware, going face to face, with corporate entertainment, was a Pearl Jam Concert. I was back in Philadelphia, working on the Comcast tower, my work partner, Johnnie, got hold of passes, through his girlfriends law firm contacts, he asked if I would like to go. They weren’t really tickets, you see this law firm held a lease on a suite at the Core State Center, with all the frills. As we entered the venue, we were culled from the herd, sent up a grand staircase, down a wide radius hallway, and into our suite. We had been late on the job, barley had time to shower, figured we could eat some stadium food, turned out to be a good thing we waited. We walked into, what resembled a high end studio apartment, furnished nicely, a table set to the back, a small kitchen off to the side. To the front, a wall size piece of glass, looking onto, hanging over all the action at floor level. Big puffy chairs, deep sofas, quite a contrast from the day glow jungle jims at the old Electric Factory. There was something odd about this, a little too much juxtaposition for my brain to process, I never felt part of that event. So let me tell you about the food, there was roast beef, complete with a man to carve it up, salads, sea food, remember we’re in Philly, we’ve got cheese steaks, steaks, cheese wiz, shrooms, sweet peppers, and onion. We are only three, there are potatoes, fruit, vegetables, and anything you might think, you’d like to drink. Something sure seemed out of whack, Pearl Jam, sitting up top, eating like kings, it all seemed so antiseptic, I’ll tell you, it was voyeristic. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the concert, I really liked the food, it’s always good to look at things, from another persons view. So now, let me take the time, to thank you all, you see, its on your dime, these suites ain’t cheap, and they ain’t free. The price these firms, these corporations pay, is offset by an increase in price of their services to you. After all this, after all, just the cost of doing business, a couple deals, maybe made over the year, the suite becomes a business expense. Pearl Jam played an encore, there was a loud knock on the door, Johnnie jumped a little, he you see, was on parole. No trouble, his jumpiness, just a bad habit he had been trying to shake. I open the door to a gentleman in a tux with a desert cart, I. Know you all are thinking, it must be nice, it was! So were back again, to business isn’t personal. Music is personal, art is personal! I don’t think you can get out of an art school today, without required business courses, gotta know how your gonna market your widgets. I think, were just being fed junk, Woodstock was about something, “THAT WAS IT!”, not hours of Michael Jackson rehearsal tape, edited into some slick package, devoid of story. Well they threw Trutanich, under the bus yesterday, I guess lots of parties in the suits at Staples, for the Lakers home opener. Guess I ought to wrap this up, get in a nap, big thriller dance on Nokia Plaza today, man, that sounds cultural, not something I would miss!