How often do you listen to live music?

Minneapolis is a great city for the arts. I try to get to a classical event monthly and with the blues/jazz venues second only to Chicago I find alot of choices. We try to watch for Princes late night events at his studio just ten minutes away. He often jambs with national artists recording there. New groups are always a part of life in Mpls too, so I try and catch them too.
Fact is, I prefere my stereo most of the time. The accoustics are better, I get tenth row middle at all the venues (something I cann't achieve in real life) and I control how loud it is. The biggest reason I enjoy my stereo is Miles, Duke, Coltrane, Hendrix, Duane... are dead, so there concerts are not very good lately.
Yes it's nice to here live and keep your ears tuned, but for my money, my stereo is always a great performance.

J-D good to see you again, in this neck of the virtual woods!

Same here J-D....and thanks Jeff, seems to be the same all over. I got goosepimples however as I read your thoughts about "honest" Jazz- and Bluesmusicians and what bliss, hearing THE Prince jamming. WOW. And as the adrenaline flowed, I thought again: " Amerika, Du hast es besser "!

A brief follow-up on the BSO. I have only lived here for about 2 1/2 years. I have not been to a "Zinman" concert, but everyone here in Baltimore that attends the symphony regularly (including a neighbor who is in the symphony) agrees that Temirkanov has stepped it up a notch. I think sometimes it's just getting a new director that puts everyone on their toes to perform their best--at any rate the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has really impressed me. The Lang Lang performance of Grieg's Piano Concerto is probably the best concert I've ever seen.

Abstract7, yes, I remembered your prior posts about Temirkanov; I thought they were terrific when I heard them with Zinman, so I'd love to hear an orchestra that sounds better than that! Here in NJ we're looking for a successor to Zdenek Macaal, hope we're as successful as the BSO.