Celine Dion or geriatric rock? Tough Call
November 21st, 2007 by Bill
I’m somewhat amazed, and a bit discouraged, by the fiasco surrounding the cancelled Celine Dion outdoor concert that had been announced for Halifax. Apparently when it was announced a great cry of outrage and disappointment went up. “Celine Dion? We don’t want no stinkin’ Celine Dion! We want AC/DC! Or Ozzy Osborne! Or The Eagles! Or some other old band that’s on life support.”
What year is it out here?
Okay, so maybe you don’t like Celine. Fine. Different folks, different tastes. But announcing a Celine Dion concert isn’t the same as announcing a 25% increase in personal taxes. Or free handguns for school kids. It’s just a concert.
Personally, I don’t go to outdoor concerts regardless of who is performing because it’s as comfortable as wearing underwear made of straw and sandpaper.
And a Celine Dion concert in any venue isn’t enough to get me tearing out my hair or assailing blogs with strident (and illiterate) comments venting my rage. Actually, I’d be curious to see what a Celine Dion concert looks and sounds like (but indoors).
Of course, I think I might prefer seeing The New Pornographers, or White Stripes, or M.I.A. or Sarah Slean … well, you know.
But that’s not what they want in Halifax. They want AC/DC. Or Ozzy.
It seems this part of the world has yet to catch up with the 21st century. Apparently, when I moved east from Canada’s west last year I wasn’t just moving through space but through time as well.
(By the way, just so you know, I do like Celine. The showbiz glitz? Not so much. But her voice? Like it or not kids, it’s the best voice in pop music on the planet. Unfortunately for Celine, she’s from Canada and for all the good things that can be said about us, we’re kind of a petty people. Sort of like a tight-assed relative who frowns too much. We hate anyone who is actually good and successful at something. Well, unless they’re a hockey player. Then, they could be drunks and wife beaters but we’d still love them.)
