Chicago Symphony Performance Jarred by Fist Fight in the ‘Elite Seats’
- Posted on March 11, 2012 at 12:54pm by
Scott Baker
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AP (File)
CHICAGO (AP) — It was an unusual backdrop for a fistfight: Maestro Riccardo Muti was nearly through the second movement of Brahms Symphony No. 2 at the normally staid Chicago Symphony Orchestra when two patrons went at it.
Concert-goers at Orchestra Hall were all the more stunned Thursday because the two men were fighting in one of the boxes where the well-to-do normally sit in decorous self-restraint.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported Saturday (http://bit.ly/xLhvAL ) that the ruckus began when a man in his 30s started punching a 67-year-old man in one of the boxes.
“We heard a rather loud thump,” said Steve Robinson, general manager of Chicago’s classical and folk music station 98.7 WFMT, who was at the performance but didn’t see the fracas. “It wasn’t so loud that everyone jumped up and ran for the exits.”
Police said the fight was the result of an argument over seats. The older man had a cut on his forehead; the other left before officers arrived.
AP (File)
All the while, the concert went on. Though patrons said Music Director Muti gave the two men a sharp, irritated look — one person called it “dagger eyes” — before continuing on with the third movement.
“Mind you, he never stopped conducting,” Robinson said. “He very gracefully, without missing a beat — literally — he brought (the second movement) to a very quiet and subdued close, while still looking over his left shoulder.”
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Comments (77)
OlefromMN
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 2:35pmI bet the fight was a result of one not wanting to donate to Obama’s campaign.
Report Post »cdcats8
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 2:33pmWow, disgraceful. Anxious to hear the rest of the story.
Report Post »teamarcheson
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 2:39pmDo they mean the free seats in the Elite Seat Seating Section?
Some free ticket holders were angry because they expected to hear a Black Rap Concert.
Report Post »B4REALITY
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 4:22pmRandy – what is up with you dude! Don’t you realize you sound like an ignorant fool!
You’re literally making a cast for the nonsense “hate crime,” issue. This has NOTHING to do with black! This has to do with “attack.“ ”Attack,” is bad – no matter what color you are! Please stop yourself from comments like that – you’re simply fueling their anti-white nonsense!
Jugde people by the CONTENT OF THEIR CHARACTER – NOT THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN!
Report Post »Jaycen
Posted on March 13, 2012 at 12:49am@teamarcheson
That’s not cool.
Report Post »Jaycen
Posted on March 13, 2012 at 12:50am@B4REALITY
God bless you for your common sense and sanity. Thank you.
Report Post »pwatkins
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 2:33pmThe performers are used to looking over their left shoulder, continuing on and saying…hmmm yeah…we are in Chicago…happens all the time.
Report Post »Kaoscontrol
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 2:33pmThat’s some classical music with a “beat”.
Report Post »sndrman
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 2:30pmprobably a fight over who loves obamaism more!!2 liberals fighting i love okenyan more now i do.
Report Post »single stack
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 9:12pmThe older man probably asked the punk to stop texting or playing Angry Birds on his iphone during the concert.
Report Post »BS61
Posted on March 12, 2012 at 12:40pmHey we weren’t all voting for O! That’s why I moved out of Chicago, it’s going down and will be the next Detroit!
Report Post »phillipwgirard
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 2:21pmLike the Tattoo says,,, Saturday nights alright for fighting, LOL
Report Post »LouC57
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 2:21pmIf you’re over 50, and it’s legal in your state to carry a weapon, you should consider it (I need to follow my own advice too). Attacks on elderly or seniors is escalating at an alarming rate. It’s almost like watching “evolution of the zombies” in real time.
Report Post »that said, if you do obtain a weapon, and carry it, and have to use it, you had better have a lawyer that you know is on your side. KNOW (caps, underlined, italics/etc.)
phillipwgirard
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 2:32pmYou are so very right. i don’t even have to read the newspaper to see the mess we have gotten into as a Country. one just has to look around on a daily basis to see this. I go to the store to buy some household products on a Sunday afternoon, people are shopping in their pajamas, (no self respect, no self esteem), once a week I treat myself out to a restaurant, (people, families sitting there eating with baseball or John Deere hats on as they dine, (no class, no etiquette), I go to the bookstore and hold the door for someone, (no thank you) WHY? WHEN? did this all come to be?
Report Post »RebelYell1862
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 3:37pmI’m 47 and can handle someone twice as young as me in a fist fight. I carry a pistol but only in case of another weapon being used on me. I’ve handled punks before but with just my fist. I hope I never have to shoot someone but if they pull theirs they’re going to get bloody with me.
Report Post »Onowicit
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 8:43pmRead the book “The Death Of The Grownup”
Report Post »000degrees
Posted on March 12, 2012 at 7:41amWell they were in Illinois…..no 2nd amendment of the constitution exists there…..
Report Post »dlivelli
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 2:15pmYou can take a idiot out of chicago but you can’t take the chicago out of an idiot! Friends of Rahms I presume?
Report Post »TerryDo
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 6:38pmThe young coward was a hit and run, he must be so proud of himself. The concert hall knows very well who purchased that ticket and the police should get the brute’s name and charge him with assult.
Report Post »MBA
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 1:55pmHahahahahaha! Freakin‘ liberals can’t even stand each other!
Report Post »LouC57
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 2:17pmI don’t find this funny at all. It’s yet another instance of “youth” attacking a senior citizen. It’s becoming common to literally beat up older people, and it’s disgusting.
Report Post »auntbea
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 3:17pmDoesn’t sound like a “fight” to me. Sounds like assault and battery. There’s a difference folks.
Report Post »The_Jerk
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 1:52pmGood to see men being men instead of the feminized boys that society has changed then into. A 30 on a 67 is a little bit much.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 1:47pmOWS at the Chicago Symphony?
Hey old man, give me your seat, I’m entittled to it.
No.
Pow! (and then run away)
What’s next? Metal detectors at a Symphony?
Report Post »pavepaws
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 1:53pmObama supporters.
Report Post »jp2feminist
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 1:34pmI love it! At a hockey game, it’s a brawl. At a symphony concert, it’s a fracas.
Report Post »Nathanael Becerra
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 1:33pmReminds me of the debut of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring in 1913
Report Post »Tony Sanchez
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 1:31pmWhat do you expect in Liberal-land, adopted home of BO.
Report Post »Charles
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 1:27pm30 year old beats a 67 year old man and leaves. Chicaaaagoland. A garbage dump.
Report Post »chips1
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 1:24pmPounding sticks on a hollow log and banging trashcan lids together does not constitute a symphony.
Report Post »hatchetjob
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 1:39pmPerhaps you could show us how it’s done.
Report Post »chips1
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 2:36pmIt’s shown at the very last part of the movie “American Hot Wax”. The film stops and the credits start to roll.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 3:32pmAh… Music to soothe the savage beast :)
Report Post »One Man Progressive Wrecking Crew
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 1:24pm“that the ruckus began when a man in his 30s started punching a 67-year-old man in one of the boxes.”
Another human quality chucked to the wind, respect for one’s elders. You hit a man that age whether he’s right or wrong, you could easily kill him, all over a freaking Opera seat like life’s an episode of Seinfeld. @@
Report Post »jaylew
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 2:01pmYou are spot on…..what 30 year old man would ever hit a man nearly 70 years old? Even if the old timer was in the wrong there are civilized ways to accomplish correcting this fairly minor and very fixable issue. I would love to see the media dig into this one….who hit who? What are the demographics of both guys?….rest assured….if there is a Tea Party component or some other Right Wing spin that the left can derive from this non story then we will find out soon enough….otherwise if it’s just two gay liberals having a slap fight over who gets the best seat to watch the slide Trombone section then this story will end quicker than it started….and now if the Trombones would please start the evening off with “Flight of the Bumblebee”………
Report Post »JACKTHETOAD
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 1:23pmWow! An elderly man assaulted by a ‘man’ half his age. I know this is an isolated incident, but it’s making me think about working out again, not to mention carrying. Let’s face it, most of the ‘peaceful’ protesters are about half the age of most of us, who want to set things right in America again. Obumwad’s final division may be yet to come; the old vs. the young, the weak vs. the strong.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 1:54pm@Mandors
Report Post »The 67 year old is not a baby boomer. He was born in 1945 and baby boomers are from 1946 to 1664.
BTW, what do you have against people born between 1946 and 1964? How old are you?
jujubeebee
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 6:45pmA 30 year old punching anyone over a seat mixup is wrong. Doing it to someone probably without a warning is worse and doing it to someone older is horrific. No manners. No class. Disgusting. That 30 year old is a coward.
Report Post »Gypsy123
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 1:12pmThey were listening to Brahms for pity sake he did lullabies not fighting music. They must have been fighting over the flock of Flukes from Rush’s delima.
Report Post »65Mustang
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 1:09pmProbably two pompous, well-heeled liberal Democrats who thought they deserved the best seat in the house.
Report Post »grandmaof5
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 1:24pmProbably an occupier wanting the best seat in the house for free.
Report Post »klevalt
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 1:09pmLOL!!! Great story!
Report Post »MidWestMom
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 1:05pmWow. You can’t take those people in Chicago anywhere.
Report Post »johnsmcdii
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 1:02pmHooray for society today!
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 1:00pmlol; ROLF :)
Report Post »hauschild
Posted on March 11, 2012 at 12:57pmTwo progressives enjoying their favorite pass-time.
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