I'm so sad that I'm the first reviewer - MSO is AMAZING , where's the love Memphis?…read more I have gone to both pop and masterworks concerts , both are very well done. In the past I've subscribed for the great prices but found myself only attending half the season. Mei Ann is a wonderful conductor, full of energy and passion. If you're nervous about giving the symphony a go check out one of the Opus one events which are less traditional. They also do sunset symphony during Memphis in May and Symphony in the Gardens at the Dixon twice a year, tickets are very reasonable and you can bring a picnic.

I attended the Pet Sounds Music by the Beach Boys featuring the Rewinders tonight. The music was…read morefantastic. The symphony as accompaniment was fantastic. My group of six people went specifically to hear the Rewinders and we were so pleased at the great performance. However, the audience was horrible. We were in row L, mid orchestra, toward the right and there were what were obviously some stodgy people seated in the row behind us that sucked the fun out of the evening for us. One man, wearing a cell phone belt clip no less, made it his business to chastise anyone using a cell phone. He chastised not only our group but a few others. Now, I understand that in a normal symphony performance setting this could be distracting. However, this was not that performance. The featured band was obviously looking for some audience participation and excitement and we had our phones on the lowest brightness setting taking photos. This was not good enough for him. There is no possible way it was distracting other than in his mind. Then a few seats down from him another obviously stodgy old gal (maybe a season ticket holder friend?) decided to jump on his bandwagon. What a kill they were. Apparently the only audience reaction they deemed appropriate was sedate head bobbing. To the people seated in row m, seats 110-1116...you are fun suckers. The audience and the band themselves would have had a lot more fun if you had stayed home. I hope in the future when MSO hosts groups like this, they are vocal from the beginning that audience participation and fun is paramount and less stifling rules are in place.