Last night we popped over to Pasadena to attend a free sing-along performance of Messiah. We found out about it through a WoW friend who works there as a sound engineer. The venue was the Lake Street Church, specifically a concert-sized hall therein that held some 2,000+ people for this show.

Unlike the same sing-along that we used to attend in Ithaca, this one limited itself to just Part I and a couple other pieces, such as the Hallelujah Chorus from Part II, rather than every piece from all three parts.

Also unlike Ithaca's, the soloists, small orchestra, and standing choir all seemed to be paid professionals. In Ithaca all the participants are volunteers.

All in all, I prefer Ithaca's very much smaller event to this one, although this one wasn't terrible.

Except for one thing...

That guy. You know, *That Guy*...

How to describe the experience? "Revolting" covers it well. Mostly the body odor, or maybe better said as "funk." Just nauseating. I think he was a street person, although he was superficially clean enough to be there, so I'm not sure he was.

Anyway, we arrived just before the performance started and we each sat in our section (so Shelley was saved from the ordeal) and by the time I realized I had problem all I could do was pray that the show had an intermission (unfortunately it disappointed in that department).

It's not only that he stank, but he could not follow the music, and certainly could not sing: he pretty much just loudly voiced what he thought he should be singing, whether the correct part or not, in time or not, in tone or not (and you can be sure it was not, not, and not respectively).

But wait, it gets worse.

Of all the thousands of people there, or at least all the ones up front in the singing section near the orchestra, he was the only one without a score.

Yeah... so I had to share mine. Shoulder to shoulder, him loudly in one ear, overwhelming in both nostrils...

Ugh.

One more thing: did I mention that he was wearing white tennis shoes and shorts, and black fishnet stockings, and a little-finger gold ring with a "stone" the size of a normal six-sided die?


PS. Kelley stayed with Aunty Pooh (Jennise) for the evening; first time we've been out since late 2005 without Baby. Very strange.