concert review: Silicon Valley Music Festival

Wednesday: To Le Petit Trianon to review some other concert. Find the place locked and deserted. Puzzling. Am I at the wrong place, or time? Phone B., ask her to check the websites of the venue and ensemble. Find that the concert was cancelled due to illness. Well, they could have put up a sign. Go home, find an e-mail to that effect, except that it wasn't forwarded to me until 90 minutes before showtime, which is too late.

Friday: Back to Le Petit Trianon for a concert from the Silicon Valley Music Festival. It's there; the only problem is that hardly anybody else is: this is not an event that's yet learned to publicize itself much. Greeted warmly by festival executive director and artistic director. They and the artists pretend not to notice that the fine show they're putting on is being heard by a lot of empty seats.

Saturday: Although I'd only been set to review Friday's, I decide to return for the next concert. Cripes, the Trianon is locked again. Check SVMF program book: oh, this one's at another venue; my bad. I have 15 minutes to drive across downtown, find a parking space, and get there. Succeed. Executive director looks astonished that I've returned as I'd said I would. Tiny ex-warehouse space, about the size that would fill up with the audience from Friday's concert. About filled up. Much more appropriate acoustics for a postmodern vocal concert. Socks fairly knocked off by the music.

Sunday: Finish up review of the lot.