Poor, Poor Pitiful Me

About five years ago I caught Linda Ronstadt performing with Emmylou Harris at McFarlin Auditorium. What should've been a breezy evening of country ditties quickly turned heavy-handed after the first song, when Ronstadt stopped the show to tell the audience to quit taking pictures. She was afraid the camera flashes would blind her and she might trip over a power cable. Seriously. Harris gracefully ignored the issue while the audience collectively rolled its eyes and thought, "Nobody's taking pictures of you anyway—we're here to see Emmylou." Fast forward to 2004's Aladdin Resort & Casino debacle when Ronstadt got kicked out of the hotel for lecturing the crowd about the greatness of Michael Moore. I'll concede she reclaimed a few cool points for getting booed off a Vegas stage, yet I can't help but wonder if the whole brouhaha would've been more palatable if it was Bonnie Raitt or Stevie Nicks or even Juice Newton—anybody but friggin' Linda Ronstadt. So what will Dallas 2006 have to offer? The Dallas Symphony Orchestra performs with Aaron Neville and Linda Ronstadt at 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at the Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora St. Tickets are $50 to $125. Call 214-692-0203 or visit dallassymphony.com.
Wed., March 22, 8 p.m.; Thu., March 23, 8 p.m.