After the CSO announced the four-part series late last month, it had to send out a hasty clarification: Although patrons could bring cannabis to the first three "High Note" performances at Space, for consumption in marked-off areas outside, no pot would be allowed at the final concert in the series on September 13 at Red Rocks -- because that venue is off-limits for marijuana, according to official city rules. See also: Colorado could use a cannabis mascot like Little Buddy
Not that anyone who's ever gone to a concert at Red Rocks would believe that.
Then the city determined that the Space was a public space, which meant cannabis consumption would not be allowed at shows there, either -- even if audience members brought their own. While Amendment 64 legalized the use of recreational marijuana, it's still prohibited in public.
So the CSO, which had cooked up the concept with Edible Events as a way to raise funds and, yes, some attention for the symphony -- attention that has included many national news reports and jokes on just about every late-night talk show -- compromised, and made the series invitation-only.
And so the first show will go on Friday, after snagging not just a cash sponsorship from the cannabis industry, but also a wealth of media attention around the world. But will that pay off in symphony support?
Consider where some of the RVSPs for tomorrow's shows are coming from: three from San Diego, two from Ann Arbor, four from Scottsdale, two from Atlanta, two from Omaha, four from Corinth, Texas. And that's not counting the number of national media figures who suddenly find themselves big fans of classical music...
Maestro, take a bow.
