Lebanese Musician Khalife Jerked Around by Venue
Many moons ago, we posted a track from Lebanese oud player Marcel Khalifé. Khalifé seems like a good dude: in addition to really wailin' on the oud, he's a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization "Artist for Peace". Not even Bono can say the same.
Khalifé has a sizable number of North American tour dates ahead of him over the next few months at places like the Kennedy Center and Boston's Berklee College of Music's Performance Hall. In other words, Khalifé ain't no dimestore oud player, and venues who regularly host Lebanese classical music ought to be honored by his interest.
That's not the case for San Diego's Joan B. Kroc Theatre at the Salvation Army's Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center, who have forced Khalifé to look elsewhere for a place to play in the area. It's not so much that the Kroc Theatre folks don't like the cut of Khalifé's jib: rather, they feel the show would be "divisive" and "unbalanced" without an Israeli performer taking the stage the same night, according to a press release issued by Khalifé's camp.
It's tough to tell if this is political correctness run amok (soon to come at the Kroc: all Swiss music, all the time!) or-- Khalifé being Arab and this being a Christian-run venue in George Bush's America-- something potentially more sinister. A quick glance at the Kroc Center's schedule of events finds several Christmas events on the docket with nary a Jewish/Islamic/Buddhist/snakehandling/what-have-you alternative offered. Long live hypocrisy.
Kudos to the Birch North Park Theater for stepping in and giving Khalifé a gig in San Diego. The full tour roster is available after the jump.
Marcel Khalifé:
09-28 Montreal, Quebec - The Metropolis
09-30 Toronto, Ontario - Toronto Centre for the Arts
10-02 Ottawa, Ontario - Centrepoint Theatre
10-04 Calgary, Alberta - MacEwan Hall
10-05 Edmonton, Alberta - Citadel
10-06 Vancouver, British Columbia - Centennial Theatre
10-07 Seattle, WA - Town Hall
10-10 San Francisco, CA - Herbst Theatre
10-13 Los Angeles, CA - Wilshire Ebell Theatre
10-14 San Diego, CA - Birch North Park Theater
10-18 Denver, CO - The Oriental Theater
10-19 Minneapolis, MN - The Cedar Cultural Center
10-20 Austin, TX - Hogg Memorial Auditorium
10-26 Houston, TX - Stafford Centre
10-28 Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater
10-30 Albuquerque, NM - KiMo Theater
11-01 Washington, DC - John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
11-02 Washington, DC - John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
11-04 Atlanta, GA - Ferst Center for the Arts
11-09 Ann Arbor, MI - Michigan Theater
11-10 Dearborn, MI - Ford Community & Performing Arts Center
11-11 Westlake, OH - Westlake City Schools Performing Arts Center
11-16 Boston, MA - Berklee Performance Hall
11-18 New York, NY - NYU Skirball Center
Khalifé has a sizable number of North American tour dates ahead of him over the next few months at places like the Kennedy Center and Boston's Berklee College of Music's Performance Hall. In other words, Khalifé ain't no dimestore oud player, and venues who regularly host Lebanese classical music ought to be honored by his interest.
That's not the case for San Diego's Joan B. Kroc Theatre at the Salvation Army's Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center, who have forced Khalifé to look elsewhere for a place to play in the area. It's not so much that the Kroc Theatre folks don't like the cut of Khalifé's jib: rather, they feel the show would be "divisive" and "unbalanced" without an Israeli performer taking the stage the same night, according to a press release issued by Khalifé's camp.
It's tough to tell if this is political correctness run amok (soon to come at the Kroc: all Swiss music, all the time!) or-- Khalifé being Arab and this being a Christian-run venue in George Bush's America-- something potentially more sinister. A quick glance at the Kroc Center's schedule of events finds several Christmas events on the docket with nary a Jewish/Islamic/Buddhist/snakehandling/what-have-you alternative offered. Long live hypocrisy.
Kudos to the Birch North Park Theater for stepping in and giving Khalifé a gig in San Diego. The full tour roster is available after the jump.
Marcel Khalifé:
09-28 Montreal, Quebec - The Metropolis
09-30 Toronto, Ontario - Toronto Centre for the Arts
10-02 Ottawa, Ontario - Centrepoint Theatre
10-04 Calgary, Alberta - MacEwan Hall
10-05 Edmonton, Alberta - Citadel
10-06 Vancouver, British Columbia - Centennial Theatre
10-07 Seattle, WA - Town Hall
10-10 San Francisco, CA - Herbst Theatre
10-13 Los Angeles, CA - Wilshire Ebell Theatre
10-14 San Diego, CA - Birch North Park Theater
10-18 Denver, CO - The Oriental Theater
10-19 Minneapolis, MN - The Cedar Cultural Center
10-20 Austin, TX - Hogg Memorial Auditorium
10-26 Houston, TX - Stafford Centre
10-28 Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater
10-30 Albuquerque, NM - KiMo Theater
11-01 Washington, DC - John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
11-02 Washington, DC - John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
11-04 Atlanta, GA - Ferst Center for the Arts
11-09 Ann Arbor, MI - Michigan Theater
11-10 Dearborn, MI - Ford Community & Performing Arts Center
11-11 Westlake, OH - Westlake City Schools Performing Arts Center
11-16 Boston, MA - Berklee Performance Hall
11-18 New York, NY - NYU Skirball Center
Recent News
Most Read News
- The Pitchfork Guide to Upcoming Releases: Spring 2008
- The Pitchfork Guide to Summer Festivals 2008
- Dear God, Please Let This Be the Lil Wayne Album Cover
- My Bloody Valentine Lead Unfuckingbelievable Lineup for New York All Tomorrow's Parties Fest
- Is This Really the New Weezer Album Cover?
- My Bloody Valentine Announce North American Tour!
- Tom Waits Reveals "Glitter and Doom" Tour
- Radiohead Reveal Second Leg of North American Tour
- Sigur Ros Line Up Summer Tour Dates
- Coldplay Reveal Viva la Vida Tracklist
- Sigur Rós Announce Full North American Tour
- Photos: Bonnaroo [Saturday]
- Wolf Parade March Out New LP Tracklist
- Photos: Sasquatch! Festival [Monday] (NSFW)
- Weezer Confirm Title, First New Photo Revealed
- Natalie Portman Stars in New Devendra Banhart Video
- Beck Announces Summer Tour
- Sonic Youth Reveal Starbucks Hits Comp Details
- Wolf Parade Announce Summer Tour
- Pitchfork's Guide to Record Store Day
- Photos: Bonnaroo [Thursday/Friday]
- Sigur Ros Sneak Peeks of New Album, Expand Tour
- Radiohead Best Of Details Revealed
- Radiohead, Live Nation Respond to Virginia Washout
- Peter Hook Talks New Order Split, DVD, Joy Division
- Was Bonnaroo Really M.I.A.'s "Last Gig Ever"?
- Tom Waits Extends "Glitter and Doom" Tour
- Weezer Reveal New Album Title? Or April Fool's Joke?
- Islands Announce New Album Tracklist, Tour
- Wolf Parade Join the 2008 Cover Art Hall of Fame
- The Conor Oberst Album Cover Is Dreamy
- Crystal Castles Caught Up in Artwork Controversy
- Built to Spill Reveal Full-Blown Perfect Tour
- Flaming Lips Add Shows, Christmas on Mars Screening
- The New Mogwai Album Tracklist Is Amazing
- The New Wolf Parade Album Title Is Terrible
- The New Mogwai Album Cover Is Disappointing
- My Morning Jacket Announce Lengthy American Tour
- Pitchfork.tv Launches in One Week! Schedule Revealed!
- Arcade Fire Scoring Donnie Darko Dude's New Movie
- Josh Homme Defends Himself: "Homophobic? I'm in Queens of the Stone Age for Crissake"
- Radiohead, Prince at Odds Over Blocked YouTube Vids
- Radiohead to Go "Green" on "Conan O'Brien"
- Feist Does "1234" on "Sesame Street", Adds Dates
- Radiohead, Interpol, Pornos Fete Independents Day
- R. Kelly Not Guilty!!!!
- Crystal Castles Respond to Chip Music Controversy
- Kanye West Responds to Bonnaroo Haters
- Wanna Open for Coldplay?
- Sub Pop Announces 20th Anniversary Bash