It is with my deepest regret that my first posting on THINQon should be on the passing of such a luminary figure in the art world. The standing ovation has always been a sign of brilliance, it has been a testament to the innovation and triumph of a truly amazing artistic performance. It both validates the artist as well as the audience member who wants to show his gratitude.  A performance that merits a standing ovation should be groundbreaking, life-changing, inspirational, beautiful, and meaningful. In its ideal form, the standing ovation is a tribute to performances and the performers in them that evoke the purest spirit of art. Thus, it is with my deepest regret to inform the community that the standing ovation is dead.

                The standing ovation can only carry meaning if it is a rare occasion. The performer must know that he deserved this special tribute. If the standing ovation is handed out at every single performance than the message loses all meaning and the artist no longer knows which performances actually achieve something greater, something almost spiritual.

                Now I make very few moral stands in my life, and when I do they are often overlooked. At Starbucks I refuse to use their cup size designations, at donation-based museums I refuse to feel bad when the ticket people give me mean glances for only giving a few dollars, and at international delegations I refuse to make concessions to terrorists. However, the stand I am most proud of is the one where I stay seated. Last night I went to a free concert at the Lincoln Center (other free performances are listed http://www.lincolncenter.org/asc_load_screen.asp?screen=advanced_search_results&program=4). Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Orchestra were playing and they were great. It was a wonderful performance with a great interplay between eastern and western musical traditions. I'll admit it was a pretty good concert, but at the end when the audience rose to pay respects I stayed in my seat. Whether the rest of the audience thought it truly was ovation worthy, or that Yo Yo Ma himself is ovation worthy, I don't know. I'll admit it was a good concert. However, it was not terrific, and it was not mind-blowing. I still clapped, but I stayed in my seat despite the stares from the surrounding circle.

               I wish I could say this was a one time thing, but it's not. At every concert, every play, and even some comedy shows, the audience always stands at the end and the standing ovation becomes more and more obsolete. And that is why I wish to pay my respects to what had been one of the greatest ways to show respect to a truly great performance.

I invite the THINQon community to share in my loss and tell of some of the most ovation-worthy performances you've ever seen and perhaps let the spirit of the standing ovation live on in our memories.

RIP